Chapter 34: Bowling Like a Pro

My fingers trace the fabric of the dress Asher bought for me, and I can’t help but giggle.

Memories of our time in the dressing room make me blush, and I can’t stop smiling. I finally put the dress back in my closet, but not before taking a good look at it. I’ve done this every day since he gave it to me.

~Pull yourself together, Addy.~

~He only bought it because you paid for dinner last time.~

~He told you that when you asked why he insisted on buying it.~

~Asher doesn’t have feelings for you...~

I shake my head, trying to clear it. He doesn’t like me. Did I just imagine that almost-kiss in the dressing room?

With a groan, I open my closet again.

I pull out a pair of dark jeans and a loose top, then head to the bathroom to get ready.

~Don’t think about him today.~

~Today, you’re going bowling with Xander.~

I finish up quickly.

Just as I step out of the bathroom, the doorbell rings. I rush downstairs to answer it.

Peeking out, I see Xander standing there with a smile. “Hey, princess.”

“Hey, Xander!” I give him a quick hug before stepping back.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

I nod. “Just need to grab my keys and phone. Left them upstairs.” I point toward my room.

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll wait here.”

“Thanks.” I nod and rush back upstairs. After grabbing my keys and phone, I hurry back down.

~Oh no.~

I groan at the sight in front of me. Mom is standing there, chatting with Xander and laughing.

So much for sneaking out unnoticed. She’s definitely going to grill me later.

“Mom!” I call out to her.

“Hi, sweetie. You didn’t tell me you were going out with Xander today?”

“Forgot to mention it, ma.” She raises an eyebrow at my response. “But we really need to get going now.”

I finish descending the stairs and slip on my shoes.

I grab Xander’s hand and pull him toward the door.

“Bye, Mrs. Reina!” Xander waves at Mom, who waves back.

“Drive safe and have fun!” She stands at the door until we’re safely in Xander’s car.

“Your mom’s nice.” He chuckles, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, and nosy!” I reply.

He laughs.

“Which bowling alley are we going to?”

“The one about twenty minutes from here. We can go somewhere else if you’d prefer.”

I shake my head. “No, this is good.”

“Good to know,” he says, focusing back on the road.

Xander turns on the radio. “I’m a pro at bowling. I’m definitely going to kick your ass.”

“I think you’ve got it backwards. I’m going to be the one kicking your ass!” I retort, grinning.

“Are you sure about that?” he asks, taking a right turn.

“Absolutely!”

“When was the last time you went bowling?” he asks, glancing at me before returning his attention to the road.

“Um, two years ago?”

Xander bursts out laughing, shaking his head.

“So, I’m definitely going to win then?”

I roll my eyes at him.

“When was the last time ~you~ went bowling?” I ask, looking out the window at the passing scenery.

“A few months ago, but I used to go regularly.”

I groan, turning back to Xander.

“Don’t underestimate my bowling skills!” I warn him.

I was pretty good the few times I tried.

“Got it,” he says, grinning.

We spend the rest of the drive mostly in silence, listening to the music.

“We’re here. Go on in, I’ll park and be right there.”

“Okay,” I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out of the car. I walk into the bowling alley and wait for Xander. When he arrives, we pay and go to change our shoes.

I find a pair that fits and put them on, then hold my own shoes in my hands. “Which lane is ours?”

“The one at the very end. Just follow me.” I nod and walk past the other bowlers. I watch a girl half my age knock down all the pins and start jumping around in excitement.

I can’t help but smile.

“We need to go through that door.” I tear my gaze away from the girl and look at Xander.

“But that’s the neon area?” I ask.

“Yeah, don’t you like it?” he asks as we walk in.

I let out a small shriek when we enter. “I love it.”

The room is completely dark, lit only by the neon lights.

“There’s our lane!” I hurry over, excited to start bowling.

“They spelled my name wrong!” Xander groans when he looks at the scoreboard, and I can’t help but snicker.

“You should have spelled it out for them.”

“I said Xander with an X, but she still wrote Zander!”

“She got ~my~ name right,” I point out, even though he probably already noticed.

“You gave her your nickname?”

I grin at his annoyed expression.

“Let’s get started, you goof. You’re up first.” I sit down on one of the nearby seats.

“You’re going down today,” he smirks at me, peeling off his sweater and tossing it onto the chair next to me.

He walks up to the lane, picks up his first ball, and gets ready to bowl. I watch closely as he releases the ball.

“Come on, come on!” Xander murmurs as the ball rolls toward the pins. I lean forward in my seat just as the ball knocks down only two pins.

Xander curses, and I burst out laughing.

“I slipped!” he yells in my direction.

“Sure, sure…” I respond, watching as Xander moves to the balls, searching for a better one. He selects an orange one, gives it a once-over, then lines himself up for his shot.

This time, he knocks down seven pins. I cheer for him.

“Are you kidding me? One pin left!” he complains, plopping down on the seat next to me as I rise.

“My turn.” I choose the lightest ball and let it roll. I bite my lip as it moves, nerves bubbling up.

The ball veers off course and rolls right into the gutter. I let out a groan.

“You got this!” Xander encourages from beside me.

I grab my next ball.

“I got this?”

I release it, and this time it rolls straight down the lane. It knocks down eight pins, and I throw my hands up in celebration.

“High five.” Xander extends his hand, and I slap mine against his.

“Told you I am good,” I say with a smirk.

“I can see, princess. My turn again.”

We continue like this for half a round when Xander suddenly stands up.

“I am going to get us slushies. I feel thirsty.” I nod at him before reaching for my wallet.

“I am paying.” He grins at me before walking off. It’s his turn, so I sit back down, pulling out my phone to kill time.

So far, Xander is leading, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to win.

I hope.

I brush my hair away from my face, glancing around to see that the previously empty lanes next to us are now filled. Everyone is laughing and smiling as they play.

“Here,” Xander hands me my slushie, and I take it from him.

“Thank you!”

“It’s your turn, by the way.”

***

I let out a loud squeal, jumping around. “I won, I won!”

“Pure luck?”

I laugh at his sulky expression.

“You’re just mad I won! I told you I would win,” I say, thrusting my hand in the air.

“Shouldn’t have underestimated you, princess.” He steps closer to me, poking my forehead.

“Stop that!” I swat his hand away, picking up my melted slushie and sipping the remnants.

“Do you want another one?” he asks, looking at me.

“I’m good.” I nod, tilting the cup to my lips, trying to get the last drops.

I don’t anticipate the lid falling off, and when it does, the watery slushie spills all over my mouth.

Xander bursts into laughter when I yell out. I wipe my mouth with my sleeve.

“Hey, don’t do that, wait.” He pulls a tissue from his pocket, and I smile.

“Thank you.” I reach out to take it from him, but he has other plans.

Stepping closer, he gently holds my chin with one hand and softly presses the tissue against my mouth.

I freeze, momentarily taken aback.

~What the fuck is going on?~

I place my hand over his to stop him from wiping away the slushie from my mouth. I let out an awkward laugh.

~Fucking stupid.~

“I can do it myself.” I try to push him away when a hand sneaks around my waist, pulling me closer.

I panic, my eyes widening.

~He isn’t going to kiss me, is he?~

~Don’t jinx it, bitch.~

Xander tilts his head, bringing his lips closer to mine.

~Move away, move away.~

His lips near mine and I freak out. I grab his collar, giving a firm shake before pushing him away.

“What are you doing?” I huff.

He looks surprised.

“I...I just thought…”

“Xander, I really think we should go now. It’s late. My mom is going to get worried.” I move away from him, gathering my things and rushing out of the bowling alley.

Xander emerges a minute later, eerily silent. He unlocks the car and we climb in, the rest of the ride home filled with silence.

~I should have listened to Kaylee when she said that he liked me. Why did I choose to not take it seriously!~

~Stupid.~

We pull up in front of my house.

“I’m sorry,” Xander finally says.

“It’s okay.”

“I can walk you to your door,” he offers.

“It’s okay, I can—”

My phone blares loudly in my pocket, and I pull it out to see that Kaylee is calling me.

“I have to take this,” I mumble apologetically to Xander, unbuckling my seatbelt. “See you at school.”

I give him a small wave before rushing toward my door, the phone still ringing in my hand.

~Kaylee, you are an angel sent from heaven.~

I sigh in relief before answering her call, pressing the phone against my ear, trying to forget about what happened today.

~Pretend like it never happened.~

Exactly what I’m going to do.