Just before Cassia slides off the end, she glances back at me. “I’ve got to pick up Regan.”

“I know.”

“Right.” She glances at Maggie, like she’d temporarily forgotten this entire thing was set up.

“Okay. Bye.”

I want to smile but I don’t. I nod, then watch as Maggie and Cassia walk out of the diner.

Ben takes Cassia’s seat opposite me. “That was funny.”

I glance at him, sure he’s calling me out for setting this up. But he looks serious.

“Yeah. A real coincidence.”

Ben misses my sarcasm. I hope I wasn’t as oblivious as a freshman.

“You know Maggie’s sister?”

“A little.”

“You like her or something?”

I raise one brow at the ballsy question. I’m a senior, and his captain. Maybe I misjudged Howard as shy and awkward.

Ben hastily backtracks. “Not that—you don’t have to tell me. I’m not… You do you, you know.”

I crack a smile. “Yeah, I will. Thanks.”

Ben orders a burger while I polish off the rest of mine. We make small talk as we sit. But the whole time his question echoes in my head.

You like her or something?

I like shooting hoops. Like beer and pizza. What I feel for Cassia has always been stronger. The tug of the tide, not just a passing wave.

Like is unassuming and casual.

Something is vague. It can encapsulate a whole host of emotions. Including ones bigger than like.

Ones big enough to break hearts.

CHAPTER NINE

CASSIA

The credits start to roll. “Did that ending make sense?” I ask. “I’m not sure if—”

I glance over at Sydney. Fast asleep. Rolling my eyes, I crawl over her and off the bed. This Friday night was Sydney’s choice of movie. She still didn’t make it through the whole film.

I stretch, check my phone, then tiptoe into the hallway. It’s almost midnight.

Ever since last weekend, I’ve been resolved about how tonight is going to go. I even considered telling Sydney I wasn’t staying over tonight, which would have broken our tradition of me sleeping over when her dad isn’t home for the first time in years.

But then Holden showed up at Roxbury Diner with my sister’s crush so they could have a pseudo date. Maggie hasn’t stopped talking about it since. Holden has been elevated to deity status in her mind. And honestly, it meant something to me too.

I’m still not sure what his motivation for getting Ben there was, but he showed up. There were a million other ways he could have spent his afternoon yesterday, but he was there.

I don’t know how to act around him. If I’m being too forgiving or not forgiving enough.

That’s the problem with Holden—he skews my reactions.