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Back The Pass Save as PDF
Chapters (37)
  1. Cover
  2. BLURB
  3. TANNER
  4. SYDNEY
  5. TANNER
  6. SYDNEY
  7. TANNER
  8. SYDNEY
  9. TANNER
  10. SYDNEY
  11. TANNER
  12. SYDNEY
  13. TANNER
  14. SYDNEY
  15. TANNER
  16. SYDNEY
  17. TANNER
  18. SYDNEY
  19. SYDNEY
  20. TANNER
  21. SYDNEY
  22. SYDNEY
  23. TANNER
  24. SYDNEY
  25. TANNER
  26. SYDNEY
  27. SYDNEY
  28. TANNER
  29. SYDNEY
  30. TANNER
  31. EPILOGUE
  32. PLAYLIST
  33. ALSO BY REBECCA JENSHAK
  34. SECRET PUCK SNEAK PEEK
  35. BLURB
  36. CHAPTER 1
  37. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“Thanks.” She glances over at me. “I thought it matched the color of your eyes.”

“Yeah?” I think that’s a compliment. I know how much she likes her dresses though, and she has a whole bunch of them, so maybe each of them reminds her of something and her noting a dress matches my eye color is just a normal thing for her. This girl has me questioning all sorts of things that I never imagined I’d give a second thought.

I go with her inside Freddy dorm and up to her floor.

“Thanks for walking me home.”

“Thanks for coming to see me. Maybe tomorrow we can go out, like actually leave the house and do something?” My hands are a little sweaty and I shove them in my pockets.

“Can’t. We have a team dinner thing and Saturday I promised Emily we’d go to the football party. You could come with us if you want.”

I like her friends, but I’d far prefer to spend the night with just her. Maybe a movie or dinner, or the bar. “Okay, yeah, whatever you want.”

Her wide smile makes me forget to be disappointed. “I’ll text you when I know what everyone’s doing.”

Tipping back on my heels, that disappointment creeps back in knowing that we’re not going to be able to hang out for a couple of days. And I really hate this weird place we’re in. Most of the time I don’t notice it because I’m too busy enjoying her company, but when we say goodbye there’s always this beat of awkwardness. When can I see her again? Should I kiss her? Have we hung out enough times that she trusts me?

Sydney smiles tentatively, hand on the doorknob. A war wages in my head.

Kiss her.

Don’t freak her out.

Fucking kiss her already.

You’ll know when the time is right.

It feels pretty fucking right.

While I’m still debating, Sydney makes the decision for me. She steps forward, kisses me on the cheek so quickly I almost miss it, and then throws open her door and goes inside. “’Night, Tanner.”

How did I get friend zoned by a girl that by her own words had been dying to meet me for an entire year? I think it might have been this moment. I should have taken her out to a party or to dinner. I should have kissed her. Literally anything would have been better than what I did, which was nothing.

6

SYDNEY

Present day - two years later