An Endless Summer(66)

Things had changed. I was Amy and I wanted people to see that. But above all, and as much as it disturbed me, I wanted Sean to see it. See that I had grown up and that there was more to me than my snarky comebacks and moody aggression.

With all these thoughts running through my mind, suddenly it wasn’t about winning a game or having the upper hand. It was about proving to myself that I wasn’t a spoilt child wanting to get her own way, to always be the winner.

Before I could voice my defeat, before I could say, “Congratulations, you’ve won,” Sean stood up.

The planes of his face softened, lit with the warm glow of the lamp. “Amy, I—”

Before he had a chance to finish his sentence we both were jolted by a loud, fisted knock on my door.

“Ammmmyyyyyyy,” Adam’s inebriated voice sing-songed through the door.

My eyes widened as they darted to Sean. “Hide,” I mouthed.

“Where?” he whispered.

Oh shit, oh shit … Where do you hide a six-foot-three wall of muscle in a bedroom?

I mimed for him to help me slide my sideboard in front of the door, to stop Adam from flinging it open. Sean silently edged it into place before diving behind the door.

“Ammmyyyyyy,” Adam continued, talking into the door. It was like a horror movie.

I thought maybe if I didn’t answer he might think I was asleep.

“Amy, I’m sorryyyyyy, please open the door.” The handle twisted and the door creaked. Sean moved behind me, pushing his back against the door to reinforce the barrier. Adam didn’t stand a chance with Sean on my side.

I pressed my finger to his lips urging him to remain silent.

“Amy, come on. I’m really sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to tell Sean; it just slipped out.”

Sean’s eyes snapped to mine: the jig was up.

“All right, I may have let it slip and I may have or may not have given him a lecture about not going near you.”

Ha!

I stole a look towards Sean. Yeah, that worked.

He didn’t appear to find this situation in the least bit amusing. His head was turned in to the door panel, but I could see the clench of his jaw line as if what Adam was saying was not going down too well with him, either.

Adam just needs to shut up.

“All right, all right. Fair enough,” Adam said with a hiccup. “But just so you know, you don’t have to worry about Sean. He assured me you’re not his type.”

I stilled, frozen, as Adam’s words cut me to the core. I didn’t know why, but it was as if a knife had been plunged into my stomach and twisted. I tilted my head away from Sean, not even wanting to look at him or for him to read the unmistakable change in my eyes, the hurt written across my face.

“Night, Amy. You have permission to pummel me tomorrow, because I know you will anyway.”

Oh yes, I will.

Adam’s drunken footsteps made their crooked way across the hall and into his room.

“Amy …” Sean whispered.

I held up my hand to cut him off. “He hasn’t closed his door,” I snapped at him.

We waited on a sound that never came, fearing what I suspected. I started to move the sideboard back into place, with Sean quickly helping me. I still couldn’t bear to look at him so I busied myself instead on opening my bedroom door a crack, pressing my eye against the opening.

“Oh, great!” I whispered.

“What?” Sean tried to lean forward to look but I elbowed him away.

Just like I had suspected. Adam’s door was wide open and, right before me in plain view, he sat lounging in a fluoro orange bean bag, his game console in his hand, playing 007.

I closed the door with a quiet groan.

“What?” Sean kept his voice low.

“He’s playing the PlayStation.”

“So?”

“So? He’s doing it with his door open,” I snapped.

Sean still looked at me as if he really couldn’t understand what the issue was.

“Knowing Adam, he’ll be playing it for hours and hours. You’re stuck here, Sean.”

Under normal circumstances, Sean would have made some lame joke about being stranded alone in the dark with a girl for hours. Instead, he just looked troubled.

“Yeah, don’t worry,” I snarked. “I’m none too thrilled about it, either. We can only hope he might pass out or something, but knowing Adam, the night owl, he’ll probably be awake all night.” I grimaced.

I had lost count of the endless nights of my youth in which I had stumbled across the hall, half asleep, at some ungodly hour. I would throw Adam a sleepy, dirty look and pull his door shut to muffle the sounds of the game music blaring from his TV.

There was no chance of doing that tonight without him cornering me for a deep and meaningful, and the last thing I wanted was for Adam to get deep about anything while Sean was within earshot.