Free Next Summer by Hailey Abbott Page B

laughed at that as she followed Adam through the crowd and down to lane 13. She caught sight of herself in one of the mirrors along the wall and ran a reflexive hand over her hair. She’d borrowed one of Ella’s Juicy tank tops to wear with a pair of khaki cargo capris from Anthropologie. She liked the result—sort of trendy and earthy all at once.
    As they got settled in their cozy little booth, Adam set about programming their names into the machine while Kelsi tested the weight of different bowling balls. One was so heavy she nearly dropped it on her foot. Another had finger holes so slender she was afraid she’d have to wear the thing as an accessory for the rest of her life.
    “So you must be psyched for college, right?” Adam asked.
    “I guess,” Kelsi said, weighing a purple ball in her right hand. “It’s just weird to have no idea what might happen next in your life.”
    Adam nodded. He was seventeen, Kelsi knew, so he wasn’t going to college for another year. She’d never been out with a younger guy. “I know what happens next,” he said. He indicated the lane in front of her with a flourish. “You get to go first.”
    Kelsi decided the ball in her hand would do well enough, and stepped up to the end of the lane. She frowned at the pins ahead of her. She had no idea what she was doing, so she snuck a look out of the corner of her eye at the overly seriousgirl in the next lane, who wore this robotic contraption on her arm and appeared to be performing at championship levels. Kelsi gulped hard and took another look at the pins, wound up, and threw the ball as hard as she could.
    The deep purple ball hit the lane with a heavy thud, and then rolled directly into the gutter.
    “Well, whaddya know,” Kelsi said, laughing as she turned. “I suck.”
    Adam smiled too quickly, and Kelsi got the feeling that he’d been miles away—preoccupied with something. She flopped down into the seat as he searched for a ball, and watched as he selected a glossy black one.
    Kelsi wasn’t above a little ogling, and Adam was definitely worth the look. He wasn’t classically good-looking, but his features seemed to work together in a way that made him kind of sexy even when he was doing something mundane like winding up to bowl.
    But while Kelsi could appreciate the sexy vibe Adam had going on, she wasn’t drawn to it the way she thought she should be. She remembered feeling so into Peter that when he’d touched her, she’d felt it all over her body. And with Adam, she just didn’t feel that rush, despite the fact she wanted to. Really, really wanted to. On paper, he was the guy for her in every way. Funny. Smart. Nice. Completely not an asshole.
    She mulled it over as they played out their game, competing for the worst score of all time. Kelsi won—in the sensethat she lost, horribly—but only because Adam hit a sudden and inexplicable strike streak.
    “It just doesn’t make any sense,” Adam complained, shaking his head.
    “Don’t tell me you’re a sore winner, too!” Kelsi teased.
    Adam laughed, and when his eyes danced, Kelsi felt a spark. Maybe she was putting too much pressure on the whole thing—after all, it couldn’t be healthy to be thinking Will he be the one I fall for and lose my virginity to? every thirty seconds. And Kelsi had to admit that’s what she’d been doing. But try as she might, she just couldn’t picture herself in Adam’s arms that way.
    Adam raised an eyebrow at Kelsi. “Want to go again?”
    “Um?” Kelsi asked. “Oh, you mean bowl?” Not sex, you moron!
    “That’s what we’ve got to work with.” His smile was warm and inviting, even infectious.
    “Then let’s do it,” Kelsi said.
    “Great. I’ll buy us another game. Be right back.”
    She liked the way he moved as he made his way back toward the counter. And there was that smile. And really, he was so—
    Kelsi jumped when a male body plunked down in the seat next to her.
    “Oh!” she said, sitting up.