In Her Eyes by Wesley Banks Page A

answers, or give up.”
    Ben conveniently left out the fact that he had texted her this morning with no response.
    Parker slapped Ben on the shoulder. “How ‘bout this, there’s no meet this weekend, we can go out Thursday or Friday and find you another girl. We’ll call it Mission Benpossible.”
    Ben laughed and looked over at Parker. “I appreciate it, but I think I’ll pass.”
    “Alright, well, catch me after class. I’ll be at Broward Dining.”
    Ben hiked his backpack up on his shoulder. “Alright.”
    “And don’t spend all class thinking about that girl.”
    Ben started walking east towards class. The problem was now beyond just thinking about it. It was knowing how good it felt just to be near her.

18
    Emergency
     
    April 6, 2015
     
    “You sure you don’t mind picking up Emma from school?” Casey said. It was her day off, but the hospital just called, and the queasiness from avoiding the first rings made her too sick to not answer. “It should only be a few hours, so I should be back by dinner.”
    “Casey. Why do you do this every time?” Nikki said.
    Casey shrugged as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. “I don’t know. I just, don’t like imposing, I guess.”
    “It’s not imposing. I would tell you if it was. Honestly, if you had another room, I’d be begging you to let me move in.”
    “Okay,” Casey said. “If I’m not back by 6 p.m., then there is lasagna left over for you and Emma.” She grabbed her phone, and swiped her finger across the home screen. A missed call still showed because she still hadn’t cleared the missed call from Ben yesterday. But now she also had an unread text. Casey stared at the screen for a second, reading his name: Benson Wilder. Before she could put her phone back in her purse, Nikki snatched it away from her.
    Nikki read the text aloud. “Still waiting for that second date. Casey. Anise. Taylor,” Nikki said in a motherly tone. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Ben has called you…” Nikki scrolled through the calls, “…three times! And texted you. And you haven’t called him back?”
    “I don’t know,” Casey said. “I mean, what’s the point?”
    “What’s the point? Did you not get a good look at him? His eyes, his arms, his hair. And don’t even get me started on his legs in those running shorts.”
    “I just need to focus on other things right now,” Casey said.
    “Please tell me you’re not holding back because of Emma.”
    “I’m not,” Casey lied.
    Nikki put her hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows.
    “I promise,” Casey lied again.
    “I swear you must be the only girl I know who doesn’t want to have a fling with a college athlete.”
    Casey grabbed her phone and headed for the door. She turned around towards Nikki, still standing by the kitchen table. “I don’t want a fling,” she said.
    “Then what do you want?”
    “I don’t know,” she said as she stepped out the door. But she did know, even after just one night with him. She wanted more.

19
    Not Ready
     
    April 6, 2015
     
    It was a few minutes after five o’clock when Casey walked past a nurse’s desk painted to look like a child snorkeling with Manatees. She had just spoken with the attending physician, who confirmed she could head out for the night. When she stepped outside the frigid hospital she could feel the heat of the sun like it were hanging just above the trees, but there was nothing but scattered shadows at the bottom of the steps where Candy was sitting.
    “Girl, you got problems,” Candy said, picking up their conversation where they had left off about an hour ago. Candy was pretty much the only person besides Nikki that Casey felt comfortable talking to. She was about twenty years older than Casey, which made for a great friendship because she had such a drastically different perspective on life.
    Casey leaned against the railing a step below her. “You sound just like Nikki.”
    “I don’t know Miss Nikki, but she