Levi turns, a smile widening. He steps toward us, then glances at the door. With a nod in greeting, he walks in.
“That nod. He’s like an alien. I need to do some research.” Oh no. That was my outside voice.
Sophie and Mia cackle at my expense. I cover my face.
“What do you have in mind?” Sophie asks. “Gossip Girlwould make good research, right?“ Like she read my mind. She pulls open the door to the lab building, her voice echoing in the empty lobby. “The old one, though, because Nate.”
The damage is done. I try to accept that this research is happening as a group.
“Eh, too trashy,” Mia says
She’s not wrong. I’ve been trying to do a better job keeping the questionable shows and movies at bay.
“Outer Banks? Wait, all the Kook guys are bad.“ Sophie frowns, maybe taking it personally.
“Gilmore Girls?“ Mia asks.
I prefer the high school seasons, but I keep that to myself.
“The late seasons with Logan. He’s kind of like Le-vi,” Sophie says.
There’s a similar promise of adventure in his eyes, plus the blond hair. The money, the charm, the confidence, of course. Levi is so much kinder, more reliable, more compassionate. I shake the thoughts from my head.
Sophie purses her lips. “She’s not convinced. Tristan is like the bad-boy version, kind of.”
I shudder. Tristan is far too much like Aiden.
“Team Dean, Jess, or Logan?” Mia asks me.
“Jess all the way.” My easy reply apparently surprises them. “What? He’s smart and mysterious, and who else carries around a book in their back pocket?” Good thing I haven’t seen Levi with a book in his pocket—that might just do me in.
“I can’t believe it.” Mia chuckles. “I had you down for a Dean girl. High School Dean, obviously.”
I shrug. No, thanks.
“I’m with you, Kit,” Mia says. “He takes a while to get his act together, but I was always rooting for him.”
“Which team, Sophs?” I ask.
“I hope it’s not weird since I just said he’s like Levi. I’m Team Logan so hard.” Sophie laughs.
Okay, it’s a little weird, but way less weird than how my stomach just dropped imagining her going after Levi.
“How he calls her ‘Ace’? I’m so into it,” she says. “And he holds onto his friends forever. Ooh, and the Life and Death Brigade is so my jam.”
“You would fit right in jumping off that platform withan umbrella and a formal dress.” I avoid the first comment like the land mine it is.
Sophie claps.
“Since we’re not in alignment about which season”—Mia steers us back to the mission at hand—“we could always go straight forDownton Abbey.”
The image of Levi at that enormous British estate sends us into a giggling fit. Just dress him in the tailored suit he no doubt owns—I would very much like to see him in it—and he would fit right in, especially with that formal voice of his. I don’t think my friends have heard that though.
“Oh,” Sophie says, “we have to do tonight, ’cause tomorrow I have to study for that insane bio test on Friday.”
Mia and I blink at her. “You’re going to study all night?”
“I mean, besides my run, yeah. I do study sometimes.”
