Savannah jolts, our foreheads smack, and pain jabs into my forehead as I shoot to my feet. What is it about this girl? Why is she so intent on damaging my pretty face?
“Yeah, Sophia?”
“You can call me Soph. My friends do.” She flashes me a shy smile, and I nod returning her smile.
“Can we play Monopoly next?”
“Sure thing, kiddo.”
I chance a look at Savannah, whose head hangs in her hands. When she doesn’t move, I squeeze her shoulder. “You okay?”
She nods. “Just queasy.” After a beat it’s as though she realizes she just told me being a nanosecond away from kissing me makes her feel ill. She pulls her face from her hand and waves her bandaged finger in my direction. “Blood.”
I grin, a warm feeling coming over me. That’s not a “fuck no.” “You wanna play Monopoly with Soph and me?”
She pushes to her feet. “I’m not sure you’re ready for that, Justin Phillip Ashe.” She grins and plants her hands on her hips. “You might be king of your ice castle. But in this house”—she jabs a thumb at her chest—“I’m the queen of board games. And unlike my little sister, I won’t let you win.”
* * *
She’s right. She totally kicked my ass at Monopoly, and from the beaming smile that lit up the whole room, she enjoyed doing it, too. She’s not a humble winner, either. Nope. She’s a gloater.
Our dads moved into Kev’s man cave an hour ago, while the moms sat drinking coffee and chatting in another room to hang out without disrupting our game.
Abby sticks her head around the doorway. “We’re supposed to be going out soon, Savvy. We told Uncle Jim we’d stop by to see him and the family.”
Savannah’s face falls as she holds her little silver top hat pinched between her finger and thumb. “I forgot.” Her voice is flat, and the light dims from her eyes.
Family.
I imagine that the meaning of that word has changed a lot for her over the past few months, and she’s struggling. Hell, anyone would.
If I woke up one day and discovered the foundations of my life to be different to what I thought, it’d be like…betrayal? I dunno. But it can’t be easy for Savannah. She sets the piece back down on the board and slips her thumbnail between her teeth like Mom does when she’s got a lot on her mind.
“Oh. I didn’t realize she had plans.” I urge my cheeks to heat with faux-embarrassment as I push to my feet. “I…uh…” Savannah’s eyes are locked on me. I rub the back of my neck. “I asked Savannah to come out with me…later…”
Abby’s brows shoot up her forehead, and her eyes widen. I swallow hard, half expecting Savannah to snort, object, or throw something at me.
“I’ve been meaning to ask her out for a while, but with school, work, hockey… I just haven’t found the time.” I’m laying it on thick, knowing what moms are like. I heard her and Mom whispering in the kitchen about trying to get Savannah and me together. “It’s totally okay, though. We can reschedule.”
I can’t risk looking at Savannah in case she’s horrified, but even if all I do is get her out of the house and away from her parents for a while to catch her breath, that’ll be enough. At least for now.
This isn’t a knee-jerk reaction for me, just opportunism. I’ve wanted to ask her out from the minute I met those sea-blue eyes at the coffee shop. In the split second before she registered who I was and her gratitude was replaced by low-key loathing.
“You…” Abby points at me, then at Savannah. “You asked Savannah out?”
“Like…on a date?” Mom’s voice comes from the doorway behind Abby.
I nod, my face heating for real now. This probably wasn’t my smartest plan, and Savannah still hasn’t said a goddamn word so I’m out on this branch all by myself.
Sophia makes anoooooohkind of noise before bursting into giggles, and Savannah jumps to her feet. She’d probably rather barbecue her soul and feed it to a hellhound than go out with me. But she tosses me a grateful, genuine smile, and it seems that at least for now, she’d sooner spend time with me, than with her family, because she’s nodding.
Relief uncurls the tight knot in my chest as I let go of a slow breath. “Yes, Mom. Like a date. I didn’t realize they already had family plans.”
Savannah flinches at my word choice. Shit.
Abby’s brow furrows. “Let me call Uncle Jim and see if he can do tomorrow instead. We still have a few days of you in town.” She smiles. “There’s no reason for you two to change your plans.” Whether she’s excited that I’m taking Savannah out, or simply humoring Savannah so she doesn’t lose her shit, I’m not sure. Either way, we’re now committed to a fake date and I’m not, for one second, going to waste it.
Maybe if I can convince her I’m not demon spawn, she’ll agree to give me one for real.
