“Why?”
“So, then I could as if you were single or not.” Everyone, except those two, exchange glances, smiles creeping up our faces. I knew there was something going on with those two.
“Smooth, Ken,” Wen mutters under her breath when Scarlett looks at her with wide eyes. I look over to Harry whose mouth has almost dropped to the floor.
“He’s single,” I say. “Very.”
“This feels like a perfect opportunity to play seven minutes in heaven,” Xavier suggests, trying to stifle his laugh. “Should we spin a bottle? I’m not playing, obviously. I’m quite happy with my balls the way they are.”
“We don’t need a bottle,” Kennedy says happily as she stands up. She waltz’s over to Harry and grabs his hand, as he blinks up at her, pulling him somewhere that I don’t want to know.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Scarlett asks quietly. “I’m in real protective older sister mode.”
“He’s a good guy. He’s a little much but he’s okay,” I say, reassuring her.
“You better be right,” Scarlett says, pinning me with a Kubrick stare. “Or I’ll kill you.”
I raise my hands in surrender as Wren smiles and stands up in front of me. She turns around to Scarlett, her ass in my face.
“Leave him alone. Kennedy can handle herself. She completely flamed a guy at Coachella last year without our help.”
“I forgot about that,” Scarlett laughs.
“What’s this Coachella story?” Grey shouts from the kitchen.
“That a story for another time,” she shouts back before she pulls me up from my seat. “I want to see if what you said is really true.”
Everyone groans as she drags me up the stairs to my bedroom.
CHAPTER 36
WREN
Coming to the rink now feels different. Weird.
It’s like I’ve forgotten what I used to do it for. At the beginning, it was for me to have fun because it seemed cool. Then it was for my mom, because she wanted me to. She wanted me to be a star for her. But today, for one of the first times in a while, I’m skating for myself. For fun. With Miles.
“I don’t know how I feel about this. I feel weird,” he stutters, turning around on the ice almost falling over. I spin and turn effortlessly just to show off.
“That’s because you’re used to trying to kill people while you skate,” I reply. “Sometimes you just need to relax, y’know?”
He glides towards me in his jeans and baggy sweatshirt, as he grabs my hands while he spins me around. He has awful balance. It’s like trying watch Bambi on ice: both adorable and ridiculous at the same time. I can’t help but laugh when he pulls me in and skates backwards as if we’re doing the hokey pokey.
“You’re right,” he says when he lets go, sliding down the rink seamlessly. “Thisisfun.”
“I’m always right,” I say with a smug grin, gliding in the opposite direction.
If it wasn’t empty in here, I wouldn’t have been able to hear him charge up behind me as he wraps his arms around my waist. He pulls me into him until my back is flush against his chest. He kisses me lightly just below my ear where my pulse is hammering. He sends rapid kisses across both sides of my neck.
“What are you doing after this?” he murmurs into my skin; his proximity and warmth makes me shiver. There is something so wildly comforting about being with him like this.
“I’m, uh,” I stammer when he bites my earlobe. “I’ve got to go to my mom’s house. She said it’s an emergency, but I have to comeexactlyafter three.”
My mom sent one of her very ambiguous messages this morning. I’ve slightly been avoiding her since my performance. When we went to Palm Springs, I had an excuse not to talk to her but now after being back for almost a month, I have to turn up to whatever she needs me to.I’d like to request your attendance at my house this afternoon. It’s vital that you attend. Do not arrive any earlier than 1500 hours.And because she’s the strangest person I’ve ever met she signed the text message withYours sincerely, Melanie Hackerly.
“Boo. I was going to coax you into coming over to my house,” he groans. “Do you know what the emergency is?”
“No but I’m going to find out. And don’t you have practice, like, now?”
