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Chapter 14
Ali
WhenTrentonhadtoldme we were going to his friend Gabe’s house for Thanksgiving, I thought nothing of it. But when Gabe Gable opened the front door of the gorgeous Malibu home, I had trouble keeping my jaw in place.
With a lazy grin, Gabe opened the door wider so we could enter. “Come in, come in.”
“Hey, man,” Trenton said, and they gave each other a bro hug. I used those precious seconds to get my head on straight. Though I’d been spending time around celebrities for the past two months, I hadn’t been expecting to be invited into Gabe Gable’s place. I was a huge fan. I couldn’t wait to tell Georgia what she’d missed. Of course, she was already miffed at me for not telling her I was staying in LA by myself, so I might only move further into the doghouse.
“You must be Ali.” Grinning, Gabe stretched his T-shirt so I could see what was on it—a picture of Trenton and me from our first performance with “Team AliTon” printed above it in big block letters.
“That thing is obnoxious,” Trenton said. I wondered where Gabe had gotten it. I hadn’t seen shirts for any contestants, not that I’d been looking.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gabe winked at me as if he and I shared a secret, displaying some of the charm he was known for in his shows. “But if it’ll make you happier, I can change into a different one.”
“Hell no. I know what some of your other options are.” Trenton handed Gabe the bottles of wine we’d brought.
“I thought you might say that. I’ll go put these on ice,” Gabe said. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
Trenton gestured for me to give him my jacket and purse. He hung them in a closet.
“What are his other shirt options?” I asked.
Trenton pursed his lips. “He has this one Misdirection shirt with all five of us in our bathing suits. I think I was seventeen when the picture was taken. I don’t know where the hell he finds the things, but he’s amassed quite a collection. He loves to annoy us with them.”
I cocked my head. “There are plenty of Gabe Gable shirts available. Maybe you should beat him at his own game.”
He considered for a moment before dismissing the idea. “Nah. None of them would be awkward enough. The five of us were still going through puberty when Misdirection formed.”
I laughed. “You could have warned me that your friend was Gabe Gable. I almost made a fool of myself.”
If I wasn’t mistaken, he scowled a little. “He has that effect on people. So does Liam, for that matter.”
My eyes widened. “Will Liam be here too?”
He eyed me. “Are you trying to make me jealous?”
“That depends.” I couldn’t help but grin. “Is it working?”
He snaked his arm around my waist, drawing me close. “Do I have reason to be jealous?”
Hell no.Gabe might have been hot as hell and talented to boot, but I was firmly on Team Trenton, evidenced by the way he made my blood rush through my body. Despite the lack of oxygen flowing to my brain, I managed to come up with a response. “I asked you the first question that you still haven’t answered.”
He frowned. “I forgot what the question was.”
Glad to see being close to me has an effect on him too.“Will Liam be here?”
Much to my disappointment, Trenton released me, but he did take my hand to lead me farther into the house. “Liam and Jack are with Jack’s family, I think. Liam is dating Jack’s little sister. And before you ask about Ben, I’m pretty sure he’s in New York. Broadway doesn’t stop for Thanksgiving.”
In the living room, a girl a few years younger than me was lying on the couch, watching something on her phone. She pulled out her earbuds when she saw us. “Hey, I’m Lacey, Leah’s sister.”
I nodded, even though I didn’t know who Leah was. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ali.”
“Everyone else is in the kitchen,” Lacey said. “Leah has put out snacks if you’re hungry.”
“Snacks” wasn’t a proper description. There were enough hors d’oeuvres set out that they could be a meal themselves.
A woman with dirty-blond hair and big brown eyes set down her wineglass. “Hi,” she said. Her accent was Southern, but it didn’t have quite the same twang that Georgia’s did. “I’m Leah.”
