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No way. Blaise would never kiss me. We’re friends.
Right—
A horn honks, startling both of us so badly we jump.
I giggle and grab his hand, towing him toward the car. “Come on; let’s go get something to eat and keep this perfect night going.”
And he easily follows me.
Like he always does.
THIRTY-TWO
BLAISE
I can’t stop glancing at Allura as we walk down the hallway and head downstairs. She looks like a fantasy, wearing my shirt that reaches her mid-thigh. I remember the night we went to that concert. I’d been an anxious mess in the crowd of people. But, like usual, she’d manage to pull me out of my veering panic attack, and we ended up having fun.
As we stood outside of the concert house, about to get into the car, I almost kissed her.
Sometimes, I wish I had.
But what would’ve happened if I did? Would we be here, in this moment now? Sure, it was fucking brutal for us to get to this point, but we’re here, and that should be all that matters. Except it’s not when she doesn’t even know the entire story yet.
She’s about to, and then I’ll find out if it was worth it, if I—we did the right thing.
Will she hate us?
Or will she understand?
I’m honestly not sure because I question our actions daily.
“Oh … it smells yummy,” Al remarks as we arrive at the bottom of the stairs. She breathes in deeply, and her eyes light up. “Like burgers.”
Ryder probably decided to cook burgers because it’s one of Allura’s favorite foods, and he wants her to be as comfortable as possible as we tell her about this thing, this horrible thing that’s been a virus in her life, and she wasn’t even aware of it.
“It does smell good,” I say as I guide her across the room and down a hallway on the other side of the living room. A handful of steps later, it opens into a high-beamed ceiling room lined with counters and cupboards.
Just on the other side of that is a wall of windows that shows a view of the glittering city and night sky, and in front of the windows is a table encompassed by chairs. Ryder and Reece are already seated, and the table has four plates with burgers and fries on it.
Ryder is gazing out the window when we enter, his arms resting on the table. He’s wearing a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Reece is dressed similarly and is dazing off while leaning back in the chair with his legs stretched out.
I clear my throat to let them know we’re walking in. The moment I do, they look our way then straighten in their seats.
Reece’s eyes immediately center on what Al’s wearing, lingering on her legs for a second or two. Ryder’s gaze quickly drags up and down her then slides to me. Question marks fill his eyes, but he keeps the actual words bottled down.
Reece doesn’t.
“Okay, why in the hell is Allura wearing your shirt?”
“Because I forgot my clothes when he helped me out of my dress,” Allura replies as she approaches the table. “And FYI, if you have any questions about me, please direct them to me.” She lifts her chin haughtily as she pulls out a chair and sits beside Reece at the table.
A grin curves at Reece’s lips. “All right, then I have a question for you.” He moves closer to her. “If he helped you undress, and you’re in his shirt, did he get to see you without your clothes on?”
“Reece,” I warn as I sit down in the chair beside Al’s.
Her cheeks are fiery red, but she smirks at him. “That’s none of your business, is it?”
His brows spring upward, but then his smile widens. “Fuck, I’ve missed your feistiness.”
