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“You like him,” Corey finishes for me.
“I don’t really know what is happening yet. We talk at the studio and I like spending time with him.”
“And he’s driven you home late all week,” Corey interjects, and color blooms in my cheeks. “Don’t act surprised. You have to know I’ve checked on you. I get worried.”
Shame fills my chest. I shouldn't have had to hide that from my best friend. It has just been a ride home. Corey’s words on our first day of school and how worried he was about Onyx and his family plague me though. I don’t want there to be drama for either of them.
“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I don’t want this blown out of proportion for anyone and I’ve always been safe.”
I can’t read Corey’s expression, but I can see the shadow over his features. His won’t even quirk up in my direction. He’s mad I hid something from him. My phone vibrates in my hand.
“Guess you better leave then.” Corey nods at my phone. I grasp it tighter in my hand.
“See you soon,” I promise him as I start to back up toward the parking lot. He nods his head uncommittedly before turning back to our friends. I book it to my car, refusing to turn back or give in. Maybe in the past I might have. Nothing before has been more important than spending time with Corey or Harper. I want to be with Onyx though. I want to listen to his words and have his eyes on me. I want to tell him about my day and talk about our upcoming English paper. It still intrigues me how he is barely ever at school, but he manages to keep up with assignments. I just want to know more about him.
I speed through town as much as I will allow myself, because I do not need a speeding ticket, until I finally reach Ms. Patti’s. I park my car out front and practically run to the back entrance, my keys already out. The motion light turns on and my eyes land on the dark form sitting on the stairs. I jump back, my hand sliding over my heart, trying to keep it from jumping out of my chest.
“Whoa.” Onyx’s deep chuckle sounds around us, and his large body unfolds to stand in front of me. “Easy, Little Star.” His hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes lightly.
“You scared me.” I pretend to jab at his ribs with my hand, but he dodges it and then does something he has never done before. Onyx pulls me into his side, his arm laying across my shoulders, my body tucking into his. I have never been so hyperaware of another person before. The whole left side of my body tingles, my hip feels like it's on fire from where it's pressed against his. His arm radiates heat on my shoulders, where it rests, even over the material of my sweatshirt. He’s warm, comfortable, and smells damn amazing. “You smell like a cinnamon roll.”
Onyx’s head tilts back in a laugh before he sticks a piece of gum out of his mouth between his teeth. “Cinnamon. You smell like popcorn.”
I scrunch my nose. I love popcorn, but I don’t really want to smell like it. I blame the child behind me in the stands who kept bumping his bucket into my back. Onyx chuckles again at the face I’m making. “Want to go get ice cream?”
“Don’t you have a record to make?” I tease, my head tilting back so our eyes meet. His look darker under the bill of the baseball hat he wears.
“I need some inspiration.” He shrugs, a smirk pulling at his lips.
“Ice cream gives you inspiration?”
“Eating ice cream with you might give me inspiration,” he answers and my cheeks turn pink from the banter and the insinuation that I could be his muse.
Onyx keeps his arm around my shoulders and leads me to the sidewalk. We walk through town toward the ice cream shop. He gives me updates on his music, while I detail the game for him. Even though he didn’t want to play, Onyx is still a football fan. We pass a few families on our way. Besides them, the streets are practically empty. Everyone from school is at a party. I glance at Onyx under my lashes, knowing I made the right choice to skip the party and be with him.
After we each order an ice cream cone, Onyx leads us out back to the patio. We take a seat at my favorite table. I eye him curiously, there's no way he would know that, right? It has to be a coincidence; I shouldn’t read into things that aren’t there. My mind drifts back to my conversation with Corey before I left. The last thing I want is to make things awkward for anyone.
“What are you thinking about so intently, Little Star?” Onyx’s fingers hold his cone and he takes a bold lick, right as my gaze comes back to him. My cheeks instantly heat and some weird part of me wishes I was the ice cream.
“Just something with Corey,” I tell him and try and shrug it off. My words sound broken in my throat and I realize this is the closest he and I have come to a fight since we became friends. Even when he acts his dumbest or when I’m helping carry him home when he’s drunk, I’ve never been mad at him. Tonight, when he said he knew I was seeing Onyx, my privacy felt violated. I never question or keep tabs on Corey and it made me mad he overstepped this time with me.
Onyx takes another bite of his cone, his eyes darkening while he looks at me. “Was he mad you were coming here to meet me?”
I shake my head no. “He sounded more concerned. He wanted to know why I hadn’t told him.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?” Onyx tilts his head, studying me.
I roll my shoulders back, not wanting to appear intimidated. “Corey tends to be over protective. On your first day here, he was freaked out because,” I swallow back the embarrassment but keep going, “of your family and the connection.”
“So you didn’t tell him because you’re protecting him or because he holds you back?”
“Neither.” I turn my gaze fully on him. “I didn’t tell him because we’re hanging out and it has nothing to do with him. If I tell him, he might try and make it a bigger deal than it is and I didn’t want you to feel pressured to be my friend or to have to deal with Corey. He’s my best friend, but he can be a lot. I also don’t want to cause any issues between you and him while you are in town.”
Onyx watches me carefully, as if he’s mulling over every word I just said. “Is he just your best friend?”
“Yes,” I tell him without hesitation.
“You know he might want more, right?” Onyx questions.
