“My grade on the quiz?” He knew exactly what I meant but was toying with me.
“No. You not having to move.”
He grinned. “Me, my mom, and my uncle had this big, long discussion. I told him I planned to go to culinary school. And my mother told him we’d both move out if he overstepped his authority again. She got me my own phone today.” He held up a new phone to show me.
“Wow. And your uncle agreed?”
Daniel shrugged, handing me a slice of pie on a plate. “He didn’t have much of a choice. Edwin Uncle’s mother said she wasn’t letting Mom go. She technically owns the house, and she said me and Mom can stay as long as we want.”
“And he’ll still take you to hockey?”
Daniel shook his head. “Nope. But his mother is letting me borrow her car. That’s how I got here.”
“What?” I was shocked. Daniel ... drove? “I didn’t even know you knew how to drive!”
He nodded proudly. “Andre taught me last year.”
“That’s amazing.” I was sure my face would split open from smiling. I couldn’t believe he was here. I didn’t know what it meant for us, but at least I had my friend back. I took a bite of the pie. It tasted perfect, of course.
He looked down at his pie, avoiding my eyes. “Samaya, I’ve done a lot of thinking, and you were right. I should have fought back. I’m a people pleaser, but I shouldn’t sacrifice the things I love, hockey, and baking, everything, to please others. It’smylife. And what I want from my life is—”
Cass and Owen came up the stairs talking loudly. Before they could say anything, I put my hand up. “Give us five more?”
Cass grinned. “Got it. Let’s wait in the car, Owen.”
Owen waved happily at Daniel, and then Cass and Owen put their shoes on and left.
“Go on,” I said to Daniel.
He stepped closer to me. “What I want in my life is you. Like I told you before, I resisted this for so long because I was so sure you wouldn’t be interested in me if you knew about all the crap in my past. I didn’t think there was a place for someone like me in your fancy life.”
“There is,” I said.
He smiled. “I know. I was selling myself short. I decided that you couldn’t possibly like me for me ... even though you clearly did. You, my beautiful little vampire, were always fighting for whatyoudeserved, even when you were a little misguided about what that was. And what you said to me last week, how could I expect others to value me when I didn’t seem to value myself much ...”
I frowned. “I said that?”
He nodded, grinning. “I think so. It’s what you meant, at least.”
“So ...” This was too much. He was here, and he said he wanted me in his life. “Does this mean we’re back to being ... friends?”
He tilted his head, looking at me. He took a step closer. And then another. He was so close I could feel his warmth radiating off him. He came even closer and reached down to touch my cheek. “You, Samaya Janmohammad, are the smartest person I’ve ever met. And funny. And you’re patient with my dumbass self for mixing up fractions and functions. You’re generous. You’re just ...”
“I’m me,” I said softly.
“And that’s perfect,” he whispered. He was about to kiss me. In my kitchen. With a pie he made for me. A pi pie.
But he was going too slow. I reached out and put my hand around the soft skin at the back of his neck and pulled him closer.
And we were kissing. And everything was right again in my world. He was strong, and solid, and we fit together perfectly. His kissintensified as his arms came around my waist, his cool hands on the strip of bare skin between the lehenga skirt and the cropped blouse. I wanted to get closer. If I could alter the time-space continuum and eliminate any space between us, I would do that in a minute.
The loud sound of a throat clearing pulled us apart. Tahira was in the doorway. “I didn’t tell Dad you have a date here, too, Samaya. So unless you have time for a father interrogation, you should probably leave. I’ll clean this up. Hi, Daniel. I’m going to need you to model for me one day, soon, by the way.”
Daniel laughed. “Sure, if you say so.” He looked down at me. “So you’re going with Cass and Owen?”
“We’regoing with Cass and Owen. Cass needs me with them for reasons. People go to dances with a group of friends all the time.”
“Is that what we are? Friends?”
