His face fills my mind the moment my eyes shut. What is he doing right now? Probably with his aunt and parents—I can’t bother him. I sent him a message earlier, saying everything was fine, with a gif of a bunny eating a carrot. He replied with a link to an Elvis Presley cover sung inAlvin-and-the-Chipmunksvoice and a gif of a hamster in sunglasses.
I pull my phone from my skirt pocket and see a new notification.
McQueen <3: What are you doing?
A smile tugs at my lips as I type back:
Me: I was just wondering if there’s really milk in the Milky Way. If not, why call it that? I’d like to build a spaceship to find out.
Which, of course, really means:I’m bored to death.
Vincent reads it within seconds, but no reply comes. With a huff, I toss the phone onto my bed.
Twenty minutes pass—me staring at the ceiling, throwing darts, rearranging stickers on my bedroom door—before I cave and check again. Still nothing. He must be busy. Maybe I should just sleep. Maybe rewatchThe O.C.or listen to one of the CDs he gave me. But first, a shower.
I dig out clean pajamas from the mess in my closet and head for the bathroom. I turn on the water, strip off my T-shirt, left only in a light pink bra, and start unbuttoning my skirt—whena noise at the window makes me freeze. If my mom hears, I’m dead.
Crossing back to my room, ignoring the sting in my foot, I throw the window open wide. There’s Vincent, selecting a rock to throw. When he looks up and catches sight of me, he grins. “Wanna go out?”
“My mom’s downstairs—I can’t go out the front door.”
He runs a hand through his curls. “She never checks on you, right? Do you have your keys?”
I nod.
His smirk never leaves his face. “Perfect. Then we just need to figure out how to get you down there.”
An idea sparks in my mind, pulling a smirk to my lips. “What if...?”
His eyebrow lifts. “What?”
“What if I jump and you catch me?”
His eyes widen. “What if I drop you?”
“You won’t! You have a better idea?” I whisper, desperate to keep my mom from hearing.
He studies the height. It’s not too high—I could make the jump. “Okay,” he says, still unconvinced.
I flash him two thumbs up. “Great. Wait here. I’ll get dressed and be right back.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” he teases, covering his eyes as I lean further out in only my bra.
Rolling my eyes, I cover myself with crossed arms. “Such a gentleman, Cooper.”
“One of the many things you love about me, isn’t it?”
I giggle and shut the window, leaving him without an answer. He’s really changed. He’s still my Vincent, but more confident, more self-assured, more... Cocky.
I fling open my closet and dig through my clothes, more indecisive than ever. Usually I never overthink what to wear around him. But tonight I want to look... better. Maybe even hot.
With a sigh, I settle on a white top scattered with blue flowers, tied at the neckline with a bow, and a pair of low-waisted jeans and red boots.
In the bathroom, I brush my teeth in a rush, spitting out the foam while already reaching for my makeup bag. I dab on concealer under my eyes and a touch of blush to bring life back into my face, skipping the glitter eyeshadow I usually can’t resist. I don’t have enough time.
I run my fingers through my hair, dampening the ends until they curl into loose, shiny waves that frame my cheeks just right. The mirror reflects a version of me that’s half-ready, half-nervous. I reach for the bottle of vanilla perfume Aurora gave me, spritzing it over my neck and wrists. The sweet, warm scent wraps around me like armor, as if she’s right here reminding me I’ve got this. One last look at myself in the mirror—heart racing, hands smoothing down my outfit—and I’m ready.
When I reopen the window, Vincent’s scrolling through his phone. He looks up, and his smile spreads as he rises from the lawn. “Ready?”
