‘Maybe she can’t come that way.’
Don’t think about the fact that we’re talking about Tori here. Just don’t think it . . .
‘So what should I do?’
‘Ask her what she likes. And tell her what you like.’ It sounds so simple when Henry puts it like that.
‘Don’t you dare tell mecommunication is key,’ I grumble, because I know Henry.
He laughs. ‘Hey, what can I say? Communication has certainly proved useful so far.’
‘Maybe I should have told her it was my first time.’
‘Didn’t you?’ Henry asks.
I shake my head.
‘Got you.’
‘I didn’t want to kill the mood.’
‘I promise you, that kind of thing never kills the mood.’
‘You can’t know that.’
‘Sinclair, it’s important. Talking to each other, I mean. Especially during sex. Or afterwards, before the next time.’
If there is a next time . . .But we’d better not think that, either. There has to be a next time. Because, OK, maybe it was anything but optimal, but nobody can tell me there was nothing between us. The start was promising. There was a spark. It was genuine. I get goosebumps thinking about it, and Tori has to kiss me like that again, and pull me to her, and touch me or I’ll die.
‘It’s not fair, everything always works out for you,’ I mumble.
Henry laughs. ‘For Emma and me?Everythingnever works. Sometimes nothing works. Sometimes some things do. You never know, and that’s normal.’
‘If you say so . . .’
‘Emma didn’t come our first time. Only afterwards, when I was totally focused on her. And, like I said, it didn’t work out right away with me and Grace either.’ Henry looks at me. ‘By the way, do you think there’s been something funny about her lately?’
‘Grace? What do you mean?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe I’m imagining it, but she doesn’t seem happy. And . . . she’s lost weight, hasn’t she? Even more, I mean.’
I try to remember the way Grace looked at our last rehearsal. ‘To be honest, I hadn’t noticed. But I wasn’t thinking about it.’
Henry nods. ‘I’m a bit worried.’
‘She’s spending a lot of time with Gideon,’ I say. ‘During rehearsals too. You could ask him.’
‘I don’t want to interfere, you know?’
‘I don’t think it’s interfering. If he thinks it’s weird, say you’re looking out for her as school captain.’
Henry seems unconvinced. ‘I just hope she’s all right.’
‘And if she isn’t, that’s not your fault.’
He darts a glance at me. ‘Yeah, well . . .’
‘She understood, Henry. Definitely.’
