Everything’s set in motion. I’ll let it play out and if it doesn’t work, I can regroup. Think of another way to win George. Another thousand ways. Any way that works to get her where she belongs, where it feels she was always destined to be, by my side.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
GEORGE
It’sodd walking into the ballroom on Keanen’s arm. We’ve barely spoken to each other in the past couple of weeks. Almost the moment we joined Lachlan’s group of friends each lunchtime, he got on the team, and I’ve barely seen him. Occasional heys in the corridors, but that’s about it.
Perhaps because of that, the ride here made me uncomfortably anxious. Our small talk was halting, neither one of us really knowing what to say. We bonded over being outcasts but that was just for a few weeks.
I don’t really know him at all.
Thank God we’re just here as friends because if I had to worry about where the evening was going, I might have opted to stay home.
“Want to get a commemorative picture?” he asks, already pulling me into the open booth. “Smile!”
I fake a grin, putting my head next to his, then the photographer says, “How about another one. Maybe a kiss?”
Keanen tries for my lips, and I turn my head, letting them land awkwardly on my cheek. The fumble makes my stomach clench way too hard, but I keep the false smile in place.
When I glance back towards the entrance, I see Lachlan staring at me, a sad smile on his face before he turns away.
The pinch of guilt in my midriff grows stronger.
Keanen slides a hand down my back as I walk slightly in front of him into the main ballroom. Instead of being a comfort, it makes my skin all skittery, like it’s been touched by a spider. I try to concentrate on his words rather than his physicality—that’s how we originally bonded, after all—but with the high volume of chatter over background music, I can barely hear him. It’s a relief to get to our seats.
“Do you want to dance?”
I glance at the floor area set aside for it, to be expanded later, and shake my head. “Not just yet. Are there any teammates you should catch up with? I just want to sit and watch everyone walk in, dressed to the nines.”
The people-watching aspect is rather incredible. Some girls who don’t normally wear makeup or don’t wear a lot, look completely different after their beauty shop makeovers. Others have hairstyles—successful or not—that alter the shapes of their faces until more than once, I misidentify someone, only to spot my error a few minutes down the track.
Keanen walks away, appearing happy to join his mates near the drinks counter. I press a hand to my abdomen, feeling the strange flutter as my stomach tries to unknot itself.
It’s been that way ever since Lachlan came to my room last night, crying. The brief glimpse of him in the lobby rekindles the tension.
There’ve been times in the past when my ex had reduced me to tears. Although they’re not happy memories, they also didn’t feel as bad as this.
I made the wrong decision.
I don’t know how to fix it.
My eyes have dropped to the table by the time Lachlan and Kari walk inside, but I know instantly they have. There’s a hushed aura of respect from the other students, a feat that our principal would pay to command.
I take my time before glancing over. When I do, heat blossoms in my core, melting me from the inside out.
He’s beautiful.
I’ve never thought to describe a boy that way, but Lachlan is breath taking. Beside him, Kari appears plain though toe-to-toe, she’d easily outshine most of the girls in the room.
This was such a bad idea.
A pulse of desire grips me, twisting through my centre until I’m squeezing my thighs, holding a hand to my cheek to hide my blush of shame.
“Are you too hot?” Keanen asks, dropping into the seat beside me. He’s got a beer in one hand but puts it down to pour me water from the bottle on the table. “If you need to go outside, I’ve got the keys to a private patio where no one will bother us.”
“Wow,” I say, forcing a smile again and hoping it soon becomes genuine. I owe Keanen a better class of companionship than I’ve managed so far. “You’ve got connections.”
He taps the side of his nose and winks, the dusting of freckles making him look mischievous. “Stick with me, kid. I’ll hook you up with whatever you need.”
