“Why are you wearing Tyler’s clothes?” She blinks between the two of us.
The lie rolls off my tongue so easily, but I shouldn’t be surprised, considering the last few months.
“You wouldn’t even believe the day I had at work. I got freakingshiton,” I exaggerate.
Tyler eyes me, the silence growing between us with each passing second. His jaw flexes when he sees the plea in my eyes. He is what stands between Sam and the truth.
“She smelled awful,” he finally says.
I release a breath. The vise around my heart finally loosening. “I had planned to come straight here anyways for New Years, so I texted Tyler asking if I could just use his showerand borrow some clothes so that I wouldn’t have to back track going home.” I explain in every dirty, lying detail.
“I don’t know how you do that, Sunny.” Anthony crinkles his nose as he takes the champagne from Sam.
“Well, sounds like a shitty day, pun intended.” Sam waltzes to the room to greet everyone, but I still feel her eyeing the two of us.
Fuck.She knows. She knows. She knows.
I feel a hand brush my own and when I look up I see Tyler next to me. He nods towards the living room to greet our family while he finishes up.
Despite things being left at that, I can’t help the pit in my stomach.
“Okay, this is the plan. I’m going to kiss Cole, Anthony is going to kiss Macey and Tyler is going to kiss you,” Sam says with her arm linked through mine as we stand on the rooftop of Tyler’s home.
“Why does it have to be like that?” I ask.
“It’s just how it worked out.” Sam shrugs.
Regardless of her nonchalance, a part of me is wondering if this is a test from Sam. Too quickly she picked up on me wearing Tyler’s clothes. Suspicions started long ago, and I just keep feeding into them.
She’s either totally oblivious to me and Tyler or now totally aware and using this New Year’s kiss to confirm. So, I try to play it off. I hate that I have to, but I can’t tell her. I need the right time. The right place. With wine.Lotsof wine.
“Okay.” I shrug. “Does Cole know he’s kissing you?”
“No. But he will.” She smiles and wiggles her eyebrows.
I roll my eyes and laugh. “Sam, you have to tell everyone who they are kissing.”
“Alright, alright. I'll tell everyone the plan.” She grabs her glass of whatever is in there and heads inside. “I’m kissing you if I don’t get my plan A!” she calls over her shoulder.
I look out from Tyler's rooftop, imagining what the fireworks will look like from here. I angle the chairs so that they are all circled around the fire pit but towards where the show is supposed to be.
Once I feel I’ve made my contribution, I head back inside because without the fire and blankets, my hands are starting to turn blue. I keep my head down as I make my way back inside, almost bumping into Tyler in the process.
“Haven’t you learned your lesson from Betty’s Beans?” He arches a brow with a grin pulling the side of his lips. One arm holds firewood while the other is heavy on my shoulder.
“I guess not. Had I stayed out there any longer you’d come back to a frozen carcass.” I wrap my arms around myself.
“I was just about to come up and start the fire,” he says.
“Change of plans.” Sam grabs me, shoving past her brother.
He gives a little shake of his head and rolls his eyes, starting for the rooftop. Does he know the plan?
“What is it?” I ask.
“Apparently Cole and Macey already made a pact to kiss one another tonight. Probably because Anthony wants to kiss me. I can’t kiss my brother. So, Anthony it is. Thanks for taking one for the team.” She raises her glass to me.
The phrase my pleasure comes to mind, but I know that isn’t a smart choice in response.
