Laika, the last in our foursome raced up to us, panting like a dog. “Can you believe I almost got detention for this.” She pulled up the sleeve of her blazer and showed us her artistic creativity. She’d drawn a seriously cool scorpion on her arm. “Old Mr. Davies think I’m mental enough to get a real tattoo. As if.” She rolled her eyes, making us laugh. “My grandparents will send me to hell if did. So, what are we talking about?”
“Movie night,” Nyla replied.
“Yeah, lets, we haven’t done that in like ages,” Laika nodded. “It’s Sam’s turn, right.
Every month, we all took turns hosting a sleepover movie night but we’d missed the last two months because of tests.
“What about something naughty?” Samantha wiggled her brows.
Ignoring her, I checked my messages and opened the new one.
Dad: You have a surprise waiting at home, Angel
Me: What is it?
Dad: If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise
Shaking my head, I stuffed my phone into my blazer pocket, excitement already bubbling in my stomach. Dad was never this secretive and I wondered if he’d got me the car I asked for. I might be too young to drive but between him and Shay, they’d given me lessons. It would be super cool to have a car while others took the bus.
Only when I walked through the door and his scent hit me full in the face, did I guess the surprise. “Shay!” I squealed. Dropping my school bag, I vaulted into his arms as he came down the stairs from his bedroom. He’d been away for the last six months on deployment.
“Hey, Blue.” He laughed, squeezing my waist. “Ease up, will you,” he scolded while I practically hugged him to death.
When he tickled the weak spot in my lower back, he knew would get me squirming, I jumped out of his embrace, laughing. He lunged for me, and I ducked behind the couch.
“You’re slow, old man,” I teased, zipping around the living room as he gave chase.
A couple seconds later, he had me flat out on my back, straddling me on the couch with his hands a ticklish foray over my body. “Who’s an old man now, you sassy shit.”
Choking with laughter, I pushed at his hands. “Stop,” I finally squealed, tapping the backrest. It was our ‘I give up’ signal.
When he got off me, I was still wheezing with laughter before my eyes lifted to the woman standing at the entrance, her smile slight, her eyes riveted on Shay. The giggles trailed off into muted breathing.
As if he noticed my gaze, Shay turned around. “Hey,” he said to the woman. “Come meet the love of my life.” He held out a hand.
Even though she crossed the room, there was no mistaking the sudden frown. “I thought I was the love of your life.”
In your dreams.
She offered him a sweet smile that reeked of fake with a capital letter ‘F’. Yeah, I could tell because I was friended by a few girls wanting to get close to Shay.
“Who’s she,” I asked, not keeping the dislike out of my voice.
“Hi. I’m Ryleigh.” Unperturbed, she offered me a hand before Shay could introduce her. So, this was the infamous Ryleigh, Mom had mentioned that year Shay went for his training. “I’m Shay’s girlfriend.”
I didn’t accept her hand, my gaze sliding from her face to his. “Girlfriend?” I hated the squeak in my tone, especially when I was going for a super-confident ‘I don’t like Shay’s girlfriend’ vibe. He hadn’t brought her around, so I assumed he’d never dated her.
“Yes, Blue.” He slid an arm around my shoulders drawing me closer to his side. “We’ve been sort of off and on since high school—”
“And why he never brought me to meet the family,” she finished for him.
Okay, this was serious then. Even though she was beautiful, there was just something about her that riled me up the wrong way. When two girls smile at each other at their first meeting, it usually means they’re going to be friends. Or enemies, if one is prettier than the other. But I hadn’t smiled yet, so what did that say?
Maybe you’re just jealous Shay has someone other than you in his life now. Whatever, I scorned my inner reasoning.
When I still hadn’t accepted her outstretched hand, she dropped it. “I can see why you call her Blue, Shay.” Her gaze shifted to me. “You have such pretty eyes, Blue.”
My hackles climbed in a sprint. “Only he calls me that,” I muttered.
