“Nice catching up with you. I’d tell you to say hi to your sis from me, but she hates me, so…”
“I’m gonna tell her anyway. Just to piss her off.”
We start to walk, Amy returning quick waves as we go, the music growing louder the closer we get to the prime spot.
“How come everyone’s treating you like royalty?” I ask.
“I grew up here.”
“Were you in a gang, or something?”
She stops in her tracks.
“Yeah,” she says, looking me dead in the eye. “The Raccoons. We killed, you know,raccoonsand pinned their tails to our foreheads. So, now you know I’ve got a past, shut the hell up, keep your eyes open, and get ready for kickoff.”
I can’t help but laugh, and I catch the ghost of a smile playing on her lips.
We step into the throng, me shadowing her, feeling every bit the impostor I am, though I know I can pull this off. I’m in a pissy mood, which is probably helping my game face.
When a group of girls call out to Amy, I turn, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that these are hustlers. Once they’re done flapping over Queen Amy’s great homecoming, they float off into the night, and I elbow her in the side.
“So, you whore me out to Gaby but you keep me on a leash around those girls? Disgrace, dude!”
“All those girls have sucked Gaby off at least twice. You sure you’re interested?” She cocks an eyebrow at me. “I mean, just say the word…”
“Eww.”
“You’re welcome, Lewis.”
I shift on my feet. “We’ve been walking around for ages. Now what?”
She fiddles with her beanie, scanning the crowd. “Now… we dance.”
I nearly choke on my spit, and, following her gaze, I realize with horror that she didn’t mean that figuratively at all. Around us, people are chilling—swigging beer and moving to the beat in twos and threes. Slowly, she starts to sway in front of me.
I frown. “Is this part of the master plan?”
“No,” she says lightly. “It’s just that ever since I first met you, I’ve been dying to twerk for you. The time just feels right. Now, start shaking your ass—and shake it like you mean it, Conley.”
10AMY
The crowd is denser here. I start grinding to the Latin beats, taking in my surroundings with every twist and turn, keeping my face blank while my eyes soak it all up. There’s no way I drove all the way up here to go home empty-handed.The Dodge will be here. It has to be.
Even as I roll my hips, every inch of me is on alert—focused on the task at hand. Years of hard-won experience will do that to a girl. This place is Brooklyn through and through, and it hits me right in the heart. No matter what Raven says, no matter how many times I’ve tried to convince myself otherwise, the truth is I belong here.
“You’re cute.” My dance partner smirks.
Yeah, yeah.He’s lucky my attention is focused elsewhere right now. If shit wasn’t about to get real, I’d have kicked his ass by now.
“Shut up, Conley,” I hiss. “Things are heating up. Don’t look, keep dancing—but the cars are coming.”
He grabs my hips and pulls me closer, almost careful, like he’s waiting to see if I’ll stop him. I don’t.
His hands slide to my waist, warm against my bare skin as he eases my pace, guiding me instead of fighting the rhythm. He catches my hand, fingers tightening just long enough to spin me, and then he’s behind me again, steady and sure.
Turned like this, I can see more clearly—but as the minutes stretch on, focusing gets harder.
The solid warmth of him at my back draws me in and pushes me off-balance all at once. Something sparks low in my chest. My body loosens, grows heavier, like it’s remembering how to rest.
