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Heart panging sharply, I rest my elbows on my knees and lean forward. “And how did they go?”

“Second place. She said the landing of her Axel wasn’t clean, so the judges took off points.”

“Still, second place is great. I hope she’s not beating herself up over it.”

He chuckles. “Do you even know her? She’s her own harshest critic. Yesterday, she was so nervous she was this close,” he holds his thumb and index finger an inch apart, “to fainting.”

I know how anxious she gets, but that he knows it too makes my blood run hot. I flatten my lips. “Trust me. I know her. A whole lot better than you do.”

He stands and fixes his shirt, giving me a cocky smile. “You sure about that?”

I jump to my feet, blocking his path. “Seriously? You’re a guest here. If I were you, I’d watch my mouth.”

“Or what?” He squares his shoulders. “You’ll kick me out?”

“Believe me, it’s tempt⁠—”

“Hey.”

The soft voice behind me stuns me silent. Breath held, I turn on my heel.

Isla stands a few feet away, holding a little box. I take her in, my breath hitching. She’s in a pastel pink dress that ends above her knees, a jean jacket over it and her pastel pink Converses. Her long brown hair is down, glittering under the string lights. Her face is done up with makeup. I can tell she didn’t wash it off after her competition like she normally does, and it makes her blue eyes look fathomless.

She’s the most beautiful girl at my party, and she’s not even trying.

“Hi.” I clear my throat. “You’re finally here.”

The corners of her mouth tremble. “Yeah, sorry for being late.” She steps closer, craning her neck to look at me. “Happy birthday, Michael.”

Without thinking, I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her into me. “Thank you,” I murmur, inhaling her scent. Her hair smells like peaches and vanilla, sweet and intoxicating all at once. “Thank you so much for coming.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” she whispers. “If it weren’t for sectionals, I promise I wouldn’t have been late.”

“I know.” I hold her tighter, my chest constricting. I don’t want to let her go.

“Isla, hey.” Turner’s voice ruins the moment. Dammit. He’s still here?

I take a step back, and he instantly lines up with me.

“Wow, you look absolutely fantastic.”

She blushes, eyes glimmering as she takes him in. “Thank you, Cade.”

“Turner here told me you took second place. Congratulations,” I say, desperate for another moment of her attention. “I’m sure you were incredible. And,” I gesture to her dress, “you look beautiful as always.”

A deep crease appears between her eyebrows, but she quickly relaxes her features. “Thank you.” She looks down at the box she’s still holding. “This is for you. I wasn’t sure what to get you because you have everything, but I really hope you like it.”

She holds the box out toward me, and I take it. “Thank you. It’s from you, so of course I’m gonna like it.”

“Isla, girl, you’re finally here,” Asher says as he wanders over. His hair is dripping wet, but at least he put on a shirt. He drapes his arm over her shoulders and looks down at her. “Took your sweet time, but with how gorgeous you look? I have zero complaints.”

I tighten my grip on the box, my knuckles aching in the same way my chest is. Is he for real?

“Isla’s here?” a girl squeals in the distance. A second later, Sienna beelines straight to us, a huge smile on her face, her gaze trained on Isla. “I’ve been waiting for you to show up. Where have you been?” Sienna grabs her hand and pulls her away from us.

My scalp prickles, and I shift uncomfortably. Sienna is always asking about Isla, but she’s never been quite so bubbly when she’s around. Something feels off.

I stand with my back pressed to the wall, people watching yet again. My mood is all over the place, and I’m even more fidgety than I was before Isla showed up. She’s sitting with Turner on the sunbeds, but since Ash is with them, it doesn’t piss me off so much.