Page 148 of Offside Angel

“And you’re still here even though it’s—” I check the time. “—after nine! Sounds like a pretty fun party to me if you hung around for nine hours.”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” she drones.

“Never,” Zane agrees. “Mira knows how to hold a grudge.”

“It runs in my family.”

There are a few beats of tense, nervous silence before Taylor and I bust out laughing at the same time.

Daniel joins in after a second, but Zane just shakes his head and tugs me against his side.

“How can I make it up to you, Mimi?” Taylor prods cheekily. “What do I have to do to make sure you don’t go homicidal on me?”

“That’s fucked-up,” Daniel mumbles.

“According to my therapist, dark humor can be a coping mechanism.” I turn to Taylor. “Which is why you have to let me plan your next birthday party. There will be chocolate fountains?—”

“No!” she gasps in horror. “Do you have any idea how much hair and dust get in those things?”

“—and a karaoke machine that only plays Whitney Houston.”

“No one but her can hit those high notes!” she complains. “I don’t know why people even try.”

I laugh maniacally. “Put me in full control of your party, and I’ll forgive you.”

She considers it for a second. Then a very, very suspicious grin spreads across her face. “What if I let you be my wedding planning partner instead?”

My brain short-circuits. I look from Taylor to Daniel and back again, but it’s only when Taylor pulls a ginormous diamond rock out of her pocket and slips it on her ring finger that I scream.

“You’re engaged and you didn’t tell me?!” I yank her into a hug and we’re laughing and jumping and stumbling all over the place.

“It just happened last night. You’re the first people we’ve told.”

“Oh my God.” I hold Taylor at arm’s length. “I didn’t think this day would come. No offense.”

She squeezes out a laugh. “Offense taken, you bitch.”

We send Taylor and Daniel away with hugs and congratulations and promises to get together and start wedding planning soon. Taylor is positive she’s going to need at least two years to plan the perfect wedding. Zane and Daniel share a look that seems to say something along the lines of God help us all.

Then they’re gone, and we’re alone.

I scan the dirty kitchen and the streamers still hanging from the patio, wondering where to start first. Then I realize what we’re missing.

“Where did Aiden go?”

“He walked Jalen out to his car, but I haven’t seen him since.” Zane pads down the hallway, calling his name.

I know Aiden is fine. He’s here in the house somewhere. Still, I have to take slow, deep breaths to keep myself from falling off a mental ledge. My panic button is on a hairpin trigger these days. It doesn’t take much to set me off.

By the time Zane comes back a minute later and waves for me to follow him down to Aiden’s room, I’m almost completely back under control.

Aiden is sitting at the end of his bed, a folder in his hands. Zane is sitting next to him.

Both of them are looking at me.

Maybe I should’ve done a bit more deep breathing.

“What’s going on, guys?”

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