Page 37 of The Spy Ring

“Before you talk to Mom,” David said as I followed him into their living room, “can I ask you something?”

I helped him onto the couch and took a seat next to him. “Shoot.”

“I’m having a party on Saturday. It’s my birthday,” he said as his eyes darted to the carpet and his cheeks turned pink.

“Happy early birthday. How old?”

“Thirteen.”

“How does your mom feel about you becoming a teenager?” I laughed, making light of it but David frowned.

“She still thinks I’m a three-year-old. I’m surprised she’s even letting me have a party.”

I hated to admit it, but I agreed with David. Tiffany was a little too protective of that boy.

“Where’s the party?”

A smile broke out and his face glowed with happiness. “At Kart One in Buffalo Grove. They have kart racing. It’s going to be cool.”

I took a big gulp of air to brace myself and tell him why I couldn’t be at his party. Why I couldn’t be in his life anymore.

“The thing is, David. I am going to—”

“Oh, you’re here. Did you ask him, David?” Tiffany’s voice came from behind.

I turned upon hearing Tiffany. The back of my neck already tickled as electric awareness grew the closer she came.

Her hair was down. Most of the times I had seen her, her thick mass of chocolate waves was pulled back in a ponytail or braid. The few times I had seen her with her hair down, it captivated me. But this time it framed her face bringing to life the red of her lips and the soft pink of her cheeks. I even noticed a dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose.

I stared. It was obvious, but I wasn’t going to hide it. If this was going to be the last time I saw Tiffany, I wanted to memorize everything. Even how the corner of her right lip lifted a little higher when she smiled. As if her lips contained knowledge only the luckiest members of the human race were privy too.

But when I got to her eyes, there was something there that had me wondering something I shouldn’t. And as I wondered, my heart pounded. I knew there were going to be people upset with what I was about to do, but I wasn’t trained for how she affected my heart.

“Yes, he did. I’d love to come to his party,” I said and didn’t regret it for a second.

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