Page 33 of When Our Stars Aligned

“Yup, if I needed to get a girl off me at the club or I had a stage five clinger, Aly played the part of a crazy, jealous girlfriend.” Jacob writes something in Gabby’s book.

So that’s why she had no problem getting that girl away from me at the bar. I wonder if she ever gave Jacob an itchy rash diagnosis or whatever it was.

“How long are you staying?” Aly asks.

“Gotta leave in the morning. I booked a hotel a few miles away. I know it’s not much time, but I thought you could stay with me and we can recreate Orlando.”

I have no idea what “recreate Orlando” means, but I already know I hate it.

“Yes! Perfect!” Aly claps her hands. “It won’t be the same without Jess, of course.”

“Yeah.” Jacob snorts. “It will be better.”

“Don’t forget about SummerFest tomorrow! Carter is surfing in the expo!” Michelle chimes in.

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it!” Aly turns to Jacob. “Maybe I can just leave from the hotel and head there?”

“Parking gets pretty packed,” Gabby says. “Maybe we can pick you up at the hotel?”

“I can drop you off on my way to the airport. That way no one has to go out of their way,” Jacob offers. Oh, how polite of him.

“Perfect!” Michelle agrees. “We’ll pack a bag with extra towels and stuff for you. Just take your bathing suit and wear it under your clothes so you can switch out when you meet up with us.”

I leave soon after Aly and Jacob head out for whatever they’re doing. I know I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight, so I decide to go to the gym to take my anger out on a punching bag. Alex heads down with me.

“Can you believe that guy?” Alex steadies the punching bag for me. “He just waltzes through the door like he’s God’s gift to Earth.”

“Kind of like you do?” Carter appears from the doorway with an apple in his hand.

“That’s different! I just do that for shits and giggles. The girls know that! They didn’t even know him.”

“He knew Aly.” I throw a punch, nearly sending Alex backwards.

“And did you see his eyes? What’s up with that? Those have to be contacts. No one’s eyes are that green.”

“Says the Latino with blue eyes,” Carter chides.

“I am Mexicanadian! How many times have we been through this? I can’t help that I got the best genes from my parents, and why are you here anyway?”

“I came down to watch you two clowns beat the shit out of each other.” He takes a bite of his apple.

“We’re not beating the shit out of each other! It’s arm day and we both forgot.” Alex takes a swing at the punching bag.

Carter barks out a laugh. “Yeah, sure, and it has nothing to do with the underwear model Gabby was drooling over and Aly went off with to a hotel.”

“How would you feel if Michelle started acting all schoolgirlish like Gabby was?”

“Michelle and I are just friends.” He tosses his apple in a nearby trash can.

“Yeah, sure you are.” Alex rolls his eyes.

“Wearejust good friends. She can gush over whoever she wants. And you…” Carter turns his attention towards me. “Will you just admit that you like Aly?”

“What? No!” I trip over my own two feet trying to grab my water bottle. “I told you already, I’m not interested in her.”

“So why did you look like you wanted to kill Jacob?”

“I don’t trust that guy, and she just went bouncing off to spend the night at a hotel with him. I was thinking of her safety.” My voice grows harsher with each word, but I’m proud of the excuse I just thought up.

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