Page 40 of The Ruse

Butterflies erupted in my stomach at the thought. I’d considered that scene before and it would be a good excuse to have a first kiss.

But did I really want our first kiss to be practice for the musical?

In front of the other cast members?

No, I wanted it to be special. Something that wasn’t scripted. Something just between us.

But if something didn’t happen soon, that might just be how it was going to happen.

Why am I such a chicken?

“What were you and Asher talking about in the library?” I asked Ava, changing the subject before I could make myself too anxious.

She smirked. “I was just telling him not to get in the way of you and Nash.”

“What?” My eyes went wide. “You’re joking.”

But she just chuckled and said, “I’m not.”

“Didn’t you hear his speech at dinner?” I asked, feeling hives race up my neck. “He’s clearly still in love with his girlfriend.”

Did Asher think I’d told Ava that I thought he might like me?

“Yeah, I got thatafterI told him to stay away.”

I buried my face in my hands. “He’s going to think I assume every guy at this school is bound to fall in love with me.”

“He doesn’t think that,” Ava said, sounding sure. “I told him it was an honest mistake.”

I lifted my head and looked into my sister’s eyes. “He’s going to think I’m a narcissist.”

“No, he’s not.” Ava touched my arm in an attempt to calm me down.

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, I appreciate you trying to look out for me. But in the future, could we just not assume guys are falling in love with me everywhere I go?”

“Fine,” she said. “Just make that kiss happen with Nash, and I’ll stop meddling in your love life.”

13

ELYSE

The next fewdays were busy. I had three rehearsals, two tests, one quiz plus a book report, but shared zero kisses with Nash.

So, as Cambrielle and I sat on the bus that would take us to Miss Crawley’s family cabin in the woods thirty minutes away from Eden Falls, we came up with a game plan.

“I think you should go for it after the campfire songs,” Cambrielle said, pointing to the spot on the schedule just beforelights out. “We’ll be done with all the activities for the day. Everyone will be winding down and doing their own thing, and no one would notice if you pulled Nash outside for a moonlight rendezvous.”

“You think I should kiss him outside?” I asked.

She lifted a petite shoulder. “It worked for me and Mack. Kisses under the moonlight are just more romantic than kisses elsewhere.” She smiled. “Plus, it will be chilly, so it’ll give you an excuse to get really close.”

I glanced around the bus to make sure no one was listening. I caught Asher’s gaze from a few rows behind us. He did the little head nod like he was saying hi, but it looked like he had earbuds in so he couldn’t be listening to us.

Nash had been sitting on the seat just in front of Cambrielle and me, but he’d walked up to ask Miss Crawley a question a couple of minutes ago and they were still chatting.

Everyone else surrounding us seemed immersed in their own conversations, so I figured it was safe to continue.

“How do you think I should get him outside?” I asked in a voice just above a whisper. “Just ask him to go for a walk?”

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