Page 53 of Say It Isn't So

When the song changed, I spun her back around and pulled her toward me, her breath hitching as her eyes connected with mine. She stared at me as though searching for something. Focused on each other, our breathing was in-sync—she inhaled, I inhaled. I exhaled, she exhaled.

My gaze fell to her lips. She looked at mine.

Just as I was about to lean in and give us both what we wanted, a voice rang in my ears—“It’s getting a little stuffy in here, don’t you guys think?”

The sing-song way Rina spoke must’ve pushed Bianca’s buttons because her head snapped to Rina. Keeping her cool, though, I watched her exhale and put a smile on. “Now that you mention it, yeah, it is a little crowded.”

Rina narrowed her eyes, clearly not wanting to hear from her, and looked to me. “What do you think, Knox?”

I swallowed. Honestly, I thought it was a lot more like stifling in here suddenly. Man, how had I gotten myself into this mess?

Better question, how was I supposed to get myself out of it?

It felt like we were in one of those chick movies where two girls competed for the guy. I could just see our movie poster: Rina on one side and Bianca on the other.Who Will Win His Affection?scrawled across the top.

Two sets of eyes on me, I chuckled nervously and backed up, pulling on the back of my neck. “I think Joann and Alicia from my team are around here somewhere and I should catch up with them.”

Don’t even start, I already knew what you were thinking because I was thinking the same thing—I was a chicken.

But it was better than the alternative, because, truth be told, I had no idea what I was going to do about these two women.

Chapter Sixteen

Bianca

milan, italy

Resigned to sittingon the bed in our hotel room in the heart of Milan while Allie got settled in, I pulled out my phone to mindlessly scroll through social media.

“Do you want to go out for dinner tonight?” I asked, thinking it was nice to have my sister joining me this week. She flew out with Grace, our sustainability editor, who was currently off with her Italian friends before Milan Fashion Week officially started.

Meanwhile, I was enjoying doing nothing. Although, my mind kept drifting to Knox, who was still in London. He had planned a longer stay there before coming out here. I kept wondering what he was doing and if Rina was still around. Or if he was here, what we’d be doing. Although, with this whole Rina situation, I had a feeling we wouldn’t be doing anything I actually wanted.

Allie walked out of the bathroom. “It’s a good thing I’m here because clearly you need me,” she said, disregarding my question.

Still scrolling, I asked, “Why’s that?”

“If all you can think about is your stomach, then you’re not in the right headspace, that’s all I’m saying.” She walked to the doors leading to our terrace and opened them.

I put my phone down and finally looked up at her. She was holding some sort of spray bottle. “What are you doing? I thought we’d go out.” Yet she looked like she was getting comfortable.

She backed up and walked to the door. “This is smoke-free sage mist.”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” I said, sitting up and holding my nose. “Why?”

“To diffuse our space. Do you know how many people’s bad energy is in this room?” She flung her hair over her shoulder and began misting. “You’ll thank me later when your mood is positive.”

“My mood is fine, thank you very much.”

Ignoring me, she spoke to the faceless evil—“The windows are open, bad energy, so I ask that you please leave. Although I love you, this space is for good energy only.”

I shook my head and threw my body down on the bed, my hand still firmly covering my nose. This was not what I had in mind for us to do together in Milan.

Her eyes landed on me as she walked around the room, alternating between misting and waving her hands in the air. “Stop being such a baby, we can go sit in the garden for a while when I’m done if you want.”

I nodded and almost snorted as I answered quickly, “Yes, I want!” I hopped off the bed and grabbed my stuff, making a beeline for the door. I loved my sister, but this stuff stank.

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