Page 14 of Nothing Like the Movies

Her smile disappeared, her cheeks flushed, and she swallowed, looking as shocked as I felt. I swear to God I heard her gasp, but that might’ve been me. Because after haunting my dreams for almost two years, Libby was suddenly standing right in front of me, looking up at me with those long-lashed green eyes.

Looking like everything I’d ever needed.

Am I fucking trembling?I could smell the Chanel No. 5 on her skin, and I wanted to hyperventilate on it becauseholy shitI was finally close enough to breathe her in.

“Hey, Buxbaum,” I managed, which was ludicrous. There was so much history between us, a million “I love you”s and a thousand stolen kisses, yet the two words I managed to piece together in her presence were the same words I might use to say hi to any random stranger who shared her last name.

You brilliant, charming idiot.

“Wes. Oh my God.” Her voice was scratchy, but I wanted to drop to my knees and beg her to say it ten more times.Slow down and say it again, Lib.She blinked fast and gave me a polite “Howareyou?”

Cool was impossible. I felt the ridiculousness of my smile as itbecame my entire personality. I was a clown, grinning from head to toe, but I couldn’t reel it in because it was finally happening. I’d daydreamed (on a daily basis) about running into Liz since the moment I committed to UCLA, and there was just no way for me to disguise my absolute joy in this moment. “Better now.”

Her eyes moved all over my face, like she had a million questions she was trying to work through. “Yeah, um—”

“Focus, Liz,” Wade interrupted, snapping his fingers, oblivious to the reunion happening in front of him. “Where is Campbell?”

She shook her head like he was ridiculous. “Hiding from you, probably.”

“Now, see,” he teased, grinning. “That’s just mean.”

She was flustered, a wrinkle between her brows as she blinked fast, but she teased him back. “And necessary. You go too hard.”

“I tell Campbell that she’s beautiful,” he said, “and she acts like I’ve insulted her. Make it make sense.”

“You tell her she’s beautiful when youremember she exists,” Liz corrected, giving him a smirk that I felt in my knees. “You only think of her when we have a party, and then you follow her around like a puppy for the entire night.”

“Because I’m smitten,” he said, grinning like she’d given him a compliment. “And lovestruck.”

“That’s not actually a thing,” she said, rolling her eyes, and jealousy hit me hard in the gut. I wanted to tease her and to have her tease me back—that wasourthing. I think I missed that more than I missed kissing her.

Okay, that’s a lie, but being Liz’s friend was everything.

Wade gave his head a shake. “You’re the most unromantic female I’ve ever met, Bux.”

“Thank you,” she said offhandedly, barely noticing his comment, but I felt lost, like I was in class and missed something in the assignment.

Because Liz Buxbaum, unromantic?

“Not a compliment,” Wade said, laughing.

“And you’re not smitten, you’re just intrigued because you aren’t used to being rejected.” She smiled like he was a mischievous child, absolutely manhandling the wildly overconfident first baseman. “Trust me, Wade, if she treated you like the baseball god that so many foolish people think you are, you’d be over her in a hot min—”

“Ooh, there she is,” he interrupted, and then he just sprinted away from us, running across the balcony and back inside.

“Well,” I said as Liz and I watched him disappear into the apartment. “There he goes.”

The vibe changed in an instant. Liz crossed her arms and chewed on the inside of her cheek, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Her cheeks were flushed, but my face was on fire as her eyes moved to a spot just past my shoulder.

Like she didn’t want to look at me.

I cleared my throat and said, “So. Liz. Hi.”

Hi—it was absurd. Maybe better thanhey, Buxbaum, but still one casual syllable, like we were lab partners who’d seen each other earlier that day and not two people who’d seen each other—

“Hi, Wes.” She put her hands in her pockets, and the smile she’dhad for Wade was long gone. Her face was all tension as she said, “I, um, I had no idea you were in LA. Are you here visiting someone, or…?”

She trailed off, and it was obvious she hadn’t even considered the idea that I might be a student.

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