Page 30 of The Love Trick

“Oh?” Addy’s eyes grow wide. “Did she cheat on you?”

I laugh. “Honestly, I don’t even know. I was so lost in the transition into another foster home that I didn’t think much about it. I just let it go. I wasn’t in a great headspace back then, anyway.”

She nods, a sympathetic look on her face. “Well, I thoughtIwas in love once.” There’s a distant look on her face as we make the descent.

“Yeah? With who?”

Her gaze flickers to mine. “You wouldn’t know him.”

“Oh.” But for some reason, I feel a tinge of jealousy in my chest. “Lucky guy.”

She opens her mouth to say something else, but the doors chime, and we’re left to stare into a crowded lobby. Addy takes an audible breath and grabs my hand, interlacing our fingers. “Here we go.”

“Yep.” I pop thepsound.

She guides me through the sea of tourists, and I try to think about anything other than the feeling of her hand in mine—or the way she looks in her red dress. She’s always been so pretty, but deep down, something in me stirs at the thought ofherbeing known asmine,even if it’s just make-believe.

They don’t know that.

We head into a nice restaurant, which is set facing the beach. Addy gives the hostess her family name, and she guides us out to a private deck with tables, a dance floor, and a DJ booth.

This family goes all out.

All the time.

“Hey, come sit with us!” Addy’s sister calls from one of the corner tables. She’s seated next to her fiancé. Robert’s got a few gray hairs mixed in with his dark locks, and he looks shockingly opposite of Aurora. She wears her wealth on her sleeve, and Robert could probably pass as homeless.

I pull out Addy’s chair for her, and she gives me a funny look but takes a seat anyway. “Hey.” I clear my throat as I greet Robert and Aurora, already sweating bullets. I’ve seen Addy’s sister a million times…

Butnotas her sister’s “boyfriend.” And that makes all the difference, apparently.

“You look gorgeous,” Aurora says to Addy. “Don’t you think so, Blaze?” She looks me dead in the eye, putting me on the spot.

“Don’t do that to him,” Addy warns her, shaking her head. “You don’t have to interrogate Blaze. You’ve known him for forever.”

“It’s okay,” I say coolly. “And for the record, yeah, shedoeslook gorgeous. I’m pretty sure she’s the prettiest girl on this island.”

Addy whips her head around to look at me, her cheeks tinged the same shade as her dress. “Thanks.” Her tone sounds surprised. “That’s really sweet of you to say.”

“It’s the truth,” I tell her with a smile.

Really, itisthe truth.

“Well, I like this already,” Aurora coos, leaning her head against her hand. “You deserve someone who dotes on you like that.”

“Yeah,” Robert echoes, and then waves down the waitress dressed in a bathing suit with a grass skirt. When she arrives, we all order fruity drinks and some kind of appetizer I’ve never even heard of. I might be making money playing hockey now, but I still don’t really know how these fancy places work.

I lean back in the chair, and as I do, Addy’s hand lands on my knee. A jolt of electricity follows, and I have to swallow the urge to tell her to move her hand. It almost feels like I’m breaking the rules … even though I’m not.

This is gonna be a long vacation.

“So, we rented the whole back patio,” Aurora says. “I thought it would be fun if we let loose on this first night. Since the next few days will probably be a little crazy. I mean, for us, anyway. The wedding is in three days, but you know, while we jet off on our honeymoon, y’all will still be here for a couple days enjoying Hawaii.”

“Yeah, it’ll be a nice little vacay,” Addy says, her handstillon my freaking knee. “It’s a great escape from reality.”

“You walk dogs, right?” Robert asks Addy just as the waitress returns with our drinks and sets them down.

“Yeah, it’s fun,” she says, eyeing me as I swoop my drink up and start downing it. “You thirsty, honey?” Her tone is terse.

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