Page 62 of The Love Trick

“There’s nothing to spill. It just feels weird without Addy. She’s always here.” I chug the rest of my beer, trying not to visibly cringe as the lukewarm liquid slides down my throat. “Things are weird between us right now.”

“Yeah, Dylan told me you kissed her.”

I chuckle, picking at the label. “Does he evernot tell everyone everything?”

“No.” Kade laughs. “He doesn’t, so let’s figure this out. Do you regret it?”

“No.” I laugh. “It was the second-best kiss I’ve ever had.”

Kade raises a dark brow.

“Right behind our second one.” I admit, feeling my face heat up.

“You kissed hertwice?”

“Yeah… I thought we could clear the air after our first kiss over a picnic, so I rented out a private beach. But we ended up playing truth or dare, and she dared me to kiss her again. I did it without hesitation—I don’t know how I even stopped myself. She’s addictive like that.”

“Sounds like you have some feelings,” Kade says carefully. “And considering shedaredyou to kiss her, she probably has feelings for you too … and maybe that’s something you both need to address. I mean, it really seems like there’s something more between the two of you.”

“She knows we’re just friends.”

“But doyou?” Kade shoots back. “Weren’tyouthe one who kissed her at that wedding? You’re gonna have to own up to that and whatever caused it.”

My stomach knots up. “I don’t know. I got lost in the moment, I guess.”

Pretending to be her boyfriend brought outrealfeelings.

Kade shakes his head. “Well you better think long and hard about why you did it and where you’re gonna go from here, because she’s clearly feeling some type of way. And if you have feelings for Addy, you need to tell her—whether you move forward with them or not.”

“I’d never risk it.”

He narrows his eyes. “What do you mean? You alreadyarerisking it … right now. Addy’s not here. She’s always here. You need to get this straightened out before you lose her either way.” He pats me on the shoulder and then moves on to another group of people.

I slink back into the dark corner of the patio, wishing it would swallow me whole. I pull out my phone, seeing absolutely nothing. Addy’snevergone more than a few hours without texting me, and I’m starting to feel her absence.

I pull up our message thread and type out a text message to her.

Me:It’s weird to be at a party without you. How’s your evening?

I hit the send button and stare at the screen, waiting. After a few minutes, I decide that she’s probably sleeping. Or maybe she’s not feeling that good. I have this weird urge to go to her house and check on her—but I shove that away. I know that’s my anxiety talking.

The read receipt pops up, and I breathe a sigh of relief as the three dots appear on the screen. My heart thumps heavily in my chest as I wait for her to respond.

The dots flash over and over again for nearly five minutes…

And then they’re gone.

No reply.

My jaw drops. Addy’s never done that to me before. I have the strong urge to text her a second time, but clearly, I’ve already pushed it enough for one night. It’s time for me to back off. I know that.

And it hurts.

I lean back against the patio wall, my mind flickering to all the times Ialmostkissed her in college, thinking that maybe Addy and I could be more.

Seven Years Ago…

“Hey, congrats,” I tell her, threading my arm around hers. “You did it, graduating college and all that.”

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