Page 70 of Between Us

Instead of answering, she gives me an expectant look.

“Want to go to a haunted house?” I pose cautiously.

Immediately, he spouts, “Youwant to go to a haunted house?” Then he gestures toward my ankle.

“It’s a tradition,” Meera chimes in. “What does that have to do with your twisted ankle though?”

“The Paulson boys,” I say.

“Ohhh,” both of my friends slowly utter. Not needing more of an explanation than that at the moment.

“I’ll go, sure,” Adrian easily agrees.

“My brother Dev always tries to sneak something inside, like last year he lit some smoke bombs. You’d think he was eleven, not twenty-one. My oldest brother Jatin plays the chaperone.”

Adrian nods and looks down at me with a sly grin. “I think I’m over pranks for the time being.”

“Me too,” I agree. “But you should still come.”

With a final goodbye toward my friends, he stops next to me and looks down with affection. He doesn’t make a move, and I realize he’s waiting to see what I’m going to do.

And I figure my friends have already gotten some of the details I hadn’t planned on sharing, so what the hell?

Putting the weight on my good foot, I lean up and wrap my hand around the back of his neck, pulling him down until I can reach his lips. It’s soft and sweet, a small farewell before he leaves for the weekend.

Pulling away, I quietly murmur against his lips, “Bye, Adrian.”

In a low voice, he says, “Bye, pretty girl.”

I turn and watch as he walks out. As soon as I hear the click, the sounds of my friends behind me take over.

“Blake Carmen Miller,” Margo practically screams.

At the same time, Meera asks in a lovestruck tone, “Storm Cloud?Pretty girl?”

“There’s so much that you need to explain. Tonight.”

“Now,” Meera insists.

Shaking my head, I decide to give into the demands. “Well, buckle in because there are some stops along the way that you aren’t expecting.”

In a silent agreement, we each take over a task. Meera asks what we can move to make room for the sewing machines I brought. Margo starts to unpack the Halloween costumes she and I have been working on for the last couple of months. And I know my worth is in sitting out of the way and ordering our food.

Once that’s all finished, and Margo has explained what needs to be done, I take a deep breath and give my friends what they want—the story of everything from the moment we left the grocery store up until tonight.

After my own interrogation, they take time filling me in on all the details we can’t fit into a phone call. Like how Meera has the attention of her hot TA, and the quarterback of Columbia University’s football team, Zane. And about the problems Margo is having with one of her professors.

By the end of the weekend, I feel more at peace, and caught up, with my best friends than I have in months.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Adrian

Allweek,Blakewastight-lipped about her and her friends’ Halloween costume. Even though I don’t mind a silly surprise that seems important to her, I teased her about it anyway. Only because the sight of Blake around her friends—so much more open and happier than I’ve ever seen—makes me feel some type of way.

And every time I ask again for a hint, she just smiles and says, ‘You’ll have to see in person.’

A lot of Blake’s time this last week has been with her friends, which doesn’t bother me. Somewhere along the way, my happiness has started to feel mixed up in hers. Seeing Blake’s genuine smiles can turn any day around in a second.

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