Page 15 of Rhys: and the girl who was always his

Rhys only smiles, unfazed by my public admission. I had asked him for time, for space, but his casual confrontation only deepens the clutter in my mind.

We continue the rounds, and the tension loosens just enough for fragile laughter to seep through. Arden ends up with a dare so absurd it almost makes me forget everything—texting his dad to announce he’s legally changing his name to Princess Bubblegum. Yasmin challenges Chase to devour three marshmallows while belting out the national anthem. It’s ridiculous, perfect almost, and for a moment it feels like before everything went so wrong.

Almost.

Later, after half the room has filtered off to bed and soft music begins to fill the quiet spaces, I find myself in the kitchen, mechanically refilling my water. Rhys approaches silently until he’s close enough to let his presence brush against my back.

"You can tell me the truth, you know.”

I turn slowly, the conflict in my eyes clear. “About what?”

He arches an eyebrow in silent inquiry. “Chris Hemsworth? Really?”

I shrug, the motion feeling empty and forced. “Can you blame me? The man wields a hammer.”

Rhys steps closer—far too close. My back presses against the fridge, and suddenly, the air between us feels charged with unspoken truths.

“You never said who you really wanted to kiss,” he murmurs.

My breath catches. “You don’t know that.”

He lifts his hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His fingers pause against my cheek for a beat too long, stirring tumultuous feelings I’ve tried so hard to suppress.

“Come on, Ally. Say it.”

I try to laugh, but the sound is brittle and uneven. “We can’t do this. Not here, not while everyone is still around.”

His voice drops. “Why not?”

I push gently against his chest, desperate for space, for some semblance of control. “Because if we start now, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop.”

His eyes darken, conflicted with desire and something else I can’t decipher. “I’m not even sure I want to.”

For a long, charged moment, our eyes lock—an electric pause filled with everything unsaid. Then I slip past him, grab my water, and head into the hallway. I don’t dare look back, even though I feel his eyes weighing on every step.

Because if I stop, if I turn around and surrender to this forbidden pull, this night might just be the first move that changes everything—and not in a way I can ever take back.

CHAPTERSEVEN

ALLY

It starts with a plan for a low-key girls’ night.

Just us girls, no boys, no drama. Yasmin said it like it was a declaration of war. Ella, naturally, pulled out the fancy cocktail glasses. Mady showed up with a bag full of fruity cocktails in little glass bottles and a Tupperware container full of brownies she claimed were “totally safe.”

Spoiler alert: They werenottotally safe.

We’re sprawled around the living room in the house we all share—me, Yasmin, Mady, and Ella. Ashley is out and the boys have been exiled for the night with zero explanation and a lot of dramatic waving. I think Chase mumbled something about “testosterone discrimination” as he left, but Ella just slammed the door in his face and yelled, “Don’t come back unless you’re bringing snacks!”

It’s been a long week.

School. Work stress. Mady’s allergic reaction to whatever face mask she tried last night. So when we all slumped onto the couch in various states of exhaustion and emotional vulnerability, it was only a matter of time before the cocktails and brownies kicked in.

Now, two hours later, the living room looks like a bomb went off. There’s an explosion of throw pillows on the floor, three empty pizza boxes, a half-empty bowl of popcorn, and someone (probably me) spilled strawberry daiquiri across the arm of the couch.

Ella is giggling into her cocktail glass like it just told her a joke. Yasmin is braiding Mady’s hair with a terrifying amount of focus. Mady has the relaxed posture of someone who’s one brownie away from astral projection.

And me? I’m curled up under one of the fuzzy blankets, trying not to overthink the way my heart keeps tap dancing in my chest and looking at the last message Rhys sent me.

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