Page 54 of Spark

I high-five her and whoop. “Congratulations, sweetheart!”

We’re sitting together on the airplane to LA, so Ruby tilts her screen toward me to show me Eli’s exciting text.

“The press conference announcing the cast is so soon after we get back,” Ruby says, referring to the timeline contained in Eli’s text.

“Yeah, they always do it the night before the season starts taping.”

As Ruby taps out a reply, it occurs to me this is a good opportunity to try to persuade her to stay at my place while they’re doing repairs at her condo.

“So, have you figured out where you’re going to stay? You know, while they’re making those repairs on your place?”

“A hotel. It’s only a week.”

“Don’t do that. Stay with me.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “Your fake boyfriend.”

“They’re not requiring us to live together. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Would you stop with that? It’ll be fun. Like when I used to visit you on weekends at school. We’d also save the world by carpooling to the press conference together.”

“Well, that’s true. I certainly wouldn’t want to be a bad global citizen.”

I smile. “It’s settled, then.”

“Only if you’re sure I won’t cramp your style.”

“Ruby, I’m not Kai or Savage before Laila. Like I keep telling you, I’ve got no style for you to cramp.”

Ruby giggles, and I feel a rush of adrenaline to be able to make fun of Kai without worrying I’m rubbing salt in an old wound. For so long, I’ve avoided all mention of Kai’s sexcapades, thinking I was saving Ruby from memories of her rejection at Kai’s hands. But now, it’s like all the guard rails between us are down. The eggshells I’ve been tiptoeing around for so long, vanished.

“Now that you’re supposedly my beloved girlfriend,” I say, “I couldn’t date anyone in LA, even if I wanted to.”Which I don’t. On the contrary, after The Kiss That Changed Everything, I can no longer deny Ruby’s the only person I want to kiss on Planet Earth.

“Okay, I’ll stay,” Ruby says. “Thank you. But after the press conference, if my place isn’t ready, I’ll get a hotel or stay with Savage and Laila.”

“Don’t do that. I’d be insulted.”

Ruby blushes. “Hopefully, it won’t take that long, and it’ll be a moot point.”

“I’ve got fingers crossed for you.” I nudge her. “So, are you going to text Reed and tell him about the show?”

“I’m sure he already knows. Nothing this big happens to one of his artists without him knowing about it.”

“No, I mean, are you going to text him to admit Cooper’s song has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, like he said?”

Ruby scoffs. “I think I’ll wait to see how the show pans out first.” She pops out of her seat. “I’m going to tell my brother the good news and thank Laila and Savage. You want to come?”

“No, I think I’ll chill for a bit. Maybe chat with Kai. Would you be cool with me telling him the good news and declaring an end to the Cold War?” Ever since the emergency band meeting the other day, I’ve been giving Kai the cold shoulder, in solidarity with Ruby. But I feel like the time has finally come to bury the hatchet.

“Sure. I’m so happy right now, I can’t muster the energy to hold a single grudge. Not even against stupid Kai.” With a cute little squeal, Ruby musses my hair and bounds off to her brother a few rows back.

I wait a few minutes to peek behind me again, and when I do, Ruby has finished talking with her brother, and she’s now at the back of the plane, chatting enthusiastically with Savage and Laila. With the coast clear, I unbuckle my seatbelt, slide into the aisle, and head not to Kai, but two rows back to Titus.

“Hey, man. Can I sit for a second?” I take the seat next to him. “So, about last night. I want to talk to you about that.”

“It didn’t go down nearly as platonically as you two said? I figured as much.”

“No, no. I swear nothing happened. I’d never make a move on anyone who’s shitfaced, Titus.”

“But if Ruby had been sober, that would have been a different story?”

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