Page 36 of Switching Skates
“I’ll tease you like you usually tease me. You will flip me off, roll your eyes, be annoyed, and act how I usually do. I think we’ll be able to fool her for one night.”
Is it wrong that I wouldn’t mind this lasting longer than that? As long as we can fix it before practice starts, I’d like to keep this going, to keep this closeness between us.
It’s like every breath I’ve taken over the last four years without her can’t compare to the fresh, crisp air I breathe around her now.
God, I’ve been in such denial about how I feel about her. But I’m done with that completely.
It’s time I accept, once and for all, that Daphne Summers will always be the only girl for me.
“Just act normal, and everything will be fine,” I remind Mason as Maeve walks through the front door. “I mean, not normal. Don’t act like you. Act likeme.”
He whispers fast and breathlessly, “Super helpful, thanks.”
Maeve’s arms are full of shopping bags, and she kicks the door shut behind her and groans.
Her gaze flicks up, and she spots us sitting in the living room—me on the recliner and Mason on the sofa—and freezes in place, her eyebrows slamming into each other.
“What the hell?Nope. If this is some kind of shopping intervention, I’m not interested.” She walks toward the kitchenand drops all of her bags on the kitchen island. “This isn’tConfessions of a Shopaholic.”
My voice fills the room as Mason says, “Now that you mention it?—”
She scoffs as she unloads her purse, setting it next to the pile. “Rude, Daph.”
“You know what’s rude?” I stretch my arms up and behind my head, hitting that pose all guys do to flex their arms.Oh, I am going to nail this performance. I spent years listening to these two bicker with one another. “The hospitality of this Airbnb. By the way, I’m crashing here for the night.”
She grabs a doughnut and joins us in the living room, sitting down next to Mason. “So nice of you to ask.”
“I asked Daphne,” I mutter.
Maeve’s head whips toward Mason in shock. “And you said yes?”
Come on, Mason. Don’t mess this up.
He flips his long red hair back like a dramatic movie moment, and I have to stop myself from laughing. “He showed up with his bag, all pathetic, complaining how he had nowhere else to go while they get their water fixed or whatever. Honestly, I stopped listening after a while. It was just sad.”
Okay, that was a bit too good of a performance. I’m even offended at his tone. But I remind myself that I asked for this.
I laugh internally at his impression of me, one that he sold so well.
“And you guys are sitting in the same room because …” She drags the word out. “What’s going on? This isweird.”
Mason stands up from the sofa and storms off toward the stairs, and I make a mental note that there may be a plus side to this situation that I can use later. But I push it to the back of my mind for now.
He calls back down the stairs, “I was just babysitting him to make sure he didn’t destroy the house. But you’re on duty now.”
What? Don’t leave me alone!
Silence fills the room, and crickets chirp outside, counting the seconds that pass as my nerves begin to eat me alive.
She turns to me, squinting. “What’sreallygoing on?”
“W-what do you mean?” I stutter.
“I mean, what are you doinghere? You could have stayed at one of your teammate’s places. But you chose here. Why?” A light bulb goes off in her eyes. “Oh my God, this is some kind of ploy, isn’t it? You’re doing this to get close to Daphne! What did I tell you about pulling shit like this? Knock it off, Mason, or I swear to God.”
What do you mean, shitlike this? Has he wanted to try something before?
Focus.
