Page 9 of Their Starlight

Brent shrugged.

“I don’t know what to tell you, man. I have a sixth sense. I always know when someone’s attracted to me.Always.” He shot me a look on that last word, and I quickly looked back to the computer screen hoping my blush wasn’t as visible as the rising heat up my neck would suggest.

“Always?” Elle asked sceptically.

“Yeah,” he chuckled, planting a kiss on her thigh. “Don’t worry, baby-cakes, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Oh, shut up.” She gave him a playful nudge, but her cheeks reddened in a way I would have found adorable if I wasn’t concentrating on the stab of jealousy that went through my gut.

We watched another movie and took a break while Brent went to get pizzas for lunch and Hayden went to shower. I wondered if I should leave too and give Elle a bit of privacy, but she rolled over to face me and smiled wide and bright.

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

“You know, you guys are making a pretty good girl-squad.” Her smile turned cheeky, and I bopped her nose.

“Don’t let Brent hear you refer to him as your girl-squad, I’m not sure he’ll like it.” She giggled and it was a beautiful sound. “Me however, I love it.”

“Good.” She giggled again. “You got a girlfriend, Lance?”

I turned to look down at her with an amused smirk and an arched brow. “You think I’d be in bed with you if I did?”

“You wouldn’t be the first,” she said with a shrug.What?“Besides, you’re not exactlyinbed with me.” She motioned to my legs on top of the duvet.

“Youwantme to get into bed with you?”

She looked me up and down. “I wouldn’t be adverse, but still, you didn’t exactly answer my question.”

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t really do girlfriends, to be honest,” I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling defensive for no apparent reason. “How about you?”

“No girlfriend.” She shook her head in all seriousness and I shot her a look. “No boyfriend. I’ve never actually had a boyfriend.”

“Why not?” I looked at her incredulously. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. Plus funny, fun, and smart if she’s going to La Salle—it’s hard to imagine that she wouldn’t have had a boyfriend before.

“The guys back home dated preppy girls; girls who owned horses and dressed like their mothers and were well versed in dinner party etiquette. That’s who they wanted to take home to meet their parents. I’m the girl they felt up in the changing rooms or hooked up with at a party.”

I screwed my face up, not liking the picture she was painting. “You want to be that girl?”

Her smile turned wicked as she winked at me. “Of course, I don’t do anything I don’t want to.”

“I bet you don’t.”

“I never wanted another person to disappoint.”

“Who are you disappointing now?”

“My parents.” I looked down at her and she shrugged. Her statement was just another fact but the tightness around her eyes struggled to contain the pain there.

“I can’t imagine you disappointing anyone.” I kept my voice soft and my smile gentle in an attempt at comfort even though it had never been my strong point. I didn’t want Elle’s sadness.

She smirked, clearly amused by my obvious attempt. “You don’t even know me, Mr Preston.”

“Well,” I smiled back, “I look forward to getting to know you.”

Her mouth opened as if to say something else but at that moment, Brent and Hayden came in, both with damp hair from their respective showers and carrying armfuls of provisions. Hayden climbed back onto the bed, slapping down bags of snacks and sweet treats on our laps. Brent resumed his position on the rickety desk chair and handed out bottles of water and even some cans of sugary sodas although he didn’t have any himself. Pizzas were laid out for us to help ourselves and the whole setup was cozy.

We started another movie and both Hayden and I agreed it should be Elle’s choice since she’d been ‘scared-shitless’–her words, not mine–by the last one. She put on Mama Mia, much to Hayden’s protests. Brent stayed quiet but his face remained pained throughout. I actually didn’t mind musicals; they wouldn’t be my first choice, but I certainly had no problems watching Elle light up with each note and miming along.

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