Olivia frowned down at the string of lights in her hands. “This is the saddest day of the year.”
“Saturday?” I teased.
She smiled at my dumb joke. “No, Dorky Derek. The day when all the holiday decorations come down, get wrapped up, and live a sad life in storage until next year.”
“Ahhh,” I said, as though I hadn’t known what she’d meant. “So you’re still very serious about your Christmas traditions then.”
She nodded. “Oh yeah. What, did you think I’d lost the holiday spirit just because I grew up?”
I eyed her from head to toe. “Have you though?”
Her frown deepened. “Have I what?”
“Grown up,” I said. I crossed my arms and eyed her again, trying not to laugh as she straightened to her full height—which was still a solid foot shorter than me. “From where I’m standing it doesn’t look like you’ve grown at all since junior high.”
Her gasp was melodramatic. “How dare you.”
I laughed. “Sorry, just calling it like I see it.”
She scowled down at herself. “I’ve grown,” she muttered. “I just didn’t Hulk out like some people.”
I grinned. The girl might have still thought of me as Dorky Derek, but at least she noticed that I wasn’t the same scrawny little kid anymore. And for all my teasing, I was way too aware of the fact that Olivia wasn’t a kid anymore either.
The yoga pants and long-sleeved T-shirt with the logo for the ballet academy were her standard lounging attire, but I wondered if she had any idea how good she looked in it. Her curls were piled up on top of her head, and she didn’t have on a speck of makeup...and she was the most beautiful girl on the planet.
I hated that she didn’t see it. I hated that I couldn’t tell her. Not without making things weird between us. But mostly I hated that living here with her, being so close physically...it was only making the crush I’d always had on her a million times worse.
Leaving her again was going to be excruciating. Pretending to care about Cambriea and starting up a relationship with her was going to be brutal.
“We should arm wrestle.”
Her non sequitur jerked me out of my downer thoughts, and I glanced up to see her standing right in front of me with that determined expression she wore whenever she got all competitive.
Which was basically every other minute.
I started to laugh. “What?”
She planted her hands on her hips. “You heard me. Arm wrestling. Let’s go.”
I held up the ornaments I was holding. “We’re supposed to be taking down the tree, remember?”
She narrowed her eyes. “You just don’t want to lose to me.”
I choked on another laugh. I couldn’t help it. Truthfully? I just didn’t want to hurt her. The girl was strong, for sure. Watching her dance had been a mind-blowing reminder of the strength and grace this girl had always had.
She was half my size, and while her arms were toned, she definitely wasn’t a weight lifter.
But I knew better than to say any of that to her. It would only fuel her competitive spirit. “I’ll tell you what. Let’s finish this chore so your parents don’t get pissed and start thinking I’m a bad influence—”
“Ha!”
“But later we’ll find a competition that’s more...fair.”
She narrowed her eyes at that. “You’re not treating me like a girl, are you?”
I swallowed because...yeah, I was. She was a girl. And I liked that about her way more than she’d appreciate. My lame attempt at trying to think of her as my buddy...wasn’t working so well. I kept trying to tell myself that she was just another one of the guys, but that was pretty much impossible when I was always so aware of her scent, her body, and the way her eyes seemed to light up when she smiled.
I took a deep breath to try and squelch this tightness in my chest, but it did no good.
Crap. This crush was only getting worse by the second.
“All right, fine,” she conceded with a sigh. “Let’s get this tree out to the shed and then…” She jabbed a finger in my direction. “It’s on like Donkey Kong.”
I nodded, trying and failing to smother a laugh.
Man, she was so freakin’ cute when she was trying to be fierce.
A little while later, we’d dismantled the fake tree the Vargas family had been using since forever, and I was up on my toes as I lifted it over my head to the shelf where it was stored. I turned back with a grin because I had an idea for a new competition. A game we hadn’t played in ages and—
Something was wrong.
My smile faded as I saw her staring down at her phone. Her brows were drawn together to make a little crease over her nose, and her lips were parted like she’d been shocked.
I swiped my dirty hands on my jeans and walked over to her. “Olivia? Everything okay?”
After a beat, she blinked up at me, and then she handed over her phone.
I winced at the photo. It was a text from Bianca, and the picture she’d sent was one of me and my parents at the annual Taylor Arts Foundation gala last year.
“Looks like Bianca decided to Google my name,” I said.
I tried not to let my disappointment show.
“I’m sorry.” Olivia placed a hand on my arm, and my chest ached in response. It took everything in me not to turn and pull her into my arms. After dancing with her the other evening, I knew what that felt like.
I knew exactly how right it felt to have her in my arms and pressed against my chest. But the only way she wanted me to hold her like that was if she was giving me dance lessons, so I was stuck standing here with my muscles clenched tight to keep from reaching for her.
“I didn’t know she’d take it upon herself to dig into you like that,” she said quietly.
“I did.” Bitterness laced my voice, and I smiled over at her to soften it. “It was only a matter of time before people figured out who my parents are. Hazard of the family, I guess.”
She nodded, but her eyes were filled with emotion. Sadness, empathy, and... something else. I narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to read that look. It was almost like she was hurt. “What is it?”
She pressed her lips together, and I could basically see her inner battle as her lips twitched.
She was acting weird, and that made me tense. “Olivia, did I do something?”
“No, no,” she said a little too quickly. “It’s just…” She pointed to her phone, which I was still holding. “Do you know who that is?”
I stared down at the older woman who was smiling at the center of the picture. The woman of honor that night. “Avery Queen,” I said.
She drew in a deep breath. “And do you know who she is?”
I nodded because it was starting to click. She was a choreographer and the founder of the Avery Queen modern ballet company. They were a big deal, apparently, in the dance world, but I still wasn’t quite sure why Olivia was looking at me like this...like I’d done something to hurt her feelings.
I shifted from one foot to the other and scratched the back of my neck. “Uh, are you annoyed because I didn’t tell you I’d met her?” I shrugged. “It wasn’t that big a deal, honestly. She and her company were the guests of honor for the foundation, but it wasn’t like I really hung out with her.”
Silence.
I tried to smile. “It’s not like she and I became best buds or something.”
She nodded and looked away.
I was missing something. Clearly.
She turned back. “You know that the Avery Queen dance company is my dream, right? Like, they are everything I’ve been working for my whole life.”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I know that.”
I’d read countless emails from Olivia about her dream to be the next Avery Queen, who she considered to be a pioneer in the world of modern ballet.
“I just…” She shook her head and let out a long exhale. “I can’t believe you know her and you wouldn’t at least try to get me an introduction or something.”
I felt the floor jerk beneath my feet, and my stomach took a nosedive. I ordered myself to breathe, and the sensation passed quickly.
I turned away from her and made a show of putting away the rest of the decorations. This was Olivia, not some manipulative user. She hadn’t meant it like that.
But my dad’s voice was clear as a bell in my head as I reached for another strand of lights. Like it or not, with the family you have, there’s always going to be people looking for a handout or a leg up.
No. That was my dad’s jadedness talking, and it didn’t apply to Olivia.
I took another deep breath and turned around to find her watching me with an oddly serious expression. The silence was in danger of turning massively awkward, so I forced a smile I didn’t quite feel and changed the topic. “You ready for that competition now?”
Her eyes lit with a glow instantly.
There she was. My fierce little warrior.
That toxic sensation started to fade as her lips quirked up in a smile. “What did you have in mind?”
I reached for an old closet dowel propped up in the corner. “Stick pull.”
She laughed. “I haven’t played that since—”
“Junior high?” I guessed.
She nodded. Back in the day this was our go-to competition. Some people played rock, paper, scissors to decide who got to pick the movie on movie night, but my best friend and I sat on the floor and tugged on a stick to see who could pull the other over first.
“I haven’t played in years either.” Because really, who else in my life was I going to challenge to a childish strength competition these days? I tapped the dowel against my palm. “You think you’re up for it?”
She crooked a finger, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Bring it.”
“Okay,” I said as we settled onto the ground with the soles of our feet pressed together. “So what are we battling for?” I arched a brow. “Bragging rights?”
She rolled her eyes. “What’s the fun in that? No, if I win, then you have to at least try and get me an introduction to someone at Avery Queen.”
My lungs deflated instantly, but I shrugged off that feeling of disappointment. In the entirety of our relationship, Olivia had never asked me for a favor like this. She was the only person in my life who hadn’t tried to use the Taylor name for her own gain. I didn’t want to judge her for it. I knew she wasn’t trying to be mean. But it still stung. “Fine,” I said. “But if I win…”
She arched her brows, and I could see that glow in her eyes. That determined look that was so stinkin’ cute it hurt my heart.
Ah crap. I couldn’t be mad at this girl.
“Well?” she prompted. The way her lips curved up—the smile was teasing. Almost flirtatious, but not quite.
I freakin’ love that smile.
My heart thudded painfully in my chest as she and I sat so close that I could see the light in her eyes. I wanted her to look at me like I was looking at her. I needed her to see me like I saw her. As a friend...but also as so much more.
To what end?
I tried to tune out that nagging voice that sounded way too much like my mom’s when she was in full diplomat mode. All formal and calm and terrifyingly right, most of the time. Right now it was asking me… what was the point of trying to make her like me like I liked her?
I didn’t know.
It was useless and stupid, but I couldn’t keep pretending to myself or to her that I didn’t want to pull her into my arms right now and kiss her until she forgot all about competitions and introductions and my last name.
“You gonna tell me what you want any time this decade?” she asked with a laugh. “Or do I have to guess?”
You. I want you.
I swallowed. “Movie night.”
Her brows came down in confusion. “We do movie night pretty much every night.”
“No, I mean…” I shifted on the cold hard ground. “I mean, an actual movie night at a movie theater.” Her eyes widened as I leaned forward. “And I pick the movie.”
Her sudden grin made my heart leap. “You’re on.”
The competition lasted all of two seconds. She pulled, and her strength was impressive.
But it was no match for mine. I had her crossing over the middle line so quickly that she went flying and landed...right on top of me.
She fell onto me in a sort of flying tackle that had me sprawled out on the ground with her lying on my chest. We were both laughing and groaning as she struggled to lift herself, pushing her palms against my chest and lifting her head and…
She froze.
I stopped breathing.
My heart started to race in my chest because she was so close. I could feel the heat of her breath on my lips, and her dark eyes looked darker than ever as her gaze locked with mine and held.
Her lips parted with a quick intake of air. My hands were on her waist, and I’d meant to push her away, help her to get off of me, but...I found myself holding her in place. I didn’t want to let go.
Heaven help me, I couldn’t let go.
Her gaze dropped to my mouth, and I felt that look like a branding iron on my skin.
I wanted to kiss her so badly, I ached with that desire. And for a second, I thought…
Her gaze flicked back up to meet mine, and I could have sworn she wanted to kiss me too.
But then she was scrambling to her feet and the moment was over. I was left lying there, flat on my back, and wondering what on earth had just happened.
“Okay, fine, you won.” She sounded out of breath, like she’d just gone for a jog.
I sat up to find her brushing herself off. “The competition was clearly rigged,” she said with a teasing smile. “But I suppose you won.”
“You’re such a gracious loser,” I said.
She laughed as she headed toward the shed door. “If you’re taking me to the movies, that better mean that you’re supplying the candy this time.”
“Of course,” I said as I followed her out.
I’d get the candy, and the tickets, too. Because whether Olivia knew it or not?
This was our first date.