Page 88 of This Changes Everything

I looked over at Rory again and could tell he was watching me by his warm, sloping smile.

“Zoë bullied Ellie and me into asking the dancer if he could give her a little thwap-thwap in the face.”

“Oh my god! A thwap-thwap?!” Hannah howled. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“It’s the most accurate description,” Maddy stated calmly. “He was . . . not pleased with us, obviously. So, the rest of the night, Zoë was chasing that D, and she ended up calling her neighbor.”

“Martin is the best,” I insisted. “Like, otherworldly, and in Zo’s defense, he was honored to be called upon.”

“After that, Martin took us to the Abbey, where he was dating one of the go-go dancers at the time, and we ended up having the best night.” Maddy smiled, pleased with herself.

“More shots, anyone?” Zoë’s voice had risen four octaves. I noticed she was looking everywhere but in Orson’s direction. She was blushing, and Zoë never blushed.

Hannah grabbed Zoë’s arm. “Let me save you, my baby. Take me to the VIP section so we can feel special.” Hannah pointed toward a private, roped-off bar area on the other side of the pool. “Who’s coming?”

“Me!” Kara said, as she and Orson jumped off their shared lounger.

“Me, too.” Maddy raised her hand for Orson to help her stand, then turned to me. “Are you coming?”

“Nah, I’m good here,” I answered.

“Rore?” Orson tipped his head back to Rory.

Rory shook his head with a soft smile. He shifted himself into the center of the lounger next to me. “I’m gonna stay.”

My heart thumped in my throat, matching the bass in the music as we watched our friends leave us. My hand dangled in the water beside me. Rory was waving his hands, skimming the surface of the water, and when he reached my forearm, he gently moved his fingers down my skin. He found my hand and delicately hooked his fingers around mine. I looked over at him, still unable to see his eyes. He was looking forward, and I was unsure if he could see me until I saw the edges of his lips lift.

“So, how did it go today?” I asked, pretending my mind wasn’t trapped in an eternal loop, thinking about how Rory and I were kind of holding hands.

“I’m so tired.” He chuckled to himself. “I got two hours of sleep.”

“Oh no! I definitely slept in.” I laughed guiltily. “You want to have a quick nap? I can tell the DJ to keep it down.”

“We Found Love” by Rihanna and Calvin Harris was pounding throughout the venue. People in the pool were jumping to the beat and making the water splash over the edges.

“Yeah, would you? That’d be great.” He adjusted his fingers to latch onto mine a little more securely, and my heart seized. “Your friends are fun. Hannah and Kare are a given, but Zoë and Maddy . . . I really like them. Thank you for letting me and Orson hang out.”

“Are you kidding? I’m so happy you’re here.” I allowed myself to give in to the moment. “I thought . . .”

Nope. Stop, Ellie. Too much.

“What?” Rory tugged on my fingers.

“Nothing.”

“Say it.”

“No, it’s nothing.” I shook my head.

“Too late. Say it.” Rory gripped my hand like he was holding a life preserver.

I looked down at our hands. We had never casually held hands before. I shook my head, befuddled. Sure, our fingers danced around each other when we were younger. We touched and tested each other, but how had we never properly held hands before? How was that possible?

“Ellie . . .” Rory’s voice softened. My eyes darted up to see a smile spread across his face, and I wondered if he was thinking the same thing. He tilted his head to the side, looking at me through his sunglasses. “Say it.”

I took a deep breath. “I thought this part of my life was over. You’ve haunted me. You’ve been like a shadow for years. You were always with me, but I could never get to you.”

“I know what you mean.”