Page 21 of Your Kiss Is On My List

But things can hurt her and evidently my ghosting her was one of those things.

“I want to hear Trey answer my question,” Summer says to me. “How did you get from whatever you were—neighbors?—to a couple?” She tries to soften her hard tone with a smile, but I can see the hurt and skepticism working double time.

“Great question,” Lou says. “I’d love to hear the story—again. It’s so sweet.” She enjoys my obvious discomfort like kid sisters do. I’m about to answer, but Dani jumps in again.

“I’ll tell you all about it.” She pauses and looks around the circle of friends, her flare for drama more than I remember. My mouth quivers, but I suppress the smile and grip her arm, hoping she doesn’t go overboard with this story because Nate knows me too well to not detect bullshit when he hears it. Summer doubles down on her skeptical look, nearly frowning at Dani.

“Honestly, it all comes down to a kiss.” She sighs and licks her lips like she remembers and I’m remembering too because I know damn well she’s talking about that first kiss. “But it was more than just any kiss, it was the intimacy, the awareness, the explosion of all that chemistry and hormones that took over and piled onto all the other feelings I already had for him.” She flicks a look at me and I suck in a breath, and hold it, afraid to let it out, afraid to acknowledge the identical reaction I had all that time ago. Afraid to check the reaction of the others to her over-the-top explanation.

“Don’t stop now,” Nate says, intensely staring at her, listening as if she’s revealing the secrets of the universe. And maybe she is. I nudge her leg with mine, the extra contact doing nothing to calm me—or her, but trying to discourage her. Lou stares at her like she’s an alien and the others are more than interested, they’re mesmerized. Only Summer holds onto her skepticism, but for all the wrong reasons. She’s carrying a torch, however bad it may end up burning her.

“When was this magical, life-changing kiss? I don’t remember you—” Lou says. It’s Dooley who shuts her up with a nudge and I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s taken up Dani’s cause with such gusto, changed from being my ally to hers in this. Except to be fair, he doesn’t know Dani and I are on opposite sides. Hell, sometimes I forget, don’t I?

“It was Thanksgiving weekend. One night we ran into each other like neighbors do, outside under the stars. We’ve always walked under the stars together. It’s our thing.” She smiles like she’s confessing something super personal and real. And she is, because this part of the story is true. It’s always been a thing. Revealing our wishes for the day, sometimes small and silly, sometimes monumental, standing under the Big Dipper waiting for whatever magic it poured down on us.

“So you go for a walk and you kiss him and voila? You’re suddenly…” Summer stops short of saying what we are because I know she doesn’t want to believe it. She’s smart and she knows me. But I’m on Dani’s side when it comes to a choice between her and Summer.

“I kissed her,” I say and I wrap an arm around Dani, drawing her close, and then cup her chin, staring into her eyes, trying to communicate that this is part of the act when it feels far too real as I lower my mouth to hers and reenact that kiss the way it should have been done, the way it would have been done if things were different.

If things were the way they are now because I feel it all—the intimacy, the heart pounding, the swell of euphoria like heaven on earth until Lou shoves my arm, dislodging our mouths. The guys are divided between wolf whistles and disgusted shouts of get a room, all grinning at the fucking uncharacteristic PDA.

Only Summer isn’t laughing, but I can see she’s still not a believer and I wonder why not. Hell, I’m practically a believer and I should know better. Because this isn’t real—and I need to remember that. It’s all pretend for the sake of … whatever the hell Dani says it’s for. To keep me from the distraction of having girls throw themselves at me? Like fuck.

To keep her from having every guy on campus hit on her? That could be for real. She doesn’t move away from me and I glance at her, still staring at me like I’m Adonis swooping in from the heavens. Sure. That’s what I’d like to think. Probably she’s in shock because she knows me better than anyone—except Lou—and this kiss in front of my team was way outside of normal behavior for me.

“Shit, Trey,” Nate says. “I go away for a couple of weeks and when I get back you’re ready to walk down the aisle. What the fuck?” Nate grins and jokes with Lou, who bites her lip, looking unsure about me and not all that happy. Shit.

I pick up my beer and gulp half of it down while Dani picks up the slack, easing the tension.

“You have it all wrong, Nate. Can’t you see? I’ve seduced him and he’s just a typical horny hockey player, right?” That gets a lot of mock-outraged commentary and joking.

“You mean he’s turned into me?” Nate runs with it and the moment of awkwardness passes. For everyone except Summer.

“It’s late,” she says. “I think it’s time to go.” She takes Heather’s arm without permission and drags her away from Shelby, where they’ve been having their own private flirtation, knowing that Heather will go along with her because she’s too nice not to. “I’ll see you in the studio tomorrow, Dooley.” She grabs her coat and leaves a wake of frosty air behind her.

“The studio.” Dani says. Shit. Summer and Dani are going to be seeing a lot of each other.

“Never mind her,” Dooley says. “Who wants to plan a road trip to Boston for the next game?” Dani takes up the changed subject with gusto, but she needs to know that though Summer may not be a rival for my attention, she’s definitely a rival at the SPU TV studio for airtime.

Chapter 8

DANI

Lou drove home after being out until midnight in spite of Trey trying to talk her out of it. The rest of us walked back to our street, even Dooley who decided to stay at BMOC House with Trey, Nate, and Bane. Why do I get the idea that maybe he’s playing chaperone—or maybe wanting to authenticate our story of being lovers.

Thinking the word makes me shiver. I’m walking between Nate and Trey, holding firm onto Trey’s hand when we get to my driveway. Heather and Emily wave goodbye while I hesitate.

“Are you staying at BMOC House?”

My heart stutters because it’s the million-dollar question, but he’s the wrong guy to ask me. I look at Nate while I take a step away from him into Trey, not daring a look at Trey’s face. I can feel him tense. Before I can say a word, figure out what to say to him, Trey answers for me.

“No. What the fuck are you doing?”

Nate shrugs, unperturbed. “Relax. It was an innocent question. Figured I’d—”

“Leave it alone.” Trey’s voice is deep and disturbed.

“Well get on with your goodnight kiss then. I won’t wait up for you.” Nate turns to Dooley. “Let’s go, Dools.” Trey hesitates a beat, giving me a mysterious look, then pulls me in with an arm around my shoulder and whispers in my ear.