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Annie nods slowly, and I know she’s not thinking of her prom—at least, notonly.
She’s remembering the night I took Carly to prom when she asked me the samething.
I inch closer until we’re nearly touching so she’s forced to tilt her face up to hold mygaze.
The next question isn’t mine to ask, but neither were the two beforeit.
“Did you fuckhim?”
Those expressive amber eyes color with something I can’tname.
The answer’s there on her face, and I hate it. I hate knowing I could’ve been her first and wasn’t. I have no right to expect she would have saved herself for me, but the thought of her with another guy drives mecrazy.
“Tyler—”
“I wanted to give you that night. So many times in my head, Idid.”
Her lips part, and I want to devour them. Her unsteady inhale makes my cocktwitch.
We thought life was so complicated a year ago. Nothing wascomplicated.
But no matter what I resolved when I walked away from her on that sunny day in Dallas, I won’t pretend she didn’t leave her mark onme.
“You better play me your song,” she says at last, her voice rough at the edges, “or we’re going to run out oftime.”
I unwind the hair and tuck it behind herear.
Then I reach for myguitar.
10
“You going to ‘practice’with Tyleragain?”
I’m walking past Elle’s open dorm door with my bag and jacket when her voice has me pullingup.
I step into her doorway, taking in the sight of my friend reclined on her bed, notebook in her lap. “What’s with the finger quotes?” Iask.
“You’ve been spending every second together all week. If your strategy is to get close enough to backstab the competition, you’re running out oftime.”
“We’re competing, but our biggest competition is the dozens of other peopleauditioning.”
She cocks her head. “You realize there’s only one closingspot.”
Which is why even though we’ve practiced together a few times, those long looks and teasing touches have been as far as it’sgone.
“I wanted to give you that night. So many times in my head, Idid.”
The recipe for a sleepless night starts with Tyler Adams telling you he thinks about all the things you never did together. I’ve spent a few hours wrapped in sweaty sheets thinking of them,too.
But I’m thinking about why I’m here at Vanier and my goals. With the auditions happening Monday, the closing spot is close enough I can tasteit.
My phone jumps in my pocket with atext.
Unknown: It’s Finn. Meet me out front of the school in fifteen minutes forintensive.
Annie: I thought we were meetingtomorrow?
Unknown: Change of plans. If you can do right now, it’ll be worth yourwhile.
