Page 35 of The Crafting Con

Maybe she’d like it.

Maybe…

No. Don’t even go there. Acknowledging that I’m a lost cause is one thing. Believing there could be an actual future involving the two of us together is a whole other. Even if she did sit really close to me on the couch. And there was, like, room. That proximity was a choice.

“Ava, hey!”

Hiro’s voice from outside the garage snaps me back to reality, and I slip out in time to see Ava coming down the walk in her shop clothes, ponytail swinging away. My heart instantly syncs, beating in time to the back-and-forth swish.

“Hi, Hiro.” Ava waves, her gaze bouncing around the group gathered in my driveway. When it settles on me, there’s a tentative uncertainty lurking behind the hazel orbs. “Is this a bad time? I can come back later.” She pulls her phone out, checking the time.

“It’s all good,” Bailey says, stepping forward. “Mr. Rocks For Brains over here forgot we had plans, but you should totally join us. Hiro’s cousin Ren just opened a board game café nearby, and we promised to check it out. Oh, and I’m Bailey, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“Same.” Ava lifts her hand in a little wave. “You go to Pacific Prep with us, right? I’ve seen you around. Love the hair.”

“Thanks.” Bailey beams and jerks her thumb toward Zeke, who’s leaning against the side of Hiro’s Tahoe. “That’s my boyfriend, Zeke. He goes to Pacific, as well.”

Zeke gives Ava a chin up nod. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Ava smiles before glancing over at me. “Sounds like we’ll have to rain check on the crafting then?”

I shrug, shifting my weight from foot to foot. “We don’t have to. I mean, the convention is next weekend, and I know you’re pretty busy during the week…” I don’t add that I could easily cut the pieces out myself. If this friendship we’ve rekindled is going to end after the convention, I want to spend as much time with her as I can before that happens.

“Not that busy. You should definitely go support your friend. Our fingers can live to see another day.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah, okay. But, um, Bailey’s right. You could totally come with us. If you want.”

She bites her lip, and I try not to fixate on the movement, even though it’s a cliche for a reason: teeth on lips? It’s like teenage kryptonite.

“I don’t want to get in the way,” she says, but—impossibly—she sounds like she actually wants to come. And suddenly there’s nothing I want more.

“You won’t be,” I assure her. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

“It does sound fun, but”—she lifts her arm, showing off the hole in her admittedly ratty shirt—“I’m dressed for working in the shop.” She wrinkles her nose. “Not sure they’d want me there looking like this.”

“We’re not in a hurry,” Bailey interjects. “You can totally run home and change if you want.”

“If you’re sure…” Ava looks over her shoulder, and there’s something in the hesitant way she glances up the street toward her house that tells me she doesn’t want to go home right now.

“Or you can just borrow something of mine.” I rub the back of my head when everyone turns to look at me, and shrug. “What? It’s the easiest option.”

“Ava doesn’t want to wear one of your crappy old T-shirts,” Bailey deadpans, but Ava lights up with gratitude.

“That’d actually be great. Thanks, Dec.”

“You’re, um, you’re welcome.” My face burns from the looks my friends all shoot me, and my voice comes out strangled when I add, “Go ahead and grab whatever you want. We’ll wait out here while you change.”

“Okay, cool. Be right back!” She cuts through the garage, and it isn’t until the door clicks shut behind her that I reluctantly turn to face my friends. All of whom are smirking.

“What?” I snap.

They exchange grins, and Hiro shrugs. “Nothing. Just happy to see you so obliging for once.”

“Sending her to your room alone seems a bit risky, though,” Zeke adds. “Who knows what she’ll step on trying to find something to wear.”

I sniff. “My room is perfectly clean, thanks very much.”

Hiro’s eyes round. “He cleaned for her. Damn. It’s worse than I thought.”