Page 26 of Only Ever You
“Yeah.”
“Sucks.” She straightens and peers at me, her eyes narrowed. “But you’re not bailing on the sleepover at my house on Saturday, right?”
I still have no idea why I said yes to that. Okay, that’s a lie. I just don’t want to admit it. A couple of hours before she asked me last week, Michael had been going on about how he wanted me to have friends like he does so I’m not alone at school, since he and I don’t have any classes together. He sounded so reasonable that when Sienna approached me about girls’ night at her place, I blurted out yes without really thinking it through.
Hopefully, I won’t regret it.
“I’ll be there. I promise.”
She squeals and kisses my cheek again before she stands, eyeing Cade, then me. “I gotta go. Have a few people to catch up with before class starts.”
“Bye.” I wave and turn to Cade. “Do you like your sandwich?”
“It’s delicious.” He smiles at me.
“I’m glad. My—”
A burst of laughter interrupts me. Snapping my mouth closed, I look over my shoulder. Instantly, my heart sinks a little. Sienna is standing in front of Michael, her hand on his bicep. The way she angles her body toward him leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Jealousy rears its ugly head, urging me to stomp over there and push her away.
Instead, I tamp down the emotion. With a shake of my head, I return my attention to Cade. Though I don’t look away again, I spend the rest of lunch fighting the desire to listen in on Michael and Sienna’s conversation.
I’m hopeless.
“Ahhh, I’m so happy you’re here!” Sienna hugs me as I step into her house. My mom’s headlights sweep along the driveway as she pulls out, reminding me I can’t back out now.
“Thank you so much for inviting me.” I hug her back briefly and then quickly take a step back. “Sorry I’m late. Practice went a bit longer than I expected.”
“You’re fine. Lola only got here, like, twenty minutes ago.” She scurries for the stairs. “Let’s go to my room.”
When Mrs. Hartman appears in the kitchen doorway, I give her a quick wave. “Hi.”
“Hello, Isla. Make yourself at home.” She smiles warmly. “If you need anything, just find me.”
“Yeah, yeah, Mom. Thanks,” Sienna mutters, already bouncing up the stairs. “You’re the best.”
I nod at her mom and finally give in, following Sienna to the second floor.
Confusion swirls inside me. Why is she so eager? Is she always like this? Maybe so. After all, I don’t actually know her that well.
“Look who’s finally here!” she singsongs as we step into her bedroom.
Lola is lounging on the bed. She and I don’t have any classes together, but I see her in the halls.
“Hi, Isla.” She climbs off the bed, her curly red hair bouncing, and holds her hand out to me. “I’m Lola.” Her cheeks pinken, and her brown eyes lower. “You probably know that already, but since we’ve never really talked—”
I take her hand and give it a shake. “It’s really nice to meet you, Lola.”
She breaks into a smile. “You too.”
Sienna clasps her hands, her eyes dancing between us. “Okay, how about you change into your pjs, Isla? I’ll get the movie ready, and we can eat pizza and gossip.”
“Maybe we can skip to the gossip right away? I’m dying to know what happened at Jones’ party after I left.” Lola, who’s already in her pajamas, a green set with witches and cauldrons all over them, bounces on her toes.
Sienna grins. “No, I’m saving that for later. Because trust me…the goss is worth the wait.”
I’ve never felt more out of place. I’m used to spending time with boys, Michael, Asher, and Cade being my closest friends and all. And the girls I see the most are my competition, and rivalries don’t exactly foster close relationships. Sienna is a great example of that.
“Isla, go change.” Sienna’s voice rips me out of my thoughts.
