Page 9 of Uniquely in Love

“Oh.” She lifted her head, her blue-gray eyes meeting mine. “That would be great.”

She handed me her schedule, and I grinned after lookingover it. “Look at that. I have history in the room right next to your English class.”

“Really?” A little warmth trickled back into her voice, and I tightened the grip on the backpack I had slung over one shoulder.

“Really. Come on. Let’s head there.”

I knew from looking over my sister’s schedule that she and Ellie didn’t have the same classes, and I wondered if part of that was the reason she was feeling out of place.

“You know, between me and all your other cousins at the school, there’s always someone you can go to for help.”

Ellie scrunched her nose, looking up at me. “We’renot cousins though, Owen.” Her cheeks were a little pink.

God, she was tiny. I’d never really noticed how much taller I was than her before. Even at the ice rink, I didn’t normally stand next to her for very long, and mostly, we were coming and going in passing, or chatting with each other on the bench. This felt different.

I chuckled. “No, we’re not.” That felt important. I didn’t know why, but it was. Even if we’d grown up together, we weren’t related. Even if I didn’t remember life without her.

She fidgeted with the strap of her backpack. It was a bright, sunshiny yellow color. One I knew was her favorite. “I’m glad you’re here,” she finally whispered.

“Yeah?” My chest puffed up, and I didn’t know why that thought made me feel warm inside, but it did.

Ellie nodded. “Beau would act like an over-protective brother if he was walking me around.”

And her older sister, Abigail, was a senior. It was strange to think that once she started college, I would be the oldest of the pack. The one who could drive to school, since I’d gotten my license this summer. My dad had given me his old blue truck, and I felt so much pride that he trusted me enough to drive it around.

Sure, the twins, Zachary and Wesley, were both in thesame year as me, but I was six months older, and I felt that responsibility immensely.

But standing here with Ellie, I didn’t feel like her older brother. I wanted to protect her for a whole different reason.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever noticed how adorable she was before. She was wearing a white t-shirt under a denim overall dress that was embroidered with flowers with a pair of white sneakers, and it was soher. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, with little wispy tendrils falling out the front, and she had the barest amount of makeup on: a little shimmer over her eyelid, a swipe of mascara, a touch of blush and this hint of lip gloss that sparkled on her lips.

Lips Ishouldn’tbe looking at. I had no business looking at Ellie like that. Especially as that blush returned to her cheeks, and she looked away quickly. What was that? I’d never thought about kissing Beau’s little sister before. She was Penny’s best friend, too, to boot. But she was also my friend.

Honestly, I’d never thought about kissing anyone before. I’d always been too busy with hockey and classes to even spare a second glance around girls. But maybe it was that in the last year, my voice had deepened, and I’d gained more inches in height. Plus, all my time on the ice was already bulking me up. My dad was six-three and a big guy, so it wasn’t much of a surprise.

Still, girls noticed me now. I was uncomfortable with all the attention, brushing it off the best I could. Because the only one I wanted to notice me was walking by my side.

It was a thought I pondered long after I dropped her off at the door to her classroom, wishing her good luck on her first day and telling her to text me if she needed anything. She blushed again before ducking into class.

And I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I’d never quite be able to get Eleanor Bradford out of my head.

The sun was shiningas I walked across the street to the Bradford house, shoving my hands in my jeans pockets as I let out a breath. It was an unusually nice day for fall, and that felt like a good sign. All week, all I could think about was her.

We’d grown up together, but it felt like in the last year, I’d blinked, and she’d grown up. Ellie Bradford had gone from the adorable little girl whose pigtails I used to tug on to a graceful young woman. And our relationship had changed, too. This year, it felt like we’d gone from friends to…more. I’d catch her glancing my way when we walked through the halls at school, her cheeks pink, and my heart raced.

I liked her. So much more than I could have ever imagined.

Which is why I needed to get this right.

Raising my hand, I knocked on the door. It was the first time in a long time that I’d needed to. I’d been coming to this house my whole life. Namely, on account of the fact that my mom and Ellie’s mom were best friends. Some of my earliest memories were with the Bradford-Sullivan clan, spending almost every holiday at one of their houses.

Daniel Bradford—Beau and Ellie’s dad—opened it, grinning at me. Thanks to the height I’d inherited from my dad, we were almost eye to eye. That should have made this less intimidating, but it didn’t. My palms were sweaty, and I was more nervous than I’d ever been.

“Hey, son.” Her dad clasped a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t think Beau’s here right now, but I can find him for you?—”

“I’m actually here to see you,” I said, swallowing down my apprehension as I followed him inside, wiping my palms on my jeans.

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “Is everything okay, son? I know your dad would?—”

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