Page 24 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

I reach over and punch his arm.“Shut up.I didn’t get rejected, but Keith told me to stay away from her.”

“Keith loves us,” Mark says.

“Not me, apparently.I guess I left at the same time Susan did, and that makes us the same.”

“Come on, you know that’s not true,” Noah says, and I’m glad they don’t see me that way anymore.

Mae and Abi are dancing together to a fast song, and Mae looks stunning as she lets go.This is going to be impossible.I don’t know if I should tell her everything or lie to her.Her dad is the only family she’s got, and this will infuriate her.

“I gotta go.Will you tell Abi and Mae that I need to deal with something and will see them in the morning?”

“Chicken,” Levi mutters.

He’s not wrong, but I leave anyway.I don’t want to be the one to break apart Mae’s world.At least not right now.

SEVEN

Mae

I have no clue what happened at the party.Seth and I were so close to breaking that friend barrier, and then he disappeared.I was going to look for him, but Levi and Mark made it seem like he didn’t want to be found.Maybe I was too forward.I shouldn’t have been so eager to up and move to India with him.Even if that’s not really what I wanted.I bet he saw right through me.

I’m too needy.

I climb out of bed, intent on going for a walk and trying to rid myself of my negative thoughts, when Abi grabs my hand and yanks me into bed with her.

“What’s going on?”she whispers.

“I’m having trouble getting to sleep.I’m going for a walk.”I keep my voice low so I don’t wake the other girls.

“Sane people read a book if they can’t sleep.Not go for a walk in the middle of the night.What happened?You’ve been pouting since Seth left.Do I need to beat my brother up?”

We’ve done this before, but usually it’s Abi that’s having boy trouble.

I sigh.I have no one else to talk to, and even though he’s her brother, I tell her everything.

“I may have been a little forward with him, and then he disappeared.I think I ruined it.”

“Oh my gosh, we’re going to be sisters for real.”

She squeals, and someone yells, “Go back to sleep.”

I keep my voice at a whisper.“Abi.He blew me off.Which shouldn’t really surprise me.He’s smart and rich.Adventurous.Thoughtful.He’s everything, and what am I?Nothing.”

She waves a hand.“Nonsense.I saw you dancing together.He’s so into you.And give yourself a little credit.You’re amazing too.I don’t know what happened tonight, but I’m sure it’ll get fixed.”

I don’t believe her.I should, but I have no idea what happened.

“Whatever you say.I’m still going for a walk.And then I’ll come back and read if I still can’t sleep.I’m behind on our book this week.Not even halfway.”

“How can you be behind?That book was amazing.I finished it in a day.”Abi definitely likes pirate romance better than I do.She picks a different trope or genre every month, and we read three to five books in it.Most of them I like, but I still don’t read as fast as she does.

I give her a quick kiss on the forehead, grab a flashlight and my phone, and leave.Airing everything out with Abi helped, but my mind is still racing.I absolutely don’t want to ruin my friendship with Seth.He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.Truth be told, the reason I never managed to hang onto a guy for more than six months before Rick was because I always held them up against Seth.

No one was good enough.

Not that Rick was any better.Part of me was just trying to prove to myself that I could be in a relationship.Yes, I was hurt when he dumped me, but it didn’t last that long.

Because he wasn’t Seth.

---