Page 43 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

“Sure.Why not?”That sounds amazing.I absolutely need to get out of town after my run-in with Benji today.I’m not feeling claustrophobic yet, but it’ll come if I’m not careful.

She leaps out of her chair and nearly chokes me with a hug.“You’re the best brother ever.I’m gonna go start packing and text Mae.”

“Hey,” Mark yells.“I thought I was the best brother ever.I gave you a job.”

Abi sticks her tongue out at him.“So did Seth.”

Levi waits until she’s out of earshot.“I thought you might be the one who wants to tell Mae.”

“Why would I do that?This is just me appreciating my amazing assistant.I’m treating her and her best friend to a weekend in New York.Abi can tell her.I don’t care.”

Levi frowns.“I’m still not sure about this.It’d look better if you didn’t go with them.”

“Do you really want our baby sister and Mae running around New York City alone?”

He grumbles and leans back in his chair.“I guess not, but this still might set Keith off.”

“Not if it comes from Abi.They’ll be fine.And he didn’t forbid me from being friends with her, just anything more than that.If we start acting too distant, he might think we’re intentionally sneaking around behind his back.I might invite a couple of other friends to meet me there.That way, if he sees pictures and stuff, it’s a big group.”

And then it’ll be a win-win for me.Time alone with Mae and seeing some of my closest friends again.

ELEVEN

Mae

“I feel like I’ve been dropped into the middle of an episode ofFriends, but I don’t know any of the characters,” I whisper to Seth as we weave through the bustling crowds in New York City with Abi and a group of Seth’s college buddies.He’s talked about them a ton, but there’s nine of them plus a slew of wives, and so I could never keep them straight.I know some stories, but I don’t really know who is who.I’ve met a few via Facetime, like Jamie and Lucas, but the others were a blur, and neither of those two is here today.

“Just go with it,” he replies with a wink.He weaves his fingers through mine, and I try not to read too much into it.He just doesn’t want me to get lost.But I relish the feeling.I never want to let go.

I feel like a lovesick teenager.

We finally enter a cramped burger joint in Times Square, and Abi practically bounces with excitement.“Isn’t this amazing?”she asks, completely unfazed by the loud noises and hectic atmosphere.Meanwhile, I’m struggling to keep up with this group of strangers who seem to know each other’s every move.

Seth pulls me toward a table meant for four because it’s the only open one in the place.He’s always so confident about things.I would’ve hunted down a host and then waited for three hours for a bigger spot to open.

We have to squeeze seven people around it.I try to sit next to him, but before I can even think about it, his friend Tristan plops down on one side of me, and David takes the other.Across from us, Hayden and Anna are sandwiched between Seth and Abi.

“Remember the last time we were in New York...”Anna begins, only to be interrupted by Tristan leaning across the table and clamping a hand over her mouth.

“No one needs to know those details,” he says.But before I can ask what happened, Tristan changes the subject.

The stories fly by as I try my best to keep up, but they already seem to know the punchlines.

Tristan nudges me.“You okay?You’re awfully quiet.”

I nod.“It’s just a lot of people.”D.C.feels like this sometimes too.I don’t know how I’m going to survive there.I just want to stay in Whisper Springs.I wish my dad could see that.

“Pretty quiet out there in West Virginia, huh?”

“Very.”

“It’s nice to finally meet the famous Mae.Seth talks about you all the time.”David leans across me and grabs the ketchup.“More now than he did before actually.So, are you two finally dating?”

I shake my head.

“Why not?I see the way you both look at each other.”

“It’s a long story.”

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