Page 45 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

I can still hear my mother’s voice filled with longing and excitement as she talked about New York before she left me behind.She would describe the towering buildings that reached for the sky, the bustling streets filled with people from all walks of life, and the endless possibilities that seemed to thrive in every corner of the city.But as I walk here now, surrounded by the gritty reality of this place, I don’t see the magic that she did.

We hit a crosswalk, and Abi and her group step out just as the countdown reaches zero.

They’re about to leave me behind.

I rush after to try to catch up.The light turns green, and cars all around me start honking.I look forward and see cars trying to push through my group of friends.With each passing second, the knot in my stomach tightens.Impatient car horns blare in my ears.

I take off in a full sprint, my heart pounding in my chest, but my foot catches on a loose rock, and I stumble forward, my limbs flailing.I crash to the ground, the rough pavement tearing at my skin.All I can see is a bumper and tires that are about to drive over me.A throbbing ache blooms in my knees, and my hands feel like they’re on fire.A bike messenger zooms by, running right over my ankle.

“Watch where you’re going!”he shouts.

Bodies surround me, and Seth reaches for me first.“Are you okay?”

The light turns red again, so the cars I’m blocking quit honking at least.I try to stand, but pain tears through my body.“I think I sprained my ankle,” I squeak.

Seth swoops me up into his arms.The scent of exhaust fumes taints the air, mixing with the unmistakable aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting from the nearby cafes.

I wince, and my ankle throbs with a sharp, shooting pain.I clutch onto Seth’s broad shoulders, my fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt for support.The world whirls around me in a frenzy as we navigate through the bustling crowd.People blur past us, their hurried footsteps echoing in my ears, and I’m so grateful for this man who has rescued me.

He’s the only one I’ll ever need.

TWELVE

Seth

I carefully prop Mae’s ankle on a pillow, trying not to let my hands linger too long on her soft skin.I can’t help but feel guilty for bringing her all the way here, only to have her get injured.At least we were with Hayden when it happened, and he was able to wrap it up and give her some pain meds.He’s a doctor and said it was just a bad sprain.She needs to stay off of it for a few days, but hopefully that won’t stop us from enjoying our time in New York.We’ll find a wheelchair or something for her later, but for now, she should rest.

“I’m sorry I ruined the trip,” she says sheepishly.

I shake my head.“It’s not your fault.And besides, I can’t believe that asshole ran over your foot.”

I sit next to her, and she nuzzles into me.Flashes of the afternoon fly through my head.This is all my fault.I was the one who called Tristan back because I was annoyed with his stupid flirting, which I knew wasn’t even real.If I had just let go of my anger, none of this would have happened.

But at the same time, I’ve been trying to stay away from Mae.Her father bringing her asshole ex-boyfriend back into the picture made our situation all too real.He’s determined to keep us apart and will do whatever it takes.I can’t risk ruining Dad’s business over a girl, even a girl that I love.

I gently place my hand on Mae’s cheek and turn her face toward mine.Her eyes, still glistening with hints of pain, meet my gaze.

“I’m so sorry.I just wanted Abi and you to have a fun time for a few days because you’ve both been working so hard.”

She leans closer to me, her fingers entwining with mine.It’s unusual for her to be so touchy-feely, but I know it’s just the strong pain meds she’s on.After Hayden bandaged her up, we stopped at a pharmacy, and he got her a prescription.

“I’m not dumb.You did all of this for me, not Abi,” she says.

“Of course I did it for you.I just brought Abi along so Keith wouldn’t get suspicious.”

She turns to face me, her expression serious.“You don’t really know all of me though, do you?”

“What do you mean?I’ve known you your whole life.”

Her hand runs through her hair nervously before she speaks again.“There are many things you don’t know about me.”

I want to tell her all the things I do know about her: Like how she misses her mom even though she never talks about her.Or how pistachio ice cream is her favorite dessert in the whole world, which the rest of the world finds gross.She puts up with riding horses with Abi because Abi loves it.Her favorite color is sky blue, and she’d rather be in the water than lying out in the sun.She loves to read, and she and Abi have a secret book club that they think I don’t know about.But Abi and I share a Kindle account—something I’m positive Abi doesn’t realize.I’m the one who set up my parents’ Amazon account so I could send them things, and I got Abi that Kindle for her birthday the year she turned twelve.

“I know about the book club,” I blurt.

She blinks at me.

“What?”

---