Page 18 of My Best Friend Prince Charming

“What’s all this?” she asked.

“Clothes my agent wants me to start wearing.”

She walked over to my bed and picked up a pair of ripped-up jeans. “How is this that much different from what you’re already wearing?”

“It doesn’t have grass stains on it?”

“You paid five hundred dollars for this?” Shannon squeaked.

“Oh, did I? I’m trying not to look at the price tags. George ordered them all for me.”

“You don’t even like skinny jeans.”

“I guess I do now.”

She put the jeans back on the bed. “This isn’t you, Ryker.”

“George said, it’s important to get my image right for the fans. It’s part of getting future film work. I’m just thinking of it as a work uniform. When I’m chilling out at home, I can wear whatever I want.”

“You’re really planning to make this an entire career, aren’t you?”

“You have your paycheck from Toppings that you can use to help out your mom. This is what I have, and it’s a lot better pay than what I was making working part-time at Skippy’s. I have to help take care of my family, somehow.”

“I get that,” Shannon said. “I guess I’m just trying to absorb all of this. I didn’t see it coming, you know?”

“None of us saw it coming. But it’s here, and it’s a better opportunity than most people can ever imagine.”

Shannon looked up at me, her bright blue eyes studying me like she was still trying to process all the changes at once.

Oh, how I wanted to kiss her. The pull to take her in my arms and taste her lips was hard to ignore. I’d been thinking a lot about my conversation with Gabi and Mr. Christopher at Charter. I wanted to tell Shannon how I felt, but I still hadn’t gathered the courage to do so. I wanted to get a better gauge of her reaction to me.

On impulse, I reached up and tucked a wavy blonde strand of hair behind her ear. She froze, keeping her eyes on me. I dropped my hand, letting it trace down her arm. I felt goosebumps rising up on her skin, and I lifted my hand away.

She looked away, her hair shading her reddening cheeks. “I should get back home,” she whispered.

“Why?” I asked.

“I’m writing a book,” she said.

“What?” I pulled away. “Like, on your own?”

“Yes. For this contest Mrs. Drake told us about in English class. I went to her today and told her I’d decided to enter.” Her blue eyes were serious.

“That’s incredible, Shannon.” I could kiss her all over again. I was so proud of her. “What’s it about?”

She blushed. “I’m not ready to share it with you yet, but maybe one day.”

“I understand.” I turned back to the next box and sliced it open. It hurt that Shannon didn’t want to share her new book with me. We’d always shared our stories together. Did this mean she didn’t want to write the fan fiction with me anymore?

“I just . . .” Shannon had her hand on her opposite arm over the spot where I’d felt her goosebumps. “I just wanted to stop by to see how you were. It feels like we hardly talk anymore.”

“Hey, I’m just next door. You know where to find me.”

“For now,” she said.

“Yeah. For now.” And then I was moving to the other side of the country. Right when it seemed like something might actually happen between Shannon and me. Sometimes the universe really was cruel.

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