Page 96 of Trust Me Always

That little thing is not a skirt.

She does a cute little spin, and…Nope. Uh-uh.

I dart forward, my arm snaking around her waist from behind, and haul her to me.

She squeals, a giggly, girlie sound I’m not sure I’ve heard from her before but already want more of, and grips my arm, tipping her head a bit as I bury my face in her neck.

“What in the heaven’s little devil are you doing to me?” I ask.

“It’s the pigtails, isn’t it?”

“You mean these perfect handlebars on your head? No…”

She hits me with a grin over her shoulder, none of her earlier sadness to be found. “You wanna grab on, Boyfriend?”

“I want to cover you in my fur so no one can look at you.” No one but me.

“Call me Bubbles.”

“Bubbles?”

“Yeah, you know the Powerpuff Girls?” When I say nothing, she laughs, spinning around and freeing herself. “Did you not notice Payton’s red wig and Paige’s cute little black one?”

I look up, scanning the other girls’ outfits, that no, I did not notice when they came in. Looks like my eyes went straight to Cameron.

“Okay.” I nod. “But Payton’s actually covers some of her skin, and Paige…” I pause. All right, so she’s about as covered as Cameron is, but a frowning Chase is hovering awfully,obviously, close to her, even if he is pretending she doesn’t exist at the same time, so there’s that.

“Wait.” Cameron pushes off my chest, moving farther away, finally getting a good look at my outfit.

Her mouth drops open, her hand lifting to cover it as she laughs. Blue eyes wide and pleased, she stomps her boots in excitement—leather boots that go up past her knee, I might fucking add.

Her smile is infectious, intoxicating, and now it’s my turn to pose.

I make a fist, showing off the leather cuff things tight across my forearms, the fake metal clicking around my waist where my fake sword and knife hang. I’ve even got a temporary tattoo coveringmy entire shoulder on the side where the feldr, as the dude who sold it to me called it, lies. I call it a fucking furry shawl for men.

I spin then, and she starts laughing loudly, in that way where I know, if I were looking at her, her eyes would be glossy, her head tipped back, exposing that silky, slender neck of hers.

“Shut up!” She reaches up, her dainty fingers running along the miniature clipped-in braid I somehow got to stick to my short hair. It’s light enough, only hangs to my neck, and feels annoying as hell, but her reaction makes it worth it.

She shakes her head, shoving the shawl thing back a little to run her eyes over the tattoo stamped there.

“I fucking knew you were born in the wrong time,” she teases, beaming up at me. “You are giving Ragnar Lothbrok someseriouscompetition.” Her eyes trail over me slowly, from head to fucking toe, and a light buzz slithers along my spine.

Mason steps forward, holding out his phone. “Look at these two,” he says to no one in particular, and we all shuffle in.

It’s a picture of Ari and Noah in their costumes, angel wings on the back of Ari’s white dress, metal cuffs covering Noah’s shoulders. They’re posed so he’s facing her, lips pressed to her hand as she smiles at him, so I can’t see much of what he’s wearing, but there’s something about the pose and clothing that’s familiar. As I’m staring, a second picture comes through, and I throw my head back with a laugh.

“Wait, are they…?” Chase scowls, not sure he’s got it right.

“Romeo and Juliet?” Cameron smiles. “Yes, yes, they are.”

“The Leo DiCaprio version.”

“Classic.” Mason grins, shoving his phone…I don’t even know where in that Spidey costume. “All right. We’ve got a sitter for the night. Let’s not waste it.”

He pulls Payton close, kissing her temple, and shuffles toward the house.

The rest of us follow behind, the girls already dancing around as we enter and the music gets louder.

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