Page 91 of Wish You Were Mine
Just friends. Just food. Just planning a party.
We opened the boxes of takeout, and the smell hit instantly—rich, savory pasta and that hint of spice from the blackened chicken.
“This smells amazing,” she said, already stabbing her fork into the rigatoni.
“Right? I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal from this place.”
We dug in, and for a moment, the only sound was the quiet clink of silverware and the low hum of the heater kicking on.
“So…” I looked up at her between bites, still trying to play it cool. “Has your family always lived in Eden Falls?”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I actually grew up in New Haven.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. My dad used to work for my grandpa’s company there when I was little.” She paused to take another bite, then added, “But then, there was some drama with my dad and uncle about what they wanted to do with the company when my grandpa died. So my dad ended up leaving. When he found out the job at EdenFalls University was open, he applied. It was kind of a perfect fit, since the stuff he’d been doing at the company translated well into the responsibilities of being a university president.”
“Huh.” I blinked. “So it wasn’t that big of a move.”
“Nope.” She smiled. “Just twenty minutes away.”
“How old were you when you guys moved here?” I asked, leaning back slightly in my chair.
“Sixteen,” she said.
“Oof.” I winced. “That’s a tough age to start over.”
“Tell me about it.” She gave a soft laugh. “I might’ve thrown a bit of a fit when my parents told me we were moving. I didn’t want to leave my gymnastics club. My friends, my coaches—everything I’d worked for was there. But my parents made a deal with me and said I could keep training in New Haven, so…it ended up working out.”
“That’s good,” I said. “I’m sure you had a strong bond with your coaches. It would’ve been a terrible time to start over, especially since you were joining the national team.”
Her fork paused mid-air.
She blinked at me. “Wait…how did you know I was on the national team back then?”
Crap.
My stomach dropped.
Think, Owen. Think.
“Did Theo tell you?” she asked.
If only that were the case.
I tugged lightly on my collar, suddenly very aware of how warm the room felt. “Uh…please don’t take this the wrong way,” I started, feeling about as smooth as a bumper car, “but I might’ve looked at your bio before the meet I went to. Just to…you know, get a sense of your background.”
“Mm-hmm.” Her smile came slow but sure, curving in away that made me think she saw right through me. “Just some casual research.”
I coughed out a laugh, embarrassed. “Strictly for educational purposes.”
“Right,” she said, eyebrows raised.
But she didn’t seem mad. In fact, she seemed…pleased. Her cheeks pinked a little as she looked down at her plate.
“But anyway,” she said after a beat, voice quieter now, “I was on the national team when I was sixteen. Hoped I’d make the Olympic team, but…didn’t quite get there.”
“You almost went to the Olympics?” I sat back, kind of stunned.
