Page 42 of Kissing the Debutant
“No, I just… figured you’d hang out with them.”
“But I’m hanging out with you.” She said it so simply like it didn’t confuse Lillian even more. Wylder shook her head with a laugh and yelled. “Dev!”
Devyn was almost as quiet as Lillian. She didn’t fit as Wylder’s roommate, but she didn’t seem to mind. She poked her head around the door. “Yes?”
“Come hang with us,” Wylder whined.
Devyn flashed them a quick smile. “Can’t. I need to get to the stables. You guys have fun though.” And she was gone.
Wylder sighed. “I need to find less motivated friends. The guys are always at hockey practice, Devyn practically sleeps in the stables, and you… you’re going to leave me soon to go dance, aren’t you?”
Lillian checked the time on her phone, realizing Wylder was right. She had to meet Jack when his shift at the studio ended in an hour. “But I’m here now.”
“Except I’m going to lose you to a boy when I only just found you.” Wylder flopped onto her back. Everything about her screamed drama, and Lillian couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why would you lose me to a boy? Dance practice will be over in a couple hours, then I can eat dinner with you.”
Wylder closed her eyes. “Totally not what I meant, but sure, go ahead and ignore the giant elephant sitting on your heart.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be the elephant in the room?”
“Sure, if you’re boring.” She lifted herself onto one elbow and fixed Lillian with a stare. “Have I ever told you I’m a love guru?”
Lillian couldn’t help but laugh. “A what?”
“My brother fell in love with my best friend, and now they’re in that sickening forever kind of love phase. I have helped three people at this school find love.”
Lillian knew all about Wylder’s friends. Those three people? All guys who fell in love with other guys. She wore a rainbow dress to the winter formal in an enthusiastic show of LGBTQ support. People talked about her, analyzed her.
“I’m not sure what that has to do with me.” Lillian crossed her arms.
“I can’t just wave my magic wand, Lil. You have to do some of the work too. Think about it.”
About what? She still didn’t understand.
“Oh my gosh, you’re oblivious.” The words rushed out of Wylder as she sat up and threw her arms in the air. “I saw you.”
“When?”
“When,” she scoffed. “Last night. What happened in that bathroom?”
Bathroom? Lillian shook her head. She’d only cleaned soda off Jack as any nice person would do. “His shirt was sticky. I was only helping him.”
“Helping him.” She tapped one finger against her lips. “Hmm… and let me guess. He couldn’t do it himself?”
Lillian froze. She guessed he could have, but instinct had taken over. She’d wanted to help him, to take care of him. “I… erm…”
“Exactly. And then you two came out onto the dance floor, and I had to fan myself to keep from getting overheated.”
“Why would you have been overheated? I guess it was a little warm in there and—”
“Quiet.” Wylder clapped a hand over Lillian’s mouth. “Just quiet. I’m going to talk now. I’ve known Jack for years. We went to the same school. He’s a nice guy, a truly nice guy. There aren’t many of those out there. And he likes you.”
Lillian pushed Wylder’s hand away. “No. You’re not a dancer, so you don’t understand the connection we have to fake.”
“There was nothing fake in the way he looked at you.”
Was that the truth? Lillian tried to think back on their dance and got lost in the memory of his hands on her bare back, his breath on her ear. But he’d only wanted her to grow comfortable with him. “He can’t… I mean, why would he?”
