Page 40 of Power Moves
‘Either we arrive together or I arrive first,’ he says. His eyes look abnormally dark in this lighting.
I try to jostle the door open but he’s too strong. ‘Fine,’ I surrender. ‘But I will tell everyone that technically I was here first.Andthat you’re terrible at reverse-angle parking.’
‘Be my guest,’ says Archie, offering me his arm.
Scowling, I take it, and together we walk into the party.
CHAPTER 18
‘FINALLY!’ Remi yells as we enter the ballroom. Gold, confetti-filled balloons are bobbing underneath the exposed-beam ceiling, and the soaring glass balcony doors are flung open to frame the view of the shimmering ocean outside.
I quickly drop Archie’s arm. ‘Remulus!’ I squeal, wrapping my arms around my best friend. ‘How the hell are you not married already? Tyler, you need to lock this down ASAP. This woman is a goddess!’
Tyler grins over Remi’s sequinned shoulder. ‘Hey Millsy.’
‘Come here, you big legend,’ I say, pulling him into our hug. ‘Remember, I am your beloved third wheel. Kids will come and go, but I am the only one who will remember your first kiss under the neon light of Jimmy’s kebab shop. I am the only one who was there for your third date atPirates of the Caribbean. Sorry about that by the way, Tyler. In hindsight, I probably really killed the mood.’
‘There’s no one we’d prefer to have had there, Millsy,’ says Remi, squeezing me. ‘You’re our original love child.’
‘The OG cock-block,’ agrees Tyler. ‘Hey mate,’ he says, disentangling himself from our three-way embrace to greet Archie. Their palms meet for a handshake before Archie pulls him in for a muscly hug. ‘Stoked you could make it.’
‘Wouldn’t miss it,’ beams Archie, pulling back.
I’m still cocooned in Remi’s arms, and for a moment I’ve forgotten I hate Archie because all four of us have been absorbed into a love bubble and all I can think isHow good is this?These friends of ours are growing up and they’re inloveand they get to spend the rest of their lives with each other, and when you look at it objectively, it’s literally the most amazing thing ever.
‘Wait,’ says Remi. ‘Did you guys come together?’
‘No,’ I say, as Archie says, ‘Yes.’
‘Well, yes,’ I mutter. ‘But only because we had a work thing and my car was being cleaned and the bus was going to take two hours.’ I notice that Remi looks like she’s trying not to smile. ‘Archie is very bad at reverse angle parking,’ I add.
Archie smiles good-naturedly, because he likes to pretend he’s a decent guy. ‘The conversation was as riveting as you’d expect.’
Remi shoots me an impish expression that I haven’t seen in a very long time. ‘Talk me through this dress.’
‘That’s our cue to go,’ interjects Tyler. ‘We’ll be at the bar.’
Remi waves them off with a grin. ‘Babe, you look ridiculously hot,’ she announces, pulling the fabric at my waist and watching it snap back.
‘Is it too much? I’m sorry, Rem. It’s Jessie’s. I hadn’t tried it on before tonight and I didn’t realise it was so …’
‘No, you’re rocking it,’ insists Remi. ‘Archie was almost drooling.’
I shudder. ‘No he wasn’t. His gorilla brain just forgets how to do basic human stuff sometimes. Swallowing, for example.’
Remi raises her eyebrows.
‘Get lost, Rem. We drove up together because we had to. You know how I feel about that guy.’
‘Yeah but—’
‘No,’ I interrupt. I know exactly where she is going, and I do not want to have that conversation again. ‘But hey, great turnout,’ I say, surveying the room, which is brimming with bodies. It feels like a family reunion; everywhere I look there are people I used to live with, eat with, share bathrooms with. How has it been so long since I’ve seen them? There was a point in my life when these people knew me better than I knew myself. One time there were about six of us—guys and girls—in Remi’s uni dorm room, and someone declared that since we couldn’t possibly move for fear of death by hangover, we would have to stay in that room forever. It was Saturday and the sun was shining, the oval outside was green and freshly mown, the birds were chirping in the branches that shaded Remi’s window, and yet we stayed in her tiny room—all six of us—for twelve hours. We had no responsibilities, nowhere to be. There was a box of Maltesers for sustenance and that was all we needed. More than anything, we wanted to be together. We never said it—I don’t know if we even knew it—but we loved each other so much. I still love these people.
‘It’s so good to see you, babe,’ says Remi, draping her arm over my shoulder. ‘I’ve missed you.’
‘I’ve missed you too, Rem.’ She smells exactly how she always has. Like sandalwood and J’adore. ‘Ugh. Why is Chappo here?’ I ask, my mouth twisting into a frown as I spot a chunky head bobbing near the bar.
‘We couldn’tnotinvite him.’
