I get into position as Holden comes to help me support my side. Fox doesn’t move. Maisy looks up over her shoulder. Her brows hike up. He towers over her, intimidating as hell with that cold expression, his dead eyes shooting daggers at my sweet best friend.
Maisy is the kind of girl everyone likes, so how can he look at her with so much hatred?
Fox is scary. Bad boy is written all over him, from the motorcycle he rides around town on to his complete disregard for any rules. He looks dangerous in his leather jacket and messy dark brown hair. It’s hard to believe this guy is someone Maisy could’ve been friends with; he’s her total opposite.
“Aren’t you going to help us?” Maisy sighs. “It won’t take long. Then you can go back to pretending I don’t exist.”
“Maybe we can get it with the three of us,” I say, trying to break up the suffocating tension between them. “Right, Holden?”
He grunts, gaze flicking between his surly friend and his sister.
“Fox, come on. Please?” Maisy won’t give in, frowning at him when he narrows his eyes. She lowers her voice. “You always used to—”
His furious growl cuts her off. “No.”
My heart leaps into my throat. I shift to jump to my feet, but Holden puts his hand on my arm to keep me in place, watching the exchange between Fox and Maisy.
“No?” Maisy sighs, never one to get angry or spiteful. “Okay, it’s just…if you helped, we’d get it done faster. Then I’ll leave you alone.”
Fox moves at last, getting in her face. “Always such a goody-goody.”
Maisy’s shoulders tense and she hugs herself, glancing away. Fox laughs, the sound an awful, cutting bark.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.” He takes a lock of her hair, letting it slide through his fingers. “Didn’t your daddy teach you to run from monsters? Get it through your fucking head.”
Turning away, he kicks over a bucket of metallic silver paint we need to make the signs. It skims across the gym floor, creeping close to Maisy’s flats. Meeting her gaze, he smirks cruelly at the look on her face.
“What are you going to do about it? Cry?” Fox speaks in a deep, biting voice as he mocks her. “That’s all you are. All you’ll ever be. Maisy Daisy the Crybaby.”
Maisy stands her ground, even though I can tell she’s upset. She lifts her head.
“What happened to you?” Her whisper is watery. “You were my friend, too.”
“Playtime is over,” Fox growls. “Fuck off, daisy. Stay out of my way.”
He storms off, tearing down a mylar fringe curtain Maisy hung.
“Are you fine being friends with that jerk when he treats your sister that way?” I ask Holden.
“I don’t control him. Couldn’t if I tried. He’s not even my friend, he just showed up again and started hanging around me.”
I shake Holden’s hand off my arm and go to her side.
“Holden, get the paint,” I say while I wrap Maisy in a tight hug. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” Maisy says softly, tucking her face in my shoulder. “I don’t understand why he hates me so much now.”
“Maybe it’s best if you stay away from him. He seems…”
“I know.” Maisy groans. “I’ll go pick up another can of paint.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Holden? Give me a ride to the hardware store.”
Holden stops mopping up the silver paint. On their way out, he puts his hand on Maisy’s head and ruffles her hair, leaning close to murmur to her. She nods as they pass through the door.
With a sigh, I motion over two students from the planning committee. “Can you two work on this? We’ll get more paint for the signs. I’m going to find someone to help lift this.”
As I’m pulled in different directions, Connor appears in the double doorway with Devlin and the rest of the soccer team at his back, all dressed down in their SLHS athletic gear. I push out a relieved breath and wave him over.
“Your very hot labor team has arrived,” Connor drawls. He captures me in his arms and drops a quick peck on my lips. “Give us your orders.”
Smiling softly, I dip my fingers beneath his t-shirt, smoothing them over his skin. “Thanks for helping.”
“Of course, sunshine.” Connor winks. “What my girl needs, she gets. Ain’t that right, Dev?”
Devlin huffs out a laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah. Real attentive lover type, you are.”
Connor clicks his tongue and shoots me a finger gun.
“Okay, if a few of you could head to that corner to set up the photo booth station,” I say, addressing the soccer team. “We need help to hang the decorations from the rafters, so speak to the custodial staff. Then the rest of you will help with the draping.”
“You heard her, guys. Chop, chop,” Connor says.
He doesn’t move right away, keeping me in his embrace. His gaze darts around, sweeping the room like he’s looking for a threat.
“Has Coleman been around?”
“He went to pick up the lighting rental. Why?”
“Just checking.” He’s being evasive and keeps looking around, as if he expects something to take him by surprise.
Connor is odd like that for the rest of the afternoon, on edge and wary of everything. He barely leaves my side, hovering over me as soon as he finishes the tasks I give him. Despite my shadow, we’re able to get most of the decorating done, and I walk out of the gymnasium at the end of the night feeling a sense of accomplishment.
With the logistics taken care of, I can finally allow the excitement for the big dance to creep in.
Twenty-Seven
Thea
Seeing the room all set up and walking in the night of the dance are two different things. It steals my breath as Connor and I pass through the shimmering curtains draped in the entrance.
For once, I feel completely confident. Like the goddess I’m always telling myself to be, dressed in a flowing pink dress that makes me feel amazing, my hair down in soft curls, and my handsome boyfriend escorting me. The flower crown he presented me with when he picked me up helps with the goddess vibes, a beautiful mix of yellow anemones and pink roses sitting on my head. He’d said he wanted to give me the sun, but this was the closest he could get to suit a queen. My heart hasn’t stopped glowing with warmth since.
Connor’s hair is combed and styled the same as it was the night of the benefit for the children’s hospital, and he looks so good in a gray suit that complements his eyes.
“Wow, it really came out nice,” I murmur in awe.
“Of course it did. You were the brains behind it all.” Connor kisses my cheek. “Nerds, right? The best.”
“Oh, now they’re the best?” I tease. “Your tune’s changed since I found out about you being a computer nerd.”
“Like I said. The best.”
He chuckles, drawing me toward the balloon installation—a pearlescent white and silver arched confection—to set us up for a selfie. He wraps me in his arms from behind, playing with the material of my dress, and I lift my hand to touch his face as he leans over my shoulder.