Page 70

“Zero idea. I’m miffed they kept it a secret.”

Nathan freezes mid-sway. “Wait, that’s where he’s been!” He looks down at me, his face shockingly close. “All those times he blew me off or was late to the game store. He must have been practicing that dance with Hoshiko! Though, after seeing that, he probably should have blown me off more often.”

Our eyes meet and we crack up again.

“He mustreallylike her to give up all that game time,” I say.

“Definitely.” We sway back and forth for a few moments. His voice is softer when he speaks again. “Guys don’t tend to skip their favorite things unless they really like a girl.”

“I don’t know about that. You gave up a night at the store to be here.”

“I did give that up, didn’t I? Though I’m not sure the store would be much fun anymore without you there.”

“That’s a switch. I bet at the beginning you were counting down the weeks until I was gone.”

“I was counting the days.” His grin is wicked. “Actually, at one point I was counting the seconds.”

I laugh and his hands tighten around me until we’re pressed together.

“Let me guess, that was the day I pulled you into the mess with Paul?”

He looks away from me and across the dance floor. “No. That was a good day.” He runs his hands up my back and through my curls. “You left your hair down.” His eyes soften and he tilts his head down. “Did you mean what you said about forgetting the rules tonight?”

Is he…

Are we about to…

I pull my eyes from his and glance around the dance floor. Is Paul here? Is that why Nathan’s acting this way—for Paul’s benefit?

Because Ireallywant to kiss Nathan right now, but I don’t want it to be fake. I don’t want anything about us to be fake anymore.

I scan the crowd as we sway in a slow circle, but I don’t see Paul anywhere. My chest expands with relief and anticipation.

I look back to him. “I meant it.”

He leans closer, achingly slow as if waiting for a hint ofhesitation from me, so I rise up until my lips reach his. He pulls me even tighter to him and I wrap my arms around his neck. Fireworks flame behind my eyes and through my brain. No kiss I’ve had has felt like this. Like I’m floating and free-falling and totally weightless all at once. Like I could do this for a millennium and it still wouldn’t be enough.

Eventually we pull away and I open my eyes to meet his gaze. He had to have felt that, too, right?

But something behind him pulls my attention. We’d kept turning in a slow circle as we kissed, and now I’m facing in the opposite direction than I had been before. And standing at the end of the dance floor, staring at me, is Paul. He must have been there the whole time, watching us. Did Nathan see him before? Is that why he kissed me—because Paul was watching us?

“Paul!” I exclaim, and pull away. I suddenly feel ill. “Paul’s here. Did you see him?”

Nathan recoils. “What? I mean, yeah.”

I take another step away and bump into the couple next to us.

“I didn’t realize…that he was close to us.” I shake my head. “I need to run to the restroom.”

“Riley, wait.” Nathan reaches for me. “Are you okay? Was that too much?”

I shake my head. “I’ll be right back.”

I push away from him and through the crowd and toward the tables that ring the dance floor. Nathan must have reverted back to his fake “boyfriend mode” when he saw Paul lurking around the edge of the dance floor. My eyes fill with tears, and I try to blink them away. What was I thinking? ThatNathan really liked me? If that were true, then he wouldn’t be going to homecoming with Sophia next weekend. I’d gotten so caught up in the moment that I hadn’t realized what must be happening.

I want to be mad at Nathan, but that isn’t fair. He’s been playing his part…and doing awaybetter job acting than I ever have. I suck in a muffled sob and suddenly find myself in front of Paul. He must have followed me off the dance floor and to the edge of the gym.

“Are you okay?” he asks.