Page 59

Dani

“Can we ask this guy if we can stop somewhere to get food along the way?” Millie whispers to me as we drive through the Boston streets.

“There should be food we can buy at the arena,” Kenzie says, reapplying lip gloss.

The buzz of excitement in the limo is off the charts and I’m grateful for this chance to go out together and enjoy something that has been on Kenzie’s lifetime bucket list.

Miles: Did the limo make it to you?

I grin as I see Miles’s text and start tapping away.

Dani: He did and you’ve probably made all our dreams come true with tonight. Are you there already?

Miles: No. I might get there a few minutes late. I’ve just emailed you the tickets. They’ll scan the code at the door and show you where to go.

Disappointment fills me and I hope he’s not late because of work. He’s already had a lot of conversations with his mother about our relationship and on the small chance that things did have a future between us, would the woman hate me? I’m getting too attached and I don’t want to be heart broken when all this is over.

“What’s wrong, Dani?” Millie asks. She’s sitting next to me. This is the first time she hasn’t been glancing around the limo in awe. Then again, that was me on the night of the hospital event.

I shake my head and paste on a smile. “Nothing. Just excited for tonight.”

“Are you sure? You were texting and smiling and then you frowned. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No, thanks. Miles said he was going to be a little late and I don’t know, I guess I’m just excited to see him, you know?” The words are the truth and I swallow hard, trying to push back the tears. Why am I crying about him?

Millie smiles and taps my knee with her hand. “That’s when you know it’s love. When it’s hard to be apart.”

I laugh and say, “Where did you hear that?”

She shrugs. “I think my grandma said it first when I was young, but I’ve never had anything like that so I can’t tell if it’s true or not.”

“No boyfriends?” I ask, trying to hide the full measure of my surprise.

Pink surges to Millie’s cheeks and she shakes her head. “I come from a small town and the guys I was interested in weren’t interested in me. The ones who asked me on a date were not my top picks either.”

“I wish I could say you’re missing out, but I’m not on the other side of the mountain yet.”

“But you’re engaged. That’s promising, right?” Millie’s words cause me to check myself. It’s only fake after all.

With a quick nod, I say, “For sure. I mean, Miles is different than any of the guys I’ve dated before, which is a good thing.”

Millie gives me a shy smile and asks, “How about kissing? Is he a good kisser?”

It’s my turn to go lobster red and I nod. It’s been a few days since we kissed and I’m pretty sure his kiss has turned the nerve-endings in my lips into live wires. Am I saying I can jumpstart a car with the amount of electricity flowing through them? Well, I’m not not saying it.

“What is it that makes it great?” Millie leans closer to me and the question is barely audible. I glance over at Evie and Kenzie who are facing each other. From a few words, I know Kenzie is filling Evie in on all the stats of the Boston Breeze. It’s going to be rough talking her down from this high.

“Millie, have you never kissed anyone?” I whisper. My words make her face fall and I reach out, squeezing her hand in mine. “That’s not a bad thing, girl.”

She finally looks up and shakes her head. “Nope, I haven’t been blessed with a first kiss.”

I laugh, recalling my first kiss. “To be honest, waiting until later might be the best move. Maybe you’ll find someone who makes you go weak in the knees with a kiss.” Like Miles.

“Unless the guy thinks I’m a weirdo for never having kissed someone. I’ll be awkward and, well, maybe I’ll just stay away from guys.”

I adjust in my seat so my body is angled toward her and say, “Not if he’s the right guy. I mean, you’ve avoided the awkward, slobbery kisses of a teen guy. And any guy who makes fun of you for your lack of experience is probably a player anyway.” Not a scientifical fact, but I’ve been through enough crappy relationships that it’s a fair generalization. Enough as in two.

“So how does Miles compare to your ex-boyfriends?”