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“I didn’t like missing school.”
“What? Why not?”
“School was the only place to get away from home. You and Nick made it bearable.”
“I thought it was just Nick.”
“No. You were always one of my favorite parts of school.”
That feeling was back, the prickling one that turned my skin to gooseflesh. If anyone asked, I would say it was the cold.
But in reality, Ilikedhearing Alden talk like this.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” I said. “With your job and everything. It’s all we wanted for you.”
“And what about you? Are you happy?”
I stiffened as I considered it.
In some ways, I was. I liked capturing memories for people. I loved my best friend and my family.
But sometimes, at night, things feltcold.Even when I had been sharing a bed with someone.
“Yeah, of course.” The lie felt thick, and I turned away. The camera was to my right, and I grabbed it, desperate for a distraction. “Smile!”
I got what was closer to a glare, but he still looked good in the photo after it was printed. Alden had a smolder I’d never seen before, especially when his gaze was directed at me.
“You’re photogenic,” I mumbled and handed him the photo.
“I look grumpy.”
“I have a photographer’s eye. You look fine.”
“If you’re behind the camera, who takes photos of you?”
“M-me?” I shook my head. “Not a lot of photos get taken of me.”
He held out his palm. “Hand me the camera.”
“I don’tneedphotos of me. I know I don’t look thebest?—”
He raised an eyebrow as if daring me to complain about how I looked.
Winnie would give me one hell of a lecture for it, and I never would have done it had it not been for Reed.
Without another word, I handed him the camera.
Alden held it to his eye. “Turn to the right.”
I did as I was told, expecting the photo to come out terrible.
It didn’t.
Alden somehow knew the angle I usually used for selfies. My round face wasn’t on full display and though I wasn’t smiling, my eyes were filled with a fondness I didn’t usually have.
And it was because ofwhoI was looking at.
I cleared my dry throat. “You missed your calling.”