Page 60 of Damaged Boys Don't Fall For Bubbly Girls

“Thanks! You and Ava will come to the performance, right?”

“Of course. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Yay. So how’s your life? How’s marriage? Are you guys super duper in love?”

“Completely in love. Ava is perfect. She makes me so happy.”

“Aw.”

“We might take a vacation soon,” he tells me. “Work has been a little stressful with the launch of the new program. I know Ava could use the break. So what else is going on in your life?”

“Other than dance and school, nothing much.”

I tell him about some news going around school. Since he attended Edenbury High a few years ago, things haven’t changed that much. Most of the teachers are the same and all the school functions are the same.

“The fall dance is coming up soon,” I tell him. “Though Principal Nakamura threatened to cancel the dance because some freshmen pulled a stupid prank the other day. But VP Rivera said today that only the kids who participated in the prank will be penalized. So it looks like the dance is still a go.”

“Has anyone asked you?”

“Yeah, seven guys.”

He gives me a face. “You know what I mean.”

I raise my shoulders. “No one ever asks me. It’s always me and the guys spending a fun night together. And now that Brock is back, it’s like we’re finally whole again.”

He nods in understanding. “It must feel amazing that he returned.”

“You have no idea. I finally have my best friend back.”

I tell him more about how awesome it is that Brock is in my life again, and Aidan is super happy for me. He tells me more about what’s going on in his life. Some of it is boring adult stuff, but some stuff sound so fun and cool. A part of me can’t wait until I’m an adult and have total independence, but the other part of me still yearns to be a kid.

“Ooh, Skylar’s texting me,” I say when my phone beeps. “I’m adding her to the call.”

Once she accepts, her face appears on my screen. Skylar has straight brown hair and brown eyes, and lately, they carry more light than they had in the past.

“Hey, Lexi and Aidan!” she says with a huge smile. “When was the last time the three of us video chatted like this?”

“Far too long,” Aidan says. “How are you, Sky? How’s your last year of college going so far?”

“Amazing. I have many great professors this semester.”

“That’s good to hear,” Aidan says. “Cherish every second of it because the months will fly by like the blink of an eye and then you’ll be graduating.”

Skylar is about to respond, but I say, “Who’s the guy?”

Her lips snap shut and her brows furrow. She frowns at me. “Who said anything about a guy?”

“Aidan, does Skylar look different to you?”

He narrows his eyes. “I don’t know. Does she?”

“Remember that grumpy individual we had to suffer with all our lives? The one who would close herself in her room and watch anime all day?”

Aidan chuckles. “I think I remember that person.”

“She was still a little grump when she left for college,” I continue. “But look at her face now. Do you see any grumpiness there?”

Aidan narrows his eyes at her again. “Nope. Not one bit of grumpiness there.”