Page 34 of Try Hard

Fia

F riends didn’t dance together like this. I knew that. Friends didn’t do a million things Eve and I had been doing. And they definitely didn’t love when everyone thought they were a couple.

But here we were.

My back pressed into Eve’s front as we danced with our little group from school—and Sammy. She really hated me. Shame.

I braced a hand on Eve’s thigh as we all got low at Flo Rida’s request. Her hands hadn’t left my hips the whole song.

The club and the song felt like being back at uni, but I’d never danced like this to it.

I’d only danced with platonic friends on nights out.

I liked this better, even if it terrified me.

My balance was good, but Eve’s was unbelievable. She didn’t falter once, no matter how much force I put on her thigh, and, once we were upright again, she was in the exact same spot she’d started in.

As the song segued into something new, Kim leaned into the pair of us with a laugh. “Kieran and I had our first kiss to that song.”

From behind me, I both felt and heard Eve laugh as she leaned towards Kim. Under the guise of keeping me close, or refraining from knocking me over—or whatever the hell it was—her hands swept from my hips and across my abdomen so she was hugging me from behind.

It was the first time ever that someone had touched my stomach and I hadn’t felt self-conscious.

Sure, it was a different stomach than the last one anyone had touched, but I couldn’t avoid the knowledge that it wasn’t about the training I’d put in.

The lack of fear over her repulsion, over knowing the comments that would come next, was because nothing Eve had ever done suggested she’d even think things like that.

The feeling made me dizzy with its unfamiliarity.

“He’d never actually shared the song it happened to,” Eve was telling Kim, both of them so very happy. “Though he filled us in on a lot of other stuff from that night.”

I didn’t think Kim noticed, but the way I felt Eve shake herself in response to her own comment made me think Kieran was an oversharer. Kim always had been too, so I supposed that worked out well for the two of them.

After her first kiss ever, she’d dragged a bunch of us off to a mostly empty corner of the school playing fields at lunch to give us a far more detailed rundown than anyone had ever needed of someone else’s first kiss—or any kiss.

Kim beamed and nodded, unconcerned. “Yeah, it was really great. Super romantic.”

I couldn’t help smiling. I wasn’t sure anyone had ever described that particular song as romantic before, but I knew it wasn’t really about the music.

“So, what you’re saying is that ‘Low’ is your first dance song?” Eve asked, amused.

Kim held her chin loftily in the air. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

I frowned, tilting my head in a way that had me brushing Eve’s cheek.

Kim really spoke like it might be their first dance song.

Would they be the only couple in history to use that?

Would they do so in front of their families at such a nice location?

Surely not, but you never knew with Kim—and I was getting the sense that you never did with Kieran either.

I hadn’t spent enough time around him in school to fully know what he was like, but he’d always been pretty loud and outgoing, so maybe it wouldn’t be entirely out of character.

“How mysterious of you,” Eve said sweetly, still moving us both to the music. It was mind-boggling how easy it was to be like this with her, the way my body melted willingly into hers.

I traced my hands over her forearms—exposed from the way she’d rolled her sleeves up—and couldn’t help luxuriating in the feeling of soft skin over strong muscles. Everything felt safe while I was wrapped in her arms.

Kim laughed. “That’s what weddings are about!”

“The surprises?” Eve asked as I made it to her hands. As I settled mine over hers, her breath felt a little shakier than it had been and she brushed both her thumbs over the sides of my own.

“Okay, well, maybe that’s not all weddings are about, but, you know, between the dress and the first dance and a few other things we have up our sleeves, it’s a little bit about that.”

“Well, we look forward to finding out what they all are.”

A glint I hadn’t seen from Kim since we were about seventeen crept into her eyes. “Maybe some of them are already playing out.”

“Yeah!” Tanika practically yelled, cutting into the conversation. “Like Kieran’s super cute decorated cane.”

“Absolutely. Just like that.” Kim laughed. “Fia, Tanika, come to the bar with me?”

I didn’t really want to leave Eve’s arms, but it wasn’t like I could say that. “Sure.”

“I’m there,” Tanika said, and I’d always known her well enough to hear the loaded way she spoke when she was ridiculously excited to get gossip out of someone. So that made clear exactly what Kim was doing. As if it hadn’t been already.

I twisted in Eve’s arms, putting our faces dangerously close together. Her eyes dropped to my lips and, even with how quickly she looked back up at my eyes, the glance set my whole body tingling.

“Do you want another drink?” I asked her, unable to refrain from glancing at her lips too. Eve never wore makeup, but she was obviously a devotee of skincare, and her lips were no different—soft, smooth, and the perfect shade of pink.

“Fancy sharing a water? I’m parched, and it’s probably not long until they shut this thing down now, right?”

I nodded. “Sounds good.” There was no need for my voice to come out so breathless. I only hoped I was quiet enough in the loud club that the others didn’t hear.

“I don’t mean to keep you from drinking more… exciting things.”

“I don’t drink, Archer.” I hesitated, but I knew she’d put the pieces together and understand what I meant. “Control.”

She nodded, her face filled with understanding. I’d told her more than enough for her to comprehend just how much I needed to feel in control of my body. While I wasn’t going to stop anyone else from drinking, it simply wasn’t compatible with my needs.

I wasn’t sure these days, but I’d definitely read more than one article where she’d mentioned not being much of a drinker.

In her case, it was for her sport and her health, but at least she had some understanding of being at clubs and parties while not being a drinker. She wouldn’t be weird about it.

“Water sounds great,” I told her.

Eve simply smiled before she dropped her head to press another kiss to my shoulder. It set butterflies off in my entire body. She’d been doing that more frequently—my shoulder, the top of my head…

I hadn’t seen her kiss anyone else anywhere.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from her grasp, keeping hold of one of her thumbs for as long as I could as I followed Kim and Tanika through the crowd. Moving through it with Kim took even longer than I’d expected, but we were battling through her guests. It made sense they’d stop her to chat.

When we arrived at the bar, she and Tanika looked at me expectantly.

“So…” Kim drew out, “having fun?”

“Yes. Thank you.” I shot her a look, my brow furrowed. “Are you?”

“Obviously.” She wafted a hand in my direction. “But you’re liking the surprise I already gave you, yes?”

I frowned between her and Tanika, who was also grinning widely, hanging on every word of the conversation. “Sorry?”

“Eve!”

“Obviously,” Tanika added.

“You got me Eve as a surprise? I don’t think you can gift people.” I felt myself stiffen and realised just how much I relaxed when held in Eve’s embrace. And it wasn’t like I hadn’t felt her return to my life like a gift, but still, this was weird.

“And we got her you. Keep up.” Kim grinned like she’d pulled off the world’s best heist.

“Why would she even want that?” I guess I didn’t need to ask why I would.

Tanika snorted. “Because she obviously does.”

“Yes,” Kim insisted. “Look, Tanika told me you had a crush on her back in school, and Kieran had always known she had one on you. So, when we realised we were going to get you both back in the same space, we couldn’t wait to see what happened!”

“And you have not disappointed.” Tanika gripped her face in her hands, eyeing me like she was ready to swoon. “You’re so cute together.”

“We’re not together,” I said reflexively. It felt weak given how attached we’d been all night. I’d known what everyone was assuming, surely Eve did too.

Kim and Tanika both laughed like they didn’t believe me in the slightest before ordering their drinks. I ordered our shared water through a haze of knowing how coupley that was while also being stunned by the idea that Eve Archer had liked me back in school.

I was about ready to entertain that she might be a little into me now—at least while we were both stuck in Eddlesworth—but there was no way one of the most popular girls at school had been anywhere close to fancying me.

“Ah. She’s having a moment,” Tanika laughed when they both looked back at me.

“I’m not,” I lied.

Kim gripped my arm. It did not feel like when Eve touched me. “It’s okay. You can have a moment. I had one when I realised Kieran had always fancied me. It’s the best feeling ever. Just let it in!”

I shook my head. “There’s no way. And, even if there had been, why would you use your wedding to set us up?”

“Because I’m in love and you’re our friends.”

“No offense, Kim, but we haven’t seen each other in the last twenty years.”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re here now. You came to my wedding. We’re still friends.”

“And,” Tanika said, pressing into my other side and making me really need some space, “those twenty years don’t matter between you and Eve, either. You should just march back over there and ask her about it all.”

“No.”

The bartender reappeared with my bottle of water and I tapped my card wanting to get away—back to Eve. But they weren’t letting me go.

I scowled at the pair of them. “Are you just trying to live vicariously through me? Missing dating or something?”

Kim giggled. “Not at all. This is my wedding! I don’t want to date. I’m getting married.”

“And I’m very happily married,” Tanika said with a huge grin.

“To a man you’ve told me next to nothing about,” I pointed out, “because you keep trying to talk about Eve instead.”

“As if you don’t want to talk about her.” She shook her head. “And you’ll meet him at the wedding. He had to work tonight, but he’s the best.”

“Not to you, obviously,” Kim said. “You think it’s Eve.”

And that was why you didn’t stay friends with people you knew at thirteen. Apparently, everyone reverted back there when all you wanted was to get away and think about… recently received news.

“Don’t worry,” Tanika said seriously, “she clearly thinks you’re the best too.”

I huffed. “Well. Good chat. I’m going to go.”

“Back to Eve,” they both called. I wasn’t sure how they’d managed to be quite so in sync, but I wasn’t sticking around to ask.

I weaved through the crowd and straight back to Eve.

My confused mind wasn’t unobservant enough to miss the way Sammy was very obviously dancing on Adnan in a way designed to make Eve jealous.

But, from the way Eve’s eyes met mine and she lit up, opening her arms to welcome me back…

home to her, I didn’t think the ploy was working.

I went readily into her arms. It didn’t matter who saw, they’d already seen enough and drawn their conclusions.

Eve’s smile faltered as I handed her the water bottle and wrapped my own arms around her. “Are you okay? What happened?”

I breathed a laugh, mostly from shock, and shook my head. Did she know me so well because she’d been learning to read me since we were teenagers? And, if she did, was there a reason behind that? One that matched the reason I’d spent secondary school watching her?

How would that even be possible?

“Do you want to go?” she asked, holding me tight.

I breathed her in and felt myself relaxing again. “Not yet. Just… revelations, I suppose.”

She laughed and I felt the stress in her easing. “Care to share?”

“Maybe later.” Maybe once I’d fathomed how to physically muster the words to ask if she’d liked me all along—if she liked me now.

She started moving the two of us to the music again. “I can’t wait.”

I could. And I couldn’t.