said, waving my arm around and cringing inwardly. I waited as Stella’s eyes swept the room and then she headed toward the kitchen. As if she’d lived here for years. I followed in her wake as she popped open the fridge and stuck her head in.
“What are you in the mood for?” I gaped at her back as she bent down and pawed through the crisper drawers.
“Um, my own food because this is my house?” I said and she straightened.
“Well, I’m in the mood for something smothered in cheese.” She slammed the fridge shut and opened the freezer.
“Aha!” she said, pulling something out. “This will do.”
It was a box of frozen spinach and artichoke dip.
“Do you have some chips or something . . .” she trailed off as she searched the counters and then grabbed a bag of tortilla chips.
I watched as she read the instructions on the box, set the oven to preheat, found a bowl to put the chips in and then handed me a soda.
“Um, thanks.”
“Sure,” she said with a little smile. I’d never seen her so . . . relaxed? No, that wasn’t the right word. Un-frozen? Warm. I’d never seen her this warm.
Even the way she moved was different. More like when she was cheering.
She hopped up on the counter and munched on a chip as the dip cooked in the oven.
“Make yourself at home,” I said and she pushed the bowl of chips toward me. I nudged over the little step I used in the kitchen to help me climb up onto the counter.
“So, am I the first girl you’ve ever had a crush on?” she asked and a chip crumb went down my windpipe and caused me to cough.
“Uh, I guess so? I’m not really sure.”
“You’re not. My first, I mean.” She sighed, as if at a good memory. “Shannon O’Shea. I was eleven and she was fourteen. God, she was so beautiful. I used to imagine just running up and kissing her on the cheek, and spent hours fantasizing about holding her hand. Then she got a boyfriend and went to high school. You never forget your first, though.”
I gaped at her.
“Are you drunk right now?” There was no way, but holy shit, she was telling me all kinds of things without me even prodding her.
“Haha, no. I’m just . . . I haven’t had anyone to talk to about this so it’s all kind of coming out at once. Sorry.” She shrugged one shoulder and grabbed another chip, smiling as she bit into it.
“Yeah, me neither. But I didn’t think I was ready? I don’t know. I’m still . . .” I trailed off.
“Hey,” she said, brushing a hand down my shoulder. It made me shiver inside. Just being near her was driving me crazy. I wanted to dramatically swipe the bowl of chips off the counter and tackle her and do a lot of other things that involved tongues and fingers and secret places.
The timer dinged and I nearly fell off the counter, but I needed to put some space between me and Stella.
I nearly reached for the little tub of hot dip without an oven mitt, but at the last second I remembered.
“It’s probably still too hot, so,” I said, fumbling as I set the dip on top of another oven mitt. “Um, do you want to maybe sit in the living room?”
I really had no idea how to handle this situation. I was flying without a safety net and I was freaking out. Stella seemed so comfortable and I wished I could be like her.
“Sure,” she said, pushing herself off the counter and grabbing the bowl of chips. “Lead the way.”
I t was adorable how nervous she was. It was almost like a movie, how our hands collided as we both reached for a chip at the same time. Kyle blushed and yanked her hand back. So far, we’d been sitting in her living room eating steadily through the chips and dip and not talking.
I was fine with silence, but she was fidgeting and it was super distracting. Seeing Kyle flustered was fun.
“Do your parents know?” I asked and she froze. Her face went white. Okay, guess that hadn’t been the right question to ask. I wasn’t one to talk. I hadn’t told Dad or Gabe and had
“What are you in the mood for?” I gaped at her back as she bent down and pawed through the crisper drawers.
“Um, my own food because this is my house?” I said and she straightened.
“Well, I’m in the mood for something smothered in cheese.” She slammed the fridge shut and opened the freezer.
“Aha!” she said, pulling something out. “This will do.”
It was a box of frozen spinach and artichoke dip.
“Do you have some chips or something . . .” she trailed off as she searched the counters and then grabbed a bag of tortilla chips.
I watched as she read the instructions on the box, set the oven to preheat, found a bowl to put the chips in and then handed me a soda.
“Um, thanks.”
“Sure,” she said with a little smile. I’d never seen her so . . . relaxed? No, that wasn’t the right word. Un-frozen? Warm. I’d never seen her this warm.
Even the way she moved was different. More like when she was cheering.
She hopped up on the counter and munched on a chip as the dip cooked in the oven.
“Make yourself at home,” I said and she pushed the bowl of chips toward me. I nudged over the little step I used in the kitchen to help me climb up onto the counter.
“So, am I the first girl you’ve ever had a crush on?” she asked and a chip crumb went down my windpipe and caused me to cough.
“Uh, I guess so? I’m not really sure.”
“You’re not. My first, I mean.” She sighed, as if at a good memory. “Shannon O’Shea. I was eleven and she was fourteen. God, she was so beautiful. I used to imagine just running up and kissing her on the cheek, and spent hours fantasizing about holding her hand. Then she got a boyfriend and went to high school. You never forget your first, though.”
I gaped at her.
“Are you drunk right now?” There was no way, but holy shit, she was telling me all kinds of things without me even prodding her.
“Haha, no. I’m just . . . I haven’t had anyone to talk to about this so it’s all kind of coming out at once. Sorry.” She shrugged one shoulder and grabbed another chip, smiling as she bit into it.
“Yeah, me neither. But I didn’t think I was ready? I don’t know. I’m still . . .” I trailed off.
“Hey,” she said, brushing a hand down my shoulder. It made me shiver inside. Just being near her was driving me crazy. I wanted to dramatically swipe the bowl of chips off the counter and tackle her and do a lot of other things that involved tongues and fingers and secret places.
The timer dinged and I nearly fell off the counter, but I needed to put some space between me and Stella.
I nearly reached for the little tub of hot dip without an oven mitt, but at the last second I remembered.
“It’s probably still too hot, so,” I said, fumbling as I set the dip on top of another oven mitt. “Um, do you want to maybe sit in the living room?”
I really had no idea how to handle this situation. I was flying without a safety net and I was freaking out. Stella seemed so comfortable and I wished I could be like her.
“Sure,” she said, pushing herself off the counter and grabbing the bowl of chips. “Lead the way.”
I t was adorable how nervous she was. It was almost like a movie, how our hands collided as we both reached for a chip at the same time. Kyle blushed and yanked her hand back. So far, we’d been sitting in her living room eating steadily through the chips and dip and not talking.
I was fine with silence, but she was fidgeting and it was super distracting. Seeing Kyle flustered was fun.
“Do your parents know?” I asked and she froze. Her face went white. Okay, guess that hadn’t been the right question to ask. I wasn’t one to talk. I hadn’t told Dad or Gabe and had
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