I give Mom a kiss on the cheek, run to my room to change my clothes, and tie my hair back. I’m not planning on seeing anyone other than Ryan and Kaitlyn, so no need to do hair or makeup. With my purse over my shoulder, I meet Ryan back in the kitchen, and we start down the sidewalk to his car.
“Are you changing?” I ask.
He grins. “No, the girls dig the just crawled out of bed look.”
“Getting lots of play, are you?”
He laughs. “Getting enough.” We reach his house, and jump into his car. It’s an old beater he’s had since high school. He’s worked numerous jobs to keep it going, and I think he doesn’t have the heart to part with it now.
We drive through the busy streets, everyone’s out doing their last-minute shopping, and we circle the block forever before we can get a parking spot. The coffee shop is packed, but I spot Kaitlyn sitting at a table. She waves us over. I take her in and frown. Something’s not right.
“You feeling okay?”
“Much better. I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me. I ordered for us all. On me. Merry Christmas.”
I laugh as I sit across from her, and Ryan drops down beside her. We agreed a long time ago not to exchange gifts, but I let this one go. I still have to get Mom something. She had her eye on a pair of earrings, and I plan to get them for her. I’ll put them on my credit card, and plan to get a part time job when I return to Kingston.
Kaitlyn’s name is called, and she stands and comes back with three lattes. I take a sip and moan. “My God, that is good.”
“Merry Christmas to me,” Kaitlyn says, and takes a big drink. We laugh, but mine dies an abrupt death when someone calls out my name.
“Maize, I thought that was you.”
I lift my head to see none other than Chelsea Haverstock coming our way. She turns to Kaitlyn, who snarls at her.
“Kaitlyn, so good to see you,” Chelsea purrs. She blinks and glances at Ryan, who’s changed so much over the years. Not that she knew him back in high school. He didn’t go to Sweetwater. “You, I don’t know,” she says, her big fancy purse falling on her arm as she touches his shoulder.
“Ryan, meet Chelsea. Chelsea, meet Ryan.”
“So nice to meet you,” she says in a disgustingly flirty way as she sizes Ryan up. “Ooh, if I didn’t have a boyfriend.” She laughs as her friends join her. We all exchange pleasantries and I go back to my latte, hoping she’ll get the hint and leave. “How funny running into you all here. I didn’t think you came to this coffee shop.” She stifles a yawn. “They better hurry up with my espresso. I need the caffeine after last night.”
Don’t ask.
Don’t take the bait.
“What happened last night?” I ask and Ryan just shakes his head at me, but there’s a part of me that wants to know if she had a party, and if Christian was there.
“Oh, it was Christian’s annual Christmas party.” She blinks at me. “You remember Christian Moore, don’t you?”
I gulp and can physically feel the blood draining from my face. Before I can say anything, Ryan’s hand goes to my knee and he gives it a squeeze. Chelsea continues with, “Let me tell you that boy does have more.” She winks. “If you know what I mean.” The two girls she’s with are on their phones, completely ignoring us.
“You…you were at a party at Christian’s?” I ask, shocked that my voice even works.
“Maize,” Kaitlyn says, and I hold up my hand to stop her. I want…no need…to hear what Chelsea has to say. Her phone pings in her designer purse.
“That’s probably him now.” She chuckles. “I’m surprised he’s up, though. We had a very late night.” She fumbles with her phone, and then it slips from her hands and lands on our table. “I’m such a klutz when I’m tired.”
My gaze goes to the phone, to the picture she has as her screensaver. What the hell. I lean forward, narrow my eyes, glance at the two people in bed. The picture is dark, a bit hard to make out, but behind the bed, I spot a shelf full of trophies. This is definitely Christian’s room. I’ve looked at the pictures he sent a million times, so I’d know his room in an instant. I lean forward to get a better look at her phone, and study the couple entwined in the bed…My heart stops beating. “Is that…”
“Oops, that’s private.” She snatches her phone up.
I slowly lift my head and blink at her, as Ryan stands. “I’m going to kill him.”
“Ryan, please don’t.” I grab his arm and tug until he’s sitting. The last thing I want is for him and Christian to fight. This is my battle, not his.
Chelsea blinks dark lashes over big eyes as she gazes at Ryan like she has no idea what he’s talking about. I must be wrong. I have to be wrong. I mean, lots of guys have shelves with trophies behind their beds, right?
You’re not wrong, Maize…
“Is that…” God, I can’t even bring myself to ask if it’s her and Christian.
“Yeah, Christian and I hooked up last night at his Christmas party. We’re an item now.”
“Christian had a Christmas party,” I mumble to myself.
Christian had a party at his house, and didn’t invite me.
As that thought bounces around my brain, Chelsea’s fingers fly over her phone as she shoots off a text—to who, I don’t know. Maybe it’s Christian. Her eyes move back to mine, and she laughs lightly. “Why do you seem so surprised? I don’t think he ever got over me when I broke it off before college.” She hugs her phone to her chest. “It was only a matter of time before we found each other again,
