The Year I Became Isabella Ande - Jessica Sorensen Page 0,75
being yourself.” I glance down at my stylish outfit and he hurriedly adds, “I like this look too. I promise. And you’re still you and everything. And really cool and comfortable with yourself.” He’s rambling and nervous, and I can barely keep up with what he’s saying. He finally takes a breath and shakes his head at himself. “I don’t know what my problem is. You’ve totally thrown me off my game.”
He’s trying to use his game on me?
He moves his arm from the back of the sofa and rakes his fingers through his hair. “You just make me nervous.”
I almost bust up laughing. I’m making Kyler nervous? “Are you being serious?”
He nods, lowering his hand to his lap. “I’m usually better at reading people, but with you . . . I have no idea what you’re thinking.” He waits, like he expects me to tell him.
I shake my head. “There is no way I’m telling you what goes on in here.” I tap my temple with my finger. “If I did, then you might run out the door.”
“I doubt that.” He sits up straight and twists to face me. “But how about we try it and see? You tell me one thing you’re thinking, and we’ll see if it scares me enough that I run.”
“That seems like a game I’ll lose no matter what, because either you leave, or you stay here and think I’m crazy.”
“Okay, well how about this? You just tell me one thing, and I won’t think you’re crazy and I’ll stay.”
“How can you possibly predict that?” I ask amusedly. “Are you secretly a psychic?”
“I have an aunt who is,” he says in all seriousness.
“Really? That’s crazy cool. Does she, like, tell you your fortunes and everything? Do you know when you’re going to die?”
He shakes his head. “Nope. I’m not telling you anything more until you tell me something about you.”
I give an overdramatic sigh. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I press my lips together, thinking, What could I possibly tell him about me that won’t make him think I’m crazy? All my interests are weird, and I don’t think he’d get my obsession with zombies. Maybe I could tell him some of the things I did this summer, like dancing at the club or kissing Nyle . . .
Oh, my God, why would I tell him that? “I skinny-dipped in a pool this summer.” I slap my hand over my mouth. Holy shit. Out of all the things, that’s what I decided to go with?
“You did what?” From the kitchen, Grandma Stephy stares at me in shock.
“We weren’t totally naked,” I tell her, mentally cursing myself. I’d been doing so well, lightly flirting, saying fun things, and then my weirdo gene decided to make a grand appearance.
She points the spoon she’s holding at me. “We’ll talk about this later.” She goes back to her cooking, leaving me to sit here in shame as I blush.
“You really did that?” Kyler asks, trying not to smile.
“I didn’t mean to say that aloud. I do stuff like that sometimes. Talk without thinking.” I lean back in the sofa. “But yeah, Indigo—my cousin—and I went swimming in our underwear when we were in Scotland. It was more her idea than mine. She was really big on making sure we had a ton of crazy experiences.”
“It sounds like that’s exactly what you did.” He playfully bumps knees with mine. “Maybe one day you could tell me more crazy stuff you did.”
I bite back a smile. “Maybe one day, if you’re lucky.”
He grins, totally noting my flirty tone. “Maybe when you come watch my game, we can go out and get something to eat. Hit up a party or something.”
Okay, he’s definitely asking me out. I get all giddy, but then I hesitate. I don’t know why, but at that moment, I think about Kai and the party we went to. We had so much fun. More fun than I’ve ever had. Would I have that much fun with Kyler? I’ll never know unless I go. Besides, going out with Kyler has been my dream since practically forever. I owe it to my eight-year-old self to do this. And talking with him today has been so easy.
“That sounds like fun,” I say. “And I think it has crazy adventure potential.”
“I think so too.” He glances at his watch. “You’ll have to be the leader of our little adventure. I’m not very good at impulsive things.”