Matchmaker (Empire High #4) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,130

then glared at each other.

“Well, I certainly won’t be using that word again,” Tanner said.

“Just say nunca,” I said.

Kennedy smiled up at me.

“Anyone want another drink?” Tanner asked. “Kennedy, will you come help me?” He wandered into the kitchen before she had a chance to respond.

“I feel like I’ve been summoned,” Kennedy whispered to me.

“Just ignore him.”

She smiled. “It’s important for your friends to like me.” Her face flushed again. “I mean, just so that we can all be friends. I’ll be right back.” She followed Tanner into the kitchen.

What the hell was he going to say to her?

James and Rob’s phones started buzzing at the same time.

They looked at each other and sighed.

“Probably something with the kids,” James said. “I gotta take this.”

“Me too,” Rob said.

They both answered their phones and wandered out of the room.

“So…” Mason said as he stared at me. “Does Kennedy have anything to do with your good mood last night?”

“You heard her,” I said. “We’re just friends.”

“Huh.”

I laughed. “What?”

“Nothing.” He folded his arms in front of his chest. “It’s just that the two of you were pretty close years ago. I always wondered if maybe there was something more there.”

There hadn’t been before. She was just the only person who understood what I was going through. But now? It was actually exactly like Tanner had said. People changed. Circumstances changed. I was wondering if he had been talking more to me than he was to Kennedy. “Can you keep a secret?” I asked.

“Probably not.”

I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I was pretty sure it was all over my face. And I’d already told my mom. I was surprised she hadn’t called Mason yet with the good news. “I think I’m falling for her.”

Mason didn’t say anything for a long moment. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Better than you can because Bee won’t be bugging me about it.”

He laughed. “I always thought you and Kennedy might get together. I was hoping you would, actually. She gets it.”

She did. I think there was a part of me that always realized that. And now that she was finally here? All I wanted was to be close to her.

“And she’s a cool girl,” Mason said. “I’ve always gotten along well with her. I think Bee would like her too.”

“Yeah. I think she would.” I shook my head. “Wait, that’s your secret? That you’ve been secretly wanting me and Kennedy to get together all these years?”

“No. My secret is that you should fall a little faster. Because my kid’s going to want a best friend. And he’s going to be younger than all James and Rob’s kids, so I need you to step up.”

“Bee’s pregnant?”

He laughed. “Not yet. But we’re going to start trying.”

“That’s awesome.” A few weeks ago, this would have been the worst news ever. But it didn’t feel like bad news tonight. Because I wasn’t stuck anymore. I knew what I wanted. I smiled as I heard Kennedy’s laughter filter into the great room. I wanted her. “Wait, but you said ‘he’?”

“Yeah, I’m planning on having all boys.”

“I don’t think that’s something that you can just decide.”

“Just watch and learn. I’m much too masculine to have a girl.” He raised his beer bottle.

“That’s definitely not how it works.”

“We’ll see.”

Despite Mason’s flawed logic, I was going to be an uncle. A real one. Not that Scarlett, Liam, Sophie, and RJ didn’t count. But this was a big deal. “That’s going to be you soon then,” I said and gestured over to James and Rob who were most likely talking to their wives.

“What do you think is wrong?” he asked.

“I’m guessing someone has a tummy ache.”

“Hmm…maybe. But I’m thinking Liam pulled Sophie’s hair again.”

I laughed. “The audacity of that little baby to pull pigtails.”

Mason shook his head. “Want to bet on it? Loser drinks all those shots,” he said.

I looked over to see Kennedy and Tanner walking back into the room. They were each carrying a few shots in their hands.

I had a feeling tonight was about to get significantly more interesting. “Deal,” I said to Mason.

Chapter 40

Friday

Kennedy’s eyes locked with mine as she put the shots down on the coffee table. I was wondering what she and Tanner had been talking about in the kitchen. But it couldn’t be bad, because she looked really happy. I found my gaze wandering to her lips.

She sat down next to me, closer than before. “What?” she whispered.

“Nothing.”

She shook her head with a smile. “Anyone want another drink?” Kennedy asked. “Tanner