Now That I've Found You - Kristina Forest Page 0,56
contact with Milo. I can’t believe I just kissed him. Fast thinking on my part, yes, but I did not bother to think about the repercussions! And my lips are still tingling.
Okay, get it together, Evie. Fries, you like fries. Get some fries. And a milkshake. You love those, remember?
But I can’t stop picturing the way our mouths melded together, the thrill I felt when his tongue bumped into mine.
What is wrong with you? Stop it!
When I glance up, I find that Milo is watching me. He starts to smile and opens his mouth, but I’m quick to cut him off.
“Don’t say anything else about the kiss,” I warn.
He laughs. “Okay, fine. It was a good kiss. That’s it. I’ve said my piece.”
My stomach does a little flip, and my cheeks suddenly feel like they’re covered in lava. I take a sip of my water and clear my throat, turning my attention back to my menu.
“We just ran from the paparazzi,” he says. “Like, straight-up just ran from them.”
And then the hysteria from tonight finally catches up with me because I burst out laughing, and I can’t stop. “I’ve never done that before!”
Milo sits forward, laughing too. “Me neither! That was nuts. I don’t know how anyone can live like that, being followed every day. Now I see why you have the wig.”
“Well, the wig is pointless now,” I say once I stop laughing. “They might have gotten a few pictures of me like this, and who knows what Simone is going to tell people.” I shake my head, angry all over again. “I can’t believe she ruined my chance to talk to James. I have to figure out something else before Sunday.”
A waitress comes over to take our orders, and I realize I never actually decided on a meal. Milo waits for me to order first, but when I stare at him blankly, he orders a burger and fries and a root beer. Then the waitress looks at me, smiling patiently, unlike our hostess. There’s so much food on this menu. I don’t even remember the last time I ate a meal at a public place. Sometime in early May, I guess. It’s as if I’ve forgotten how to order food.
“Um,” I say. “Um…”
“Pancakes?” Milo suggests, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes!” Pancakes sound amazing right now. “I’ll have the blueberry pancakes, please, with extra whipped cream.” I push the menu away but quickly pull it back. “I’ll also have a black-and-white shake and french fries.”
“Coming right up,” the waitress says. Once she walks away, I finally take off my sunglasses and lean back against the booth cushion. I let out a deep breath.
Milo gulps down his water and then steeples his fingers. He has the look of someone who is about to ask A Question.
“So … that girl,” he says carefully, “is she the reason you aren’t big on friends?”
I stare at him, trying to decide if this is something I even want to talk about. When he found Simone and me, I was crying and angry. I don’t have to explain myself, but I don’t want to keep everything bottled up either.
“Yes,” I finally answer.
“What happened? If you don’t mind me asking?”
I look down and start folding my napkin into squares because I need something to do with my hands. “Her name is Simone. We went to the same performing arts school in LA. She used to be my best friend.”
Milo waits as if he knows that there’s more to the story.
“She was my only friend, actually,” I continue. “For our senior showcase, everyone performs monologues, and it’s a big deal because lots of directors and producers in the industry come looking for new talent. Paul Christopher came to see us my junior year, and that’s how I got the role in Mind Games. When we found out he was coming back for our senior year, we all freaked out, of course. And after the showcase, he invited a few of us to audition for his new movie. Simone and I both auditioned for the lead. I got the role, and she didn’t.”
“That must have been awkward,” he says.
I nod. “It was, but after a while, I thought everything was fine.” I sigh and finally look up at him. “You know the video of me speaking in a British accent like Paul Christopher, the one that got me fired?”
“Yeah,” he says.
“Well, I was with Simone that night, and she was the one who leaked it. I thought she was recording