Now That I've Found You - Kristina Forest Page 0,71

back into the living room. For a moment, I feel a little self-conscious that I won’t have him beside me as a shield, but I realize I don’t actually need him. No one cares that I’m here. If they’ve recognized me, they haven’t said anything.

Feeling as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders, I go to stand by the window because it’s still really hot. Michelle and Ben are already huddling there, whispering to each other. Ben’s eyes are bugging out, and Michelle places her hand on his arm like she’s trying to placate him.

“Just go talk to him,” she says quietly.

“I can’t,” Ben insists. “I don’t even know what to say.”

He glances up and catches my eye. Then Michelle turns around to follow his line of sight.

“Oh, good, Evie, you’re here,” she says. “You can weigh in on this.”

“Weigh in on what?” I ask as she grabs my arm and pulls me closer.

“Ben has a crush on Adrian,” she whispers.

“What?” I almost choke. “Adrian?”

“Don’t be so loud,” Ben hisses.

“But … but … he’s so mean! And you’re so nice!”

“He’s nice to me.” Ben glances across the room at Adrian, who is leaning against the wall, brooding per usual. When his eyes find Ben, he smiles a little and nods. Ben smiles back, but he looks as if he might pass out from that small interaction. He grabs my hand and Michelle’s. Then he pulls us toward the hallway and into the bedroom that he shares with Milo.

The two twin-size mattresses on the floor make an L shape and barely fit in the room. There’s one wooden dresser that’s covered in nicks. Milo’s acoustic guitar sits in the corner, and there’s a poster of Jimi Hendrix taped above the bed on the right. I guess that must be Milo’s bed.

Ben sits down on the other bed, and Michelle plops beside him. They both look up at me, waiting for me to sit as well.

I rock back on my heels and bite my lip. “Are you sure you want me to be here too?”

“Yes,” Ben says. “You’re our friend, right?”

I blink. He asks the question so easily, like my answer should be an obvious yes. I realize in this moment how much I wish I could be friends with all of them. “Oh, um…”

Michelle doesn’t wait for me to answer. “I say he should tell Adrian how he feels, straight-up.”

Ben shakes his head and sighs. “You would say that, Michelle. You’ve been with Vinny since the seventh grade. I can’t rely on the two of you for advice. And girls throw themselves at Milo, and Raf has no game. I can’t rely on them either.” He looks at me again. “Evie, you’re cool and from LA and probably have lots of experience with this kind of thing, so can you tell me how to ask out Adrian?”

I smart a little at the idea of girls throwing themselves at Milo but shake it off. I’ve never really given advice before, especially not on dating. I’m not sure if I’m the person he should be asking.

“Well—” I start.

Then Vinny pops his head into the room. “Michelle, can I borrow you for a sec?”

Michelle nods and leans over to hug Ben. “You’ve got this,” she says before hopping up and joining Vinny in the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Ben looks at me hopelessly.

“Just be yourself,” I say, taking Michelle’s place beside him. “You’re so sweet and talented, and like I already said, you’re nice. Maybe you don’t need to tell Adrian how you feel right away, but you could ask if he wants to hang out sometime one-on-one and go from there. How could he say no to you?”

“You really think that will work?” he asks, looking deep into my eyes.

“Yes.” I nod. “I really do.”

I register that this moment is important. If he takes my advice, he really does think of me as a friend, because he trusts me.

Suddenly, he stands up, a determined expression on his face. “Okay. I’m gonna do it.”

“Of course. You’ve got this.” I give him a thumbs-up, stealing Kerri’s signature move.

“Thanks, Evie,” he says, smiling. Then he’s gone. A boy on a mission.

I lean back on Ben’s bed, not ready to rejoin the party just yet. My eyes find their way to the Jimi Hendrix poster again. I get up, stepping around the sneakers on the floor to get a better look at it. Milo’s room here has way more character than his room at