True Love and Magic Tricks Read online

  My parents are at work for another two hours, and I don’t plan on wasting a single second of that time. I wrap my hand around Kaylee’s waist and flip her around, leaning her against the wall. The cutest giggle falls from her lips, and I cut it off with my mouth.

  She pushes against me, and I stumble back smacking into my laptop, but I don’t care. It could fall to the floor and the screen could shatter, and I still wouldn’t care. All I care about is Kaylee, and how soft her skin is beneath my fingers. How she tastes of strawberries and cream.

  She lifts her arms above her head and…Oh. My. God. She wants me to take her shirt off! With shaking hands, I reach down and with too much enthusiasm pull her top up. Her arms get stuck and her face disappears.

  “Where’d you go?” I ask, trying to help her get untangled. One braid is hanging over the bottom of her shirt and the other is stuck in the sleeve.

  “I don’t know! Help me?”

  My computer makes a noise and oh crap!

  “Hey bro…Well what do we have here?” Nick asks, and I jump up to block Kaylee from his view.

  “That was an accident,” I blurt.

  Nick laughs and nods toward Kaylee. I block the camera with my hand, glance over my shoulder, and see Kaylee still struggling to get situated.

  “Nate? Where are you?” she asks around her laughter, but I don’t speak, don’t move.

  All those times I caught Nick on Skype with a girl in the background, I never thought that’d be me. A part of me is puffing out my chest saying, “Me man, hear me roar,” but the other part is praying to all that is holy that he doesn’t see a single strip of Kaylee’s bare skin.

  “I’ll call you back,” I say and go to shut my laptop when Nick holds his hand up.

  “Not so fast. I’ve been meaning to check on how my advice went. I see it was a success. Of course.”

  Bang!

  I whip around to find Kaylee ass first in my garbage, her hands and legs straight up in the air, the shirt still over her face.

  She’s laughing, thank god. So she’s not hurt. I can’t believe I’m debating helping her. I pretend Nick isn’t on the screen and run over to Kaylee. Laughs pour out of her, and I can’t help it, I laugh, too.

  I fiddle with her shirt again, pulling it down instead of up, her green eyes peek out, but I can’t get the shirt past just under her bra because she’s folded up so tightly in my garbage. Lucky for her I emptied it this morning, or she’d have some pretty questionable stuff stuck to her ass.

  “I see you met your match,” Nick says, and I wave my hand at him as if my magic was more Harry Potter than illusion.

  “I’m going to pull you out,” I tell Kaylee.

  “How?”

  Good question. “Give me your hands.” I take her hands in mine and try to lift her, but damn she’s wedged in there.

  “How did you manage this?”

  “I don’t know, you left me blind and alone, and I tripped on something and this broke my fall.” She wiggles her butt and falls in a little deeper.

  “Dude, stand her up and pull it off that way,” Nick says and I really wish I would’ve shut the damn screen.

  “Who is that?” Kaylee asks.

  I sigh and turn to the computer, Nick is sitting back, hands crossed behind his head. I glance back at my girlfriend. “Kaylee, meet my brother, Nick. Nick, this is Kaylee.”

  Nick waves, and Kaylee scoffs. “So you’re the guy that gave Nate all that awful advice.”

  Nick doesn’t skip a beat. “Says the girl stuck in a trash can.”

  Kaylee sticks her tongue out at Nick, and I can’t deny how happy her show of distaste makes me.

  “Okay we’re going to try what Nick said. Hold onto me and stand up.”

  Kaylee’s hands slide around my forearms, and she tilts forward until her feet are on the ground. She’s hunched over, ass up in the air, the black basket sitting at attention.

  I go behind her, put my hands on either side of the garbage can and pull as hard as I can. Kaylee moves forward at the exact same time. She tumbles out, smashing into the ground, and I fly back, my legs smacking my bed and sending me feet over head into the wall.

  All I hear is Nick clapping and laughing.

  I push forward and fall to Kaylee’s side. “Are you okay?” I ask, resting my hand on her cheek, and rubbing a line with my thumb.

  She answers me with a laugh.

  After a second she jumps up from the floor. “Now that I’m not stuck in a trash can. Nice to meet you Nick.” She waves to my brother, and he gives her an egotistical wink.

  “Can you do one thing for me?” she asks him. I go up behind her, curious.

  “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

  “Okay two things. One. Don’t ever call me sweetheart. And two. Never give Nate advice again.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He wore a nipple shirt!” Kaylee exclaims and heat shoots through my cheeks. Seriously. Am I ever going to live that shirt down?

  “No! He didn’t?” Nick guffaws and my attention snaps to the screen.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” I ask.

  “I was joking about the shirt. I really didn’t think you’d actually do it. Classic. Please tell me you have pictures.”

  He was joking? I’m going to kill him.

  “I might have one or two,” Kaylee says, and my head spins to her.

  The shirt’s a goner, but if there’s pictures…Oh no.

  “You have to send them to me.”

  “Okay this has been great and all, but we got to go,” I say before Kaylee can get Nick’s number or email.

  “It was nice meeting you,” Kaylee says.

  “You too.” Nick nods, and I’m a little shocked at how human he’s acting. Then he starts cracking up again. “I can’t believe you wore the shirt.”

  I shake my head. “Bye, Nick.” I shut the laptop and rest against my desk. I lift my fedora and run a hand through my hair.

  “You don’t have pictures, do you?”

  “Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t,” she teases.

  “It’s going to be like that,” I say and wrap my arms around her, tugging her to me. “I rescued you from a garbage can, you know.”

  “My hero,” she says, pressing her lips to mine, and all thoughts of there being evidence of the nipple shirt flees my mind, and I lose myself in her strawberry taste.

  Chapter 13

  The brick wall outside school is so not comfortable. But I couldn’t give a living hoot when Nate’s tongue is in my mouth.

  “Ugh, you guys, seriously,” Lexie says behind us, Ryan pulling up the rear as they head back to the locker rooms. Did the bell ring?

  Nate pulls back, but I keep close, wrapping my leg around his hip. Then I give his butt a nice grab.

  Both Lexie and Ryan cringe while Nate and I get a kick out of our PDA, and Lexie smacks Ryan in the chest.

  “This is your fault.”

  “Me? What did I do?”

  Lexie sets a manicured hand on her hip. She drops her voice to sound Ryan-like. “Duuuude, just ask her to help ya already.” Then she pretends to shove Ryan toward me, smacking him on the butt. Both Nate’s and Ryan’s ears redden.

  “Is that really how it went?” I ask, unwinding myself from my boyfriend. Lexie nods and Ryan and Nate shrug. Jittery bubbles fill my toes, making me bounce into Ryan’s arms. He stumbles back, but eventually pats my back a few times.

  “Thank you!” I shout over his shoulder.

  Coach blows his whistle again, telling us to move our butts to the locker room. I hop off Ryan, give Nate a kiss on the cheek, then loop arms with Lexie. None of them look annoyed at me at all, and that makes me smile. I finally feel like I belong in a group.

  Lexie plops on the bench, tugging off her sneakers. Sweat has collected at the base of her neck, and I’m wondering what they did during class today while Nate and I hid, busy getting our heart rates up in a more effective way.

  I pull my
locker door open and eye the blue note I got earlier—held up by a magnet so I’d remember to ask Lexie about it. I used to squeal at them, but now I’m not sure if I should. Nate’s been with me nearly every second at school since he’s been banned from my house. And the way they’re written makes it seem more and more unlikely that they’re from him.

  Did you know the thinnest skin you have is your lips? That’s why they’re pinker than the rest of your body. You can see the blood running underneath them.

  I’ve heard that’s why they’re more sensitive too—why kissing is such a big deal.

  And each person has their own unique taste.

  Kind of interesting.

  I’ve often wondered if the pinker the lips, the more sensitive they are.

  And I think your lips are the pinkest I’ve ever seen.

  I let out a long sigh as I reread, my heart pounding in my throat.

  “You okay?” Lexie asks as I set the note in my back pocket.

  “I have a secret admirer.”

  She laughs. “And you’re sad about it?”

  I stick my tongue out. “No. I just… I thought it was Nate. Now I don’t think it is. And I don’t know how to tell this guy who’s been dropping these in my locker for like, six months, that I’m taken.”

  She stands up, wiggling her jeans into place. “You could always write him back. Say you’ve loved all the notes, but you have a boyfriend now.”

  “That’s a good idea.” I frown. “Still, I feel bad.”

  “Better than dragging him along.”

  I nod, my stomach sinking even more. Lexie would tell me to not worry if she knew it was Nate. Just another clue that it’s not.

  Then who is it?

  Lexie shuts her locker and pulls her brown hair into a loose side pony. “I’ll see you later,” she says.

  “Wait!” I push my locker shut and struggle to get my shirt on before she leaves. “Hey, um, my mom is coming home this weekend, and she said she wanted to do like a hotel getaway with a spa and stuff. She said I could bring a friend. Can you come?”

  Her nails clack against her backpack strap. “I don’t know. A whole weekend?”

  I nod. “Should be fun. We could get really hot masseuses.”

  She laughs. “It sounds like fun. I just… my mom.”

  “She won’t let you?”

  “It’s not that. I have to sort of watch her.”

  “Oh.” I frown, but then quickly wipe it away. “Okay. Well, let me know if you can?”

  “Sure.” Then something amazing happens, and she gives me a hug goodbye.

  I head back to my gym locker to grab my shoes, and then whip out my notebook real quick before next period.

  Hi awesome note-guy,

  You have no idea how much I love getting these. Total boost in confidence, I’m telling you. And I’d so go out with you and give you a shot… but I have a boyfriend, and I’m sort of crazy about him. Probably not fair to either of you if I wasn’t upfront about it.

  Wish I had a clever way of telling you, but I’ll leave that to you, since you’re brilliant at it.

  -Kaylee

  I cap my pen and fold the note. Once I drop this off in my locker and hope he sees it, then that’ll be the end of it. My stomach feels a little hollow at the thought.

  I’m the last one out of the locker room, and when I hit the science hall, my phone buzzes.

  Ryan: Lex’ll be there this weekend.

  Me: Really???

  Ryan: If anyone needs a stress relieving weekend, it’s her. So thanks for inviting her.

  Me: Thanks for watching her mom ;)

  Ryan: Nate is too. We’re tag-teaming it.

  Me: He shall be rewarded for it. You will too, but probably not in the same way.

  Ryan: lol

  Me: Thank you!

  Ryan: np

  “Score!” I shout in the middle of the hallway, getting a few random high-fives from people. It’s funny because I know most of them… their names, their faces, even what classes we share. But not a single one of them would’ve done what Ryan, Nate, and Lexie do for each other. And now me.

  I happy dance with my phone all the way to class.

  ***

  “I’m heading to the hot tub now.” Mom throws her wrap around her suit. She’s lost a few pounds since I last saw her. She looks happy, too. It’s sort of weird. “Sure you girls don’t want to come?”

  “Maybe later, Mom,” I say, waving her out. She’s been pestering me about Nate all day, and I just know she’s going to pull out the condoms if I let her keep going.

  Mom totally mocks me, waving back, then picks up her book and the hotel door clicks shut. Lexie pulls a mini-suitcase out that just holds her nail polish collection, and she pulls my toes to the end of the bed.

  “You talk, I paint.”

  My smile spreads across my face, and I can’t help but dance a little in the mattress. “So my dad totally caught Nate and I going at it and long story short, he called my mom and she’s here to give me ‘the talk.’ So you’re totally saving me from it.”

  Something wet and cold streaks across my middle toe as Lexie misses my nail. She makes a choking sound, falls back to the floor, and clutches her stomach as she laughs.

  “Please tell me the long version,” she manages to say through her giggles. I chuck a pillow at her and let my mouth fly with details. My cheeks spread red when I tell her my attempt at dry humping, then her cheeks follow suit, but she doesn’t stop me from talking. She actually looks interested in all of it, excited for me, and equally horrified that my dad walked in.

  “Are you guys going to…” she asks, rubbing remover across my toe. “Well… I mean, that’s way fast right?”

  I pull at the ends of my braids. “I seriously have no idea. The thought makes me completely nervous, but when we’re together I just…”

  “Forget?”

  My teeth grab onto my bottom lip, and I nod. “I like him though. Like super like him. We’ve only been officially dating for three weeks, four days, and two hours. So I’m not sure if it’s because we’re in the honeymoon stage still or if I actually maybe sorta could be falling falling falling down down down in super amazing, all-out love with him. That’s totally bonkers!” I slap my hands over my face. “You think I need to go into an asylum don’t you?”

  The mattress sinks next to me, and Lexie grabs one of my hands and starts rubbing a wet cotton ball over my thumbnail. “Love is funny like that.”

  I drop my other hand and watch her pull out something called Significant Other Color telling me it’s perfect right now. “You think people can fall in love that fast?”

  “I don’t know.” A dimple twitches in her cheek. “I’d like to think it could happen for me someday.”

  Oh! Finally, an opportunity to figure out what is up with her and Ryan.

  “You haven’t been in love yet?”

  She shakes her head, brown hair falling loose from her ponytail. “Not like you and Nate. Like, I can tell with you guys…even without the PDA.” She wrinkles her nose at me, and I laugh. “It’s the way you look at each other. And I’ve known Nate for a while. He’s never looked like that. Ever. So… you know, gotta be something he’s never experienced before.”

  My heart flies straight out my mouth in a blissful sigh.

  “I’ve noticed someone who looks at you that way.” I nudge her shoulder, picturing Ryan teasing her, tickling her, getting her the burger he absolutely hates, offering his coat every time he sees goose bumps on her arms. Come on, Lexie, give me something.

  “Please tell me it’s Sean Dixon.” A blissful sigh slips from her lips now. I’m so taken back I nearly topple off the mattress. She laughs at my confused expression. “What? He’s perfect. And not just in the face.”

  “The body too?” I joke. She threatens to paint my nose.

  “I just wish he’d notice me… in a good way. Not by my reputation.”

  “What reputation?”

  “You kno
w. White trash.” Her face stays impassive, but there’s a hitch in her voice that makes me want to hug her. But she’s still got my hand.

  “If it helps, I never once thought that.”

  Her dimple creases again. “That does help. Thanks.”

  After she finishes my nails, I paint hers and we turn on Pitch Perfect and laugh at how similar the magician character is to Nate. The subject of Ryan—or Sean—doesn’t come up again, even though I so want it to. But Ryan might just be her friend and I wouldn’t know the difference. I’ve never had that close of a relationship before… well, before now. I’d like to think even though Nate and I are dating, that he’s my friend, just like he said.

  Chapter 14

  It’s been a month since Kaylee’s and my first date—and not the nipple shirt first date. I’d like to pretend that one never happened—so a month since the most perfect day of my life. Every day since has been equally perfect.

  Kaylee wraps her arms around me, and I bury my face in the crook of her neck, mainly because I can, but partly because she smells so darn good. I press a kiss to her soft skin and she giggles my favorite giggle.

  “Oh my god, is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of my high school career?” Lexie whines.

  Ryan pokes her stomach, and she swats his hand away, but he grabs it then turns her until he is behind her in a bear hug. “Ryan!” Lexie yells but it’s muffled by laughter.

  “How is our PDA any different than yours?” Kaylee asks. Ryan and Lexie freeze. Ryan’s hands fall to his sides.

  “This is not PDA,” Lexie says, wiggling her finger between her and Ryan.

  “Uh…yeah definitely not,” Ryan mumbles.

  “He’s my best friend. It’s not like I’m going to shove my tongue down his throat like you two,” Lexie says, and I can see the disappointment on Ryan’s face. Poor guy. Will he ever get the girl? Maybe he should just tell her. It worked for me.

  Ryan doesn’t skip a beat. The disappointment is only a flash. I doubt anyone else notices. He straightens and pokes Lexie again. “Trust me I wouldn’t be doing any shoving either. Have you seen what you eat?” Ryan sticks his finger in his mouth and pretends to gag.