" I thought you had a thing for Sawyer anyway," Tiffany said, reaching for anhors d'oeuvre.
"I do not!" Amberly protested way too loudly. "But I guess if Graham is out--I mean, if I have to. .."
I glanced over my shoulder at Amberly, whose blush was even deeper than mine. She was definitely not good enough for Sawyer. I almost wanted to warn him to be on the lookout for blond morons on the prowl, but I had faith that he could see right through her shiny veneer to the unoriginal soul inside.
"That leaves West and Gage," Kiran said, looking from Tiffany to Taylor. "What's it gonna be, ladies?"
"I am so not kissing Gage," Taylor said, lifting a palm. "I'll fight you for West if I have to, Goulbourne," she said to Tiff. "I've been doing cardio kickboxing three times a week for the last nine months. Consider yourself warned."
85
Tiffany shrugged one shoulder. "Whatever. I'll pity-kiss Gage."
"Pity-kiss?" Noelle said with a laugh. "I would kill to see his face if he heard that one."
Tiffany giggled, then hiccupped. She held her fingertips to her glossy lips for a moment and composed herself. "I know, right? But given what a he-slut he is, he's gotta at least have good technique."
Everyone laughed. Noelle snapped her compact shut and lifted her champagne glass. "All right, then. Now that we're all sorted, I'd like to make a toast."
We gathered together in a small circle, bubbling crystal flutes at the ready.
"To the best year of our lives," Noelle said. "But most of all, to Reed. May this year be free of drama, my little glass-licker."
My heart filled with giddy hope. The very idea that Noelle would dedicate the final toast of the year to me somehow made me feel as if her words were going to ring true.
"To Reed!" Tiffany cheered.
"And to no drama!" Kiran and Taylor added.
We all clinked glasses just as the sun dipped below the horizon.
86
PATIENCE
Upton's arms were locked around me in the back of the speedboat as we raced out to the private island locale Kiran had secured for our New Year's Eve bash. It was a surreal sight, all those small, sleek vessels tearing across the waves in the dark, leaving the lazy lights of the big island behind and careening toward the bonfire that raged on the beach up ahead. As we zoomed closer, I could hear the pounding of drums throbbing over the engines of the boats, and could just make out something undulating along the dock. I glanced at Upton in confusion and he shrugged. Even through my fear, being out on the water once again, I felt a thrill of excitement. This was definitely going to be a night to remember.
The boats pulled up to the dock one by one and I finally saw that the undulating was actually the movement of a dozen native dancers, moving in sync to the beat of a drums- only band. They danced around, laughing and shouting to each other, welcoming us onto the dock.
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Upton helped me up from the boat and we shimmied out of our life vests, handing them to our captain. All along the dock, other guests did the same. Sawyer, Graham, and West had come over together, and Noelle and Dash had shared a boat. Bringing up the rear were Amberly, Tiffany, and Taylor, but it seemed as if there were already dozens of people on the island, mingling under big, white lights. As Upton tipped our captain, Kiran came striding down the dock in a short purple dress, her hair pinned back with one white orchid.
"Welcome to our very own island of paradise!" she shouted, earning whoops from the crowd. "And there's our guest of honor."
I shot Sawyer an apologetic look as Kiran moved forward and grabbed his arm. She dragged him to the front of the crowd, where he stared at his shoes, blushing uncontrollably.
"Nowlet's party!" Kiran cried.
As the group surged forward, I detached myself from Upton's side and made my way over to Sawyer. "I swear I'll make sure they keep the fawning to a minimum," I promised him.
"Thanks," Sawyer said under his breath.
I, of course, had my own plans. No matter how much he protested, I couldn't let his actions go by unheralded. But I wasn't going to go overboard. No skywriting or fireworks or anything. Just a simple speech later in the evening. After everyone, including Sawyer, had a chance to have a few drinks and decompress.
"Mind if I borrow my girl?" Upton said.
He grabbed my hand and tugged me away without waiting for an answer. I cast a glance over my shoulder at Sawyer and saw him still