Boarded by Love (Bellevue Bullies 1)

“I mean, shit, Claire, can’t you tell me you miss me or anything?”

I laugh. “Ohemgeeeee! I miss you so, Reese’s Pieces!”

She laughs along with me. “I miss you more, Claire. Summer flew by, in my opinion. But anyway, what’s up?”

I know what she means. We spent the whole summer together. We went to Mexico, New York, and Florida for vacation. It was awesome. I lost out on some money, but at the same time, spending all that time with my family is much better than strutting my ass all over a stage.

Going back to the reason I called, I ask, “What do you think of my trying out for the dance team here at school?”

She pauses for a moment. “Hmm, it could be good. Do you have time?”

I think for a second. Do I?

“I think so. Keep me busy so I’ll stay out of trouble, as Phillip says.”

She laughs. “As if you’ve gotten in any trouble in years, but yeah, it will get you out there. Meet some people, make friends, and plus, it will keep you dancing for the future.”

“Yeah. It’s for the school’s hockey team. I like hockey.”

“Yeah, so really, there isn’t a question. Do it. You’ll love it. Do you have a routine in mind?”

I am always putting together dances in my head, and the next thing you know, I’m knocking crap over in my little bitty dorm room. My poor roommate and friend since I moved in with Phillip, Skylar, hates it. I think I have the perfect routine, and glancing at the flyer, I could throw all the required moves into it. Come to think of it, I’ll make Skylar try out too.

I nod. “I think so.”

“Are there required moves?”

“Yeah, nothing I can’t handle, though.”

“Cool, so do it.”

I nod again, my lip between my teeth as I think it over. It could be fun. I like to dance, I like hockey, and sometimes I even like girls my age, so really it’s a win/win for me.

“Can you meet me tomorrow at the studio and watch it?”

“Sure, can we do it early, though? I’m watching Dimitri for Piper so that she can fly out to New York to meet Erik for their ultrasound appointment.”

Reese’s sister Piper is five months pregnant with her second kid. We’re all so excited and hoping for a girl this time around, even though Piper and her husband, Erik, want another boy. I guess if I had a kid as awesome as Dimitri, I would want another boy too. Dimitri is, I guess, my cousin? I don’t know, Piper’s son, who was Reese’s nephew, and I have no clue what he is to me. I have been around him since he was a baby, and I love his little bitty butt. He’s three years old and full of energy and basically the cutest little boy in the world.

But I was still stuck on why Piper had to go to New York for the ultrasound, especially when she lives in Nashville.

“Why are they going to New York for that?”

She laughed. “Erik is impatient, and he’s so busy right now with the season and all. Phillip wanted me to come with them, but I offered to keep Dimitri. He doesn’t need to be out in that cold New York air.”

“Yeah, that’s true, and that’s fine. Can I come over afterward and help with him? I haven’t seen him in weeks.”

“You don’t even need to ask,” Reese says lovingly. “Have you talked to Phillip?”

“Not today. I talked to him yesterday.”

“Okay, good,” she says, and then she pauses before asking, “Did he tell you anything about our honeymoon?”

I laugh. He did, but I’m not saying anything. Phillip wants to surprise Reese with the most amazing honeymoon in Cabo. She’s going to flip because she has wanted to go there for years.

“Nope,” I lie with a smile on my face as I head down the hall to my room.

“You know I know you’re lying, right?”