THE INVITATION

Lila’s POV

Ryan Keller stood behind me, smiling.

Not smiling at someone behind me like the last time I almost made a fool of myself. 

He was literally smiling at me.

For one horrifying second, my brain stopped functioning completely. Every intelligent thought I had, I packed a suitcase and left the building.

“Uh…you okay?” Ryan’s voice cut through the haze of my thoughts instantly.

Was I okay?

No. Absolutely not.

I was seconds away from fainting in the hallway and becoming a perfect example of what happens to girls with unresolved crushes.

“Yes!” I blurted far too loudly.

The way I said it was so loud that several students passing nearby turned to look at me. I wanted the floor to open and swallow me whole.

“I mean—yes, I’m okay. Fine. Very fine. Extremely normal.”

Why the hell are you speaking like a malfunctioning robot, Lila?

Ryan blinked once, then let out a soft laugh, and somehow that made everything much worse. 

Because Ryan Keller's laugh was unfairly attractive.

Shit!

Control yourself.

You can’t act stupid in front of him.

I swallowed hard, trying to gather the last scraps of dignity I still had left. 

“Hi,” the word left my mouth without a second thought.

Hi?

That was it?

One word?

After fantasizing about this moment for two years and this is all you have to say to Ryan?

Excellent work, Lila. Brilliant performance.

Ryan didn’t seem to notice my internal breakdown, not while adjusting the strap of his backpack higher on his shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh no! You didn’t scare me,” I said too quickly. “I was…just… surprised, that's all.”

He glanced at the classroom door still half-open behind me, then back at me.  “From greetings?”

“I mean—no. Not greetings. Usually. Just… unexpected greetings.”

My words must have sparked something inside him because he smiled again, like he was doing everything possible to control himself from laughing out loud.

This was torture.

Beautiful, handsome torture.

“I just wanted to say hey,” he continued after a long pause. “And, uh… today’s my birthday.”

My heart nearly stopped.

Shit!

How could I forget that today was his freaking birthday!

“Oh my God,” I breathed. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.”

His smile deepened, and there went whatever stability I had left, flying straight out of the building.

“I’m having some people over tonight to celebrate,” he continued casually. “Nothing huge. Just a party at my place.”

I nodded like this was normal information and not something I’d waited two whole years to hear him say.

 “Oh.”

You’re doing well, Lila.

Continue.

“Oh?” Ryan repeated, looking both amused and slightly confused by the way I’d said it.

“No, I mean oh as in… wow. Nice oh. Positive oh.”

A soft laugh slipped out of him again. Then he straightened slightly, as though whatever he wanted to say next would either kill me or ruin me completely. 

“You and Cole should come.”

For a moment, I stood there, staring at him in utter shock. Surely I had misheard what he just said. Maybe I’d fainted three minutes ago and this was a dream sequence my brain created before death.

“You… me?” I asked stupidly.

Ryan’s mouth twitched. “Yeah. You.”

“And Cole?”

“Yeah.” He glanced down the hallway where Cole had disappeared earlier. “You two are dating right?”

Oh.

Right.

The fake relationship.

The reason any of this was happening in the first place.

Still, none of that mattered right now because Ryan Keller had spoken to me for longer than fifteen seconds and was inviting me to his birthday party.

“Yes,” I said too quickly. “We’ll come.”

But come to think of it…did Cole know that?

Would he agree to come with me in the first place?

His decision wasn’t really my concern anyway.

Because I’m going to make him come with me—the easy way or the hard way.

“Cool,” Ryan’s voice snapped me back to reality as he nodded. “The party starts around eight.”

“Eight,” I repeated like he’d just revealed the meaning of life.

He studied me for a second, amused by the awkward way I was acting. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yes. No…I mean yes.”

Ryan laughed outright loudly this time, shaking his head. “You’re funny.”

Funny?

I had spent two years trying to look graceful and mysterious around him, and today I had accidentally branded myself as weirdly unstable and funny.

Excellent.

“Thanks?” I said, unsure if it was a compliment or pity.

“It was a compliment,” he shot back, reading my face with terrifying ease. “See you tonight, Lila.”

Before I could say anything else, he turned and started walking away. Three steps later, he paused and looked back.

“Try not to yell yes at anyone else today.”

Then he winked.

And he kept walking down the hall, while I remained glued to the floor. Unable to move or breathe properly—hell, I couldn’t even feel my knees. 

I slapped both hands over my mouth to trap the noise building inside my chest.

It didn’t work.

“Eeeeeeeek!”

A guy walking past nearly dropped his books at how loud the sound came out of me. But I didn’t care.

This was not happening.

This was absolutely happening.

I need to go tell Sophie. Right now!

If I didn’t tell her in the next thirty seconds, I might actually combust. Before my brain could make sense of anything, I spun around so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet.

Then I bolted down the hallway, clutching my bag to my chest.

“Eeeeee! EEK! OH MY GOD! EEEEEK!”

People jumped out of my way.

“What the hell is wrong with her?” Someone muttered behind me.

Everything, actually.

I shoved through the cafeteria doors and spotted Sophie instantly. She was still at our table, lazily eating fries just like always.

 “SOPHIE!” I shrieked.

The entire cafeteria turned at the sound of my voice. Sophie looked up, saw my face, and slowly lowered a fry.

“Why are you screaming my name like that, Lila? She frowned. “Why do you look like you just escaped a fire?”

I skidded to a stop in front of her, bent over, hands on my knees, trying to breathe as I pointed dramatically toward the hallway.

“He…he…Ryan…he talked…birthday…winked…party…me!”

Sophie blinked.

Then blinked again.

“…Should I call for medical assistance?”

I grabbed both her shoulders. “RYAN KELLER INVITED JUST ME TO HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY!”

There was one second of silence.

Then Sophie screamed louder than I had.

I screamed back.

Together, like two complete lunatics, we shrieked across the cafeteria while everyone stared.

“Tell me everything about how it happened, girl!”