Page 97 of Between the Boards
“Do we reallyneedthree bags of chips?” I ask as Eliana grabs another.
“Yes.”
“We already have pizza planned.”
“And wings,” she adds with a wink, placing the bag in the cart.
I snort, grabbing two bottles of wine from the cooler while she loads the cart with candy and chocolate.
Twenty minutes later, we pull up outside Maliah’s house looking like we robbed a convenience store. Music drifts faintly from the open front door as we climb out of the car, and standing near the front steps is Koa, one hand hooked around Maliah’s waist while he kisses her goodbye.
“Ugh,” I groan loudly. “Get a room!”
Maliah flips me off without looking away from Koa.
He finally pulls back with a grin before spotting us. “Oh good, they’re here.”
Koa heads toward the team van and helps us unload the grocery bags from the backseat.
“Where’re you spending the night, Koa?” Eliana asks him.
“At the Shredder House with Griffin, Zale, and Colton. We’re planning the bachelor party.”
I freeze halfway through grabbing a grocery bag.
“Wait.” I blink. “Colton doesn’t come back for another two days, doesn’t he?”
Koa looks over at me, a smirk fighting not to show. “He came back early.”
Warmth sparks alive in my chest. “Oh.”
Koa’s grin widens like he can literally see the exact moment my brain short-circuits.
“Couldn’t stay away for long,” he adds knowingly before climbing into his SUV as heat crawls up my neck.
I hear a sharp intake of air from beside me and quickly hold my hand up to silence it.
“Eliana,” I warn quietly.
“I didn’t even say anything,” she replies innocently.
Koa drives off while Maliah and Eliana exchange looks that immediately make me suspicious.
“Whatever conversation is happening silently right now? Stop it,” I say, pointing at both of them.
Neither of them stop smiling as they drag me inside before I can interrogate them further, and within ten minutes, Eliana’s already pacing around Maliah’s kitchen dramatically recounting the entire day.
“And then,” she says, pointing aggressively at me with a tortilla chip, “Kairi basically took over the whole meeting with her amazing ideas.”
“I did not take over anything.”
“You absolutely did,” Eliana argues.
I roll my eyes, but Maliah’s expression softens when she looks at me.
“I’m really proud of you, Kairi.”
“You are?” I ask quietly.
