Secrets and Stolen Kisses

02

m a d e l y n

"I'm wearing a skirt, just give me a few minutes to make sure I don't flash anyone tonight," I hushed my brother as I pulled on a pair of biker shorts under my skirt. They were just long enough for them not to be seen.

"Fine, hurry up," he huffed. He was always rushing me. It was perfectly normal being late to a party. "I'll be downstairs, Mads."

I grabbed my phone and purse before throwing some shoes on and padding down the stairs.

"Ready," I took the car keys from the foyer and called my brother. "I'm sure Nate's just getting ready."

He asked me to come with him to the hotel yesterday to check things out. Like I told him, everything was fine. He also told me that he decided he did like Andrea, and he was going to ask her out at the party.

I really should've prepared myself for that better. I knew it would happen, but I was clinging onto the idea that he might miraculously come to the conclusion that he didn't actually like her like he thought he did.

Sucks to suck, Maddie. I guess I just had to avoid them tonight.

Nate was hyping himself up in the car all the way to the party, and Archer was helping too. I'd never seen him that nervous to ask a girl out before. It honestly kinda sucked. I was hoping he didn't like her as much as he did, but I had to remind myself that I told him to go for it, so I had no reason to feel sorry for myself.

"You know the drill," I locked the car once all three of us got out. "Call or text if you wanna leave, and we leave by twelve thirty because Dad said we have to be home before one."

"Yes, mom," Archer rolled his eyes. "I have to ask Lance something. I'll see you guys inside. Lance!"

Nate turned to me, his nervousness obvious to me. "Wish me luck, Mimi."

I gave him a small smile. "Good luck, Pickle. You got this. You're the Nathaniel Reed, after all, you have nothing to worry about."

He winked at me. "That's right."

I followed him inside, and he was immediately surrounded. Nate was a very friendly, social guy, and that meant there were always people around him at parties.

"Hey, Maddie," I felt a tap on my shoulder, making me turn around.

"Hi," I greeted Claire. I didn't know why she was suddenly talking to me, it wasn't like we were very close. "Did you need something?"

She nodded. "I was just wondering if Archer's dating anyone right now. I heard he got a girlfriend this summer, but I don't like to believe in rumors."

Ah, that's why she was talking to me.

Can't say I'm surprised. A lot of girls liked to talk to me to ask me to set them up with my brother. I was used to it. I was decently popular at school, but for some reason, about one of four times people talked to me, it was to talk about Archer.

"The rumors aren't true," I informed her. "My brother didn't get a girlfriend over the summer."

"Really?" her eyes widened. "Then why was that model chick in his Insta stories? Everyone's saying they're dating. Isn't she like twenty or something?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Model chick? You mean Adrienne Connor? She's a close family friend. And what if she's twenty or something? Like I said, they're not dating."

"So if it's not her, it has to be that other girl in his stories, the one from New York. I forgot her name, but she's Sofia Nilsen's niece," Claire insisted.