Hazel smiled. “Of course you do.”
“Am I being too obvious?”
She laughed. “No, but c’mon. He’s beautifully put together—quite the package. He’s a great guy, a one girl at a time kind of guy. That quality is hard to come by—especially in a guy as hot as Kasey.”
I frowned.
Hazel laughed with her mouth wide open, the sound echoing. “Don’t worry. Kasey and I have never been anything other than friends. Although I’ll admit freshman year, the year he turned hot, I would have fist fought a monkey to get his attention.” I laughed at that mental picture. “It’s why I made fun of his name so much. That was really the only time he looked at me back then, but it’s because I made fun of his name that he started going by Kasey instead of Kason. At least I know I affected him in some way—even if it wasn’t in the way I wanted,” she winked. “Good thing too, because as they say everything happens—or doesn’t happen in this case—for a reason. Kasey and I never would have worked. Oil and vinegar, but I am glad he’s finally showing some interest in another girl. He really hasn’t since—” Hazel abruptly ended, an almost frightened look overtaking her face.
“What do you mean? Since what?” I turned to look at her directly, instead of her reflection in the mirror. Hazel made herself busy, cleaning the vanity top, putting her makeup away. “You know how guys are,” she shrugged.
“Hazel,” I said, attempting to coax her to look at me.
“It’s no biggie.” She waved a hand in the air as if it was nothing. Then she finally made eye contact with me. “Kasey got hung up on this girl—it didn’t work out—he’s had a hard time moving on from her,” she said nonchalantly.
I knew how rough getting through a breakup could be. I hated the way my breakup with Derrick still made me feel sometimes. He’d been an important part of my life for so long, and then poof. He disappeared completely as if an outside force had sucked him away from me and he was lost somewhere, even though I knew he was fine and probably moving on without considering me at all, as if he and I hadn’t ever happened.
“Breakups blow,” I murmured.
“It’s time for Kasey to let that wound heal—you too,” Hazel added, turning to fluff her hair in the mirror. “I really think you two will be great for each other,” she smiled. “Now c’mon,” she said, walking toward her closet. “Let’s get dressed.”
Hazel had a Tosh-like closet, filled with clothes. “I should have just borrowed something from you,” I gasped, eyeing all of the beautiful things displayed around me.
“No way. I’m like my mother in that aspect. She hates sharing money. I hate sharing my clothes.”
I didn’t ask why, mostly because I didn’t care. The reason wasn’t important to me. I slipped into my new dress and gave myself a long peek in the full-length mirror in Hazel’s bedroom, making sure everything was in place when I heard Kasey’s voice.
“Damn Ryen, you look hot .”
Kasey was standing behind me smiling so wide that I thought he would laugh, and for the first time, I noticed a slight dimple in his right cheek.
Hazel poked her head past the closet door. “You’re only supposed to use that key in case of an emergency,” she said, seeming completely unaffected by Kasey appearing out of thin air, when he’d startled me nearly out of my skin.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kasey muttered, stepping closer to me. “I’m sorry about last night,” I blurted, blushing, embarrassed by what I remembered of my behavior.
Kasey smiled, and then kissed my cheek. “Don’t be,” he whispered. He smelled so good. It was ridiculous. I took a deep breath, tasting the woodsy scent of his cologne, memorizing it. “I am a little disappointed that you didn’t call me though.”
“I’m ready to go,” Hazel called, thankfully interrupting us. Surely, he hadn’t actually expected me to call. “You two can make out later,”
“Am I being too obvious?”
She laughed. “No, but c’mon. He’s beautifully put together—quite the package. He’s a great guy, a one girl at a time kind of guy. That quality is hard to come by—especially in a guy as hot as Kasey.”
I frowned.
Hazel laughed with her mouth wide open, the sound echoing. “Don’t worry. Kasey and I have never been anything other than friends. Although I’ll admit freshman year, the year he turned hot, I would have fist fought a monkey to get his attention.” I laughed at that mental picture. “It’s why I made fun of his name so much. That was really the only time he looked at me back then, but it’s because I made fun of his name that he started going by Kasey instead of Kason. At least I know I affected him in some way—even if it wasn’t in the way I wanted,” she winked. “Good thing too, because as they say everything happens—or doesn’t happen in this case—for a reason. Kasey and I never would have worked. Oil and vinegar, but I am glad he’s finally showing some interest in another girl. He really hasn’t since—” Hazel abruptly ended, an almost frightened look overtaking her face.
“What do you mean? Since what?” I turned to look at her directly, instead of her reflection in the mirror. Hazel made herself busy, cleaning the vanity top, putting her makeup away. “You know how guys are,” she shrugged.
“Hazel,” I said, attempting to coax her to look at me.
“It’s no biggie.” She waved a hand in the air as if it was nothing. Then she finally made eye contact with me. “Kasey got hung up on this girl—it didn’t work out—he’s had a hard time moving on from her,” she said nonchalantly.
I knew how rough getting through a breakup could be. I hated the way my breakup with Derrick still made me feel sometimes. He’d been an important part of my life for so long, and then poof. He disappeared completely as if an outside force had sucked him away from me and he was lost somewhere, even though I knew he was fine and probably moving on without considering me at all, as if he and I hadn’t ever happened.
“Breakups blow,” I murmured.
“It’s time for Kasey to let that wound heal—you too,” Hazel added, turning to fluff her hair in the mirror. “I really think you two will be great for each other,” she smiled. “Now c’mon,” she said, walking toward her closet. “Let’s get dressed.”
Hazel had a Tosh-like closet, filled with clothes. “I should have just borrowed something from you,” I gasped, eyeing all of the beautiful things displayed around me.
“No way. I’m like my mother in that aspect. She hates sharing money. I hate sharing my clothes.”
I didn’t ask why, mostly because I didn’t care. The reason wasn’t important to me. I slipped into my new dress and gave myself a long peek in the full-length mirror in Hazel’s bedroom, making sure everything was in place when I heard Kasey’s voice.
“Damn Ryen, you look hot .”
Kasey was standing behind me smiling so wide that I thought he would laugh, and for the first time, I noticed a slight dimple in his right cheek.
Hazel poked her head past the closet door. “You’re only supposed to use that key in case of an emergency,” she said, seeming completely unaffected by Kasey appearing out of thin air, when he’d startled me nearly out of my skin.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kasey muttered, stepping closer to me. “I’m sorry about last night,” I blurted, blushing, embarrassed by what I remembered of my behavior.
Kasey smiled, and then kissed my cheek. “Don’t be,” he whispered. He smelled so good. It was ridiculous. I took a deep breath, tasting the woodsy scent of his cologne, memorizing it. “I am a little disappointed that you didn’t call me though.”
“I’m ready to go,” Hazel called, thankfully interrupting us. Surely, he hadn’t actually expected me to call. “You two can make out later,”
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