Free Edge of Glory (Friendship, Texas Book 1) by Magan Vernon Page B

was supposed to say. All I knew was that eventually the spotlight would be off him. Of us. At least I hoped it would.
     
     

Chapter 8
     
    Sofie went inside, claiming she was getting ready for bed, and the other boys waited in the car. It was the first time that Jay and I had any alone time that night. I wanted to know what was going on in that beautiful head of his, but he was quiet.
    "You know, Saul wont post that stuff for a couple of days, when he edits the footage, so you don't have to worry about your parents or anyone seeing it," Jay said, looking at the sidewalk instead of at me.
    TNC was based out of Dallas and from what little I knew about video editing, I was pretty sure he could have it done in a couple of hours if he wanted to. But I wasn't as concerned about my parents as I was about Jay.
    "Are you okay? You've been kind of going off in your own world," I asked, raising an eyebrow.
    He shrugged.
    "Jay...don't lie to me. Come on. Just tell me what's up."
    He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. "I know he shouldn't, but the guy gets to me. You would think growing up in So Cal and having a sister that has been the butt of every Hollywood rumor would’ve made me a little more adaptable to these things. But it doesn't. I was stupid. I just wanted to swim and then I let everything get to my head. Now I have to deal with the consequences of being an ass."
    I shook my head. "You're not an ass. I mean if I was talented at something and got in the spotlight, I'm sure I'd do much worse."
    "No. You wouldn't. That's just not you."
    I raised an eyebrow.
    He put his hands up. "That's not a bad thing. You're a good person, almost too good for me. It's probably why I keep chasing you. I like the normalcy. I like having a girl around with rules and boundaries, who doesn't take my shit."
    "I'm far from normal."
    Jay took his gloved hand, cupping my chin in his fingers and moving my head up until my eyes met his. "You're real and I like it."
    He leaned in, his breath just a whisper from mine. My lips were eagerly waiting his kiss, when, of course, we were interrupted.
    “Will you hurry it up, I’m freaking starving!" Scotty yelled, laying down on the horn.
    Jay reluctantly pulled away from me, putting his arms out to the side. “Dude, come on!”
    Sofie’s front door opened as she poked her head outside. “Tell him to quit it!  I don’t want my cranky neighbors to call the cops!" She looked at Jay, her overgrown brows furrowed.
    He sighed. “All right…I guess that’s my cue to leave." He slowly turned back toward me, placing a quick peck on my cheek.
    “I’ll text you in the morning. And, or, FaceTime you tonight. Probably both,” he said before he jogged toward the Navigator, grabbing a fist full of snow and throwing it in the open window at Scotty on the way there.
    I followed Sofie inside as her stocking feet slid across the floor while we moved to her bedroom. Sofie’s house was very tiny. I think the whole house could’ve fit into my parents’ living room, but that didn’t stop her dad from piling it with stuff. She never liked to admit it, but he’d become sort of a furniture hoarder since her mom passed away a few years ago. I had to press myself against the wall just to get past the three couches and two recliners in their living room and down the narrow hallway to Sofie’s bedroom.
    Sofie wasn’t a furniture hoarder, like her dad, but she did manage to pile a shitton of stuff in her tiny room. Her twin bed, dresser, and desk all formed a circle with her closet and framed her bright pink shag rug in the middle, which was always covered with celebrity gossip magazines. I stepped over the latest issue of some UK magazine with a headline about the latest celebrity to use a surrogate. Then I grabbed my bag from her desk chair.
    “My parents are going find out about this and I’m going to be grounded forever." I sulked, tossing my coat on her desk chair.
    “Well, it’s not like any of this