Free Elly & Kent - The Complete Story: Includes Books 1-3 by Marie Cole

winced when two large raindrops landed on my face. "Oh god. It's going to rain. Like bad. We have to get our stuff to your car. Like--" It was too late. The sky opened up and started to hit us with everything it had.
    By the time we'd gathered our things and gotten into the car we looked like two pathetically wet street dogs. I was angry, sad, bitter. Why had it chosen right now to rain when I was about to pour my heart out?
    I looked over at Kent and he was smiling.
    "Why do you look so happy?"
    "Look." He pointed and I struggled to see what he saw. And when my eyes finally landed on Meghan trying to calm Frank down after he stepped into a huge muddy puddle, I laughed too. He was shaking out a very brown leg.
    "Happy Birthday from the Heavens."

Chapter Nine

    KENT
    I was still watching Frank sink into a large puddle on instant replay in a loop in my mind as we stepped up to my front door, my sneakers squishing with water. Just before I put my hand on the door knob I felt Elly's hand around mine, pulling it towards her.
    I squeezed her hand and nodded towards the door. "Come on."
    "Wait..." she said softly. Something was wrong. My smile slipped, matching her serious expression.
    "What's wrong?"
    "Nothing is wrong, I just..." She was staring at our hands, some of her hair falling into her face. I reached out and put it back into place and at that moment she looked up at me. Her large hazel eyes filled with fear? Anxiety? Uncertainty? She was freaking me out.
    "What?"
    "Kent, I like you a lot and--"
    The front door opened and Jen stepped out. I blinked and stuttered, to my annoyance, as I let Elly's hand go. "J-J-Jen! Hey. Wh-What are you doing here?"
    "I wasn't about to miss your birthday. I hope it's okay that I came over?"
    I was ecstatic and relieved. I hugged her to me, her hands went to my back, they felt so good and sent goosebumps over me. I pulled back and looked between Elly and Jen. Both seemed so uncertain of the other.  
    "It's absolutely okay. Elly and I were just going to play video games until her curfew was up."
    I nodded to Elly, silently hoping she would understand that I wanted Jen to join us. I wasn't weary of her anymore. She had opened up to me a few days ago about her past. About all the douchebag jocks she'd gone out with that she didn't have a taste for anymore. She'd told me she wanted to try a good guy. I figured she was talking about me but I wasn't completely sure. She kissed me and then I ran as fast as I could away from there. I wasn't sure what was going to come next.
    Elly smiled at me and I felt the tension in my shoulders ease considerably. She understood. Thank God. She was such a good friend. I was afraid she wouldn't play the wingman part so well because she was a girl but she was doing a great job.  
    "Shall we, ladies?"
    I reached for the door handle again and this time we entered, me at the rear. My eyes had to adjust to the darkness but once they did I saw a well-lit cake in the middle of my kitchen table.
    Jen's hand touched my back and, despite the cold fabric against my skin, I felt my cheeks sizzle. "Happy Birthday, Kent. Your mom told me about your tradition but I noted that it didn't involve any cake."
    That was because Elly wasn't a huge cake fan so we usually skipped it, but I wasn't about to tell Jen that. I hugged her tightly before pulling away and looking at the glowing cake. It was magnificent. "Thanks, Jen. I've kind of missed cake."
    Elly walked away from the table and into the kitchen. If the set of her shoulders was any indication she was pissed.
    Shit.
    "One minute, Jen." I jogged into the kitchen just in time to save my mom's dishes from Elly's anger. "Woah, hey there. What's wrong with you?"
    "Nothing." She wasn't looking at me and I knew that meant that she was definitely mad about something. Avoidance was her go to. I grabbed her hands and tried to stop her but she forcefully pulled her hands from mine.
    "Don't!"
    I frowned as I stared at her fiery eyes. What