The Year I Became Isabella Anders (Sunnyvale, #1)(42)

“No one’s making fun of you,” he says earnestly. “But I’ll see what I can do with the staring.”

“What? Are you going to ask the entire school to stop looking at me?” I ask jokingly, expecting him to laugh.

“I could do that, but I think I’ll try something else first,” he says with a devious smile as he wiggles his brows at me.

“Don’t do anything that’ll make it worse,” I beg, clasping my hands together. “Please, promise me you won’t, Kai.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in Hannah’s eye,” he says then kisses the tip of my ear before letting me go.

I jolt from the weird kiss move, which only makes him laugh.

“Well, at least you think you’re funny,” I tease him.

“I know you think I’m funny too.” He picks up his half eaten apple then flashes me his pearly whites. “It’s why you’re always laughing when you’re around me.”

I open my mouth to tease him, to tell him he’s never funny, that I never, ever laugh at him, and that he should stop telling jokes all the time, but Kyler walks into the kitchen.

He’s wearing loose fitting basketball shorts and a tank top, and his hair is damp, like he just got out of the shower.

The only time I’ve seen him since I got back from my trip was when he was arguing with Hannah down in the driveway. Being this close to him puts my love/lust meter into confusion mode. I spent three months irritated with him, because I thought he was dating Hannah, and I thought I’d gotten over my crush on him. But then, the other day, I found out he was never really dating her, and now it’s left me feeling more confused than ever.

Do I like him still?

Kinda, sorta, yeah.

“Hey, have you seen my gym bag?” Kyler asks Kai as he heads for the fridge. But when he catches sight of me, he freezes, his brows pulling together. “Hey . . .”

“Hey.” I wince at the breathiness of my voice.

Get your shit together. Don’t be nervous. You’re not like that anymore. You kissed Nyle on the London Eye for Christ’s sake. And you’re not even sure how you feel about him anymore.

Kyler seems to find my spasticness more amusing than repulsive, and smiles at me. I’m convinced he doesn’t recognize me, because he’s never smiled at me like that before, not even when he gave me the rose or hung out with me while we played basketball.

The rose. The pity gift.

I frown, remembering what Hannah told me. Was there any truth to her words?

“Isa, why do you look like you just ate something sour?” Kai asks, yanking me back to reality.

“Because I did eat something sour,” I lie.

Kai rolls his eyes. “Whatever.”

“You look different, Isa,” Kyler says, studying me from head to toe.

Well, at least he seems to know who I am.

“Um, thanks,” I reply, unsure if different is a compliment or not.

“I don’t mean that in a bad way,” Kyler quickly explains. “I just meant that you look different. Good different, I promise.”

He smiles at me, a smile that reaches his eyes. I can’t help but smile back and probably look as goofy as Goofy himself.

“Thanks,” I tell him with more confidence.

His lips part, but Kai cuts him off.

“Your gym bag’s in the car,” he says coldly. “You left it there after practice, and Mom blamed it on me. I have no fucking clue why it’s my responsibility to take care of your shit.”

“She probably thought it was your bag,” Kyler tells him, ripping his attention off me. “You always leave yours in there and it stinks up the car.”

“I haven’t had a gym bag in almost a year.” Kai reclines against the counter with his arms folded.

“I thought you were going to try to get back on the team this year?” Kyler asks Kai, using his lean arms to reach up and open one of the top cupboards.

Kai shakes his head with annoyance flaring in his eyes. “That’s Mom’s wishful thinking. I’m not going to try out for the team. I have better things to do with my time.”

“Like what?” Kyler grabs a box of protein bars before shutting the cupboard. “Get high and watch television?”

Okay, things are really starting to get awkward and uncomfortable. I’m deciding whether I should back out of the room and bail, when Kyler turns to me.

“Sorry about that,” he says to me. “We shouldn’t be arguing like this in front of you.”

Kai scowls at Kyler. “Why? She hears us all the time when she’s out on her balcony, listening to us.”

“Hey.” I shoot Kai a dirty look. “Way to throw me under the bus.”

Kai looks a tab bit remorseful. “Sorry. But he already knows you do it.”

“It’s okay,” Kyler says to me, tucking the box under his arm. “I always thought it was kind of cute the way you watched us.”

He may be trying to make me feel better, but I feel like a class-A freak right now.

“I have to get to practice.” Kyler grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge then backs toward the washroom. “Isa?”

I gradually turn around to look at him. “Yeah?”

“You should come watch one of my games sometime.” He flashes me a dimpled grin. “You could come cheer me on and bring me good luck. Like you did with my free shots.”