After waking up suddenly in my typical state of tears, sweat, and panic, I was able to calm myself down relatively quickly compared to usual, forcing me to acknowledge that Lucien had been right. The training might not have been improving my ability to sleep, but it made everything more manageable. The physical exertion and regular release of my magic kept everything at a more reasonable level, and I finally felt somewhat in control again.

The glaring red numbers from the clock on my bedside table told me that it was only four in the morning. Groaning in aggravation, I kicked my comforter off, preparing to start my day earlier than I'd hoped.

After my run and morning training, I returned to the house with Lucien about the time the sun was rising. Uncle Ben was slumped on the couch looking exhausted when we entered the room.

"Hey, late night?" I asked idly, dropping into the recliner adjacent to him.

"No. Just didn't sleep well," he replied through a yawn.

"Welcome to my life," I responded, earning concerned looks from both men in the room.

Pretending not to notice their concern, I relaxed back into the comfortable leather recliner. The image of Caribbean blue eyes floating through my mind reminded me that I'd fallen asleep the night before without texting Everett. Unsure of what to say, I opened a new text and chose to start simple.

"Hey," I sent and dropped the phone in my lap, not expecting a response so early in the morning. I was surprised when it chirped with a new message only moments later. I tried to ignore how my heart sped up in my chest in response to seeing his name on the screen.

"Hey," it read. Another quickly followed behind the first. "Ari?"

I sent a quick reply confirming it was me and asking what he was doing. I only had to wait a few seconds for an answer.

"Still in bed. Barely awake. Why are you up so early on a Sunday?"

I had to forcibly shove away the sudden image in my head of him lying in bed shirtless, hair all messed up. Shifting in my chair uncomfortably, I cast a nervous glance at the others in the room, hoping they hadn't noticed any shift in my expression.

After getting my vivid imagination under control, I replied, "I've been up for hours already."

"You want to meet up and do something?" He asked, and I sucked in a surprised breath and tamped down my unwanted excitement.

I hesitated to respond, feeling like I should tell him about Lawrence. My conscience wouldn't allow me to see him again without him knowing my situation.

"I'm kind of seeing someone," I finally responded.

For the first time, his response wasn't immediate. After a few minutes of silence, I dropped my phone with a sigh. I didn't receive any more texts until after I'd finished taking a shower and was drying my hair. At the sound of an incoming text, I fumbled to turn the dryer off and grabbed my phone.

"Is it serious?"

I took a moment to think through my words before answering his loaded question. "No. I mean, I like him, but I've only been seeing him a little more than a week," I finally answered candidly.

I did like Lawrence, but I didn't think it was all that serious- not yet, anyway. And I wasn't sure if the situation even had the potential to become serious now that Everett had stepped into the picture and demanded my attention from the moment I'd laid eyes on him. I wasn't ready to just write Lawrence off either, though. I was taking Lucien's advice and taking my time to sort through my feelings before making any decisions I couldn't take back.

"So, we'll just be friends..." he responded, and another text immediately followed the first. "For now."

I couldn't help the slight twitch of my lips at his words. My smile grew when another thought occurred to me. It probably wasn't the best idea, but he'd said we could be friends. I planned to cling to those words until I untangled the confusing emotions within me. I quickly typed out another message and hit send before I could rethink it and back out.

"Well, since we're friends... My friends and I are meeting up at the ice rink in Claywood around lunchtime to go skating. Wanna come?"

I released the breath I was holding when his response came through. "Will he be there?"

"No. Just hanging out with friends," I responded, chewing on my cheek nervously while I awaited his answer. This time he took no time to text back.

"See you around lunchtime."

Once I dropped my phone back on the bathroom counter, I gripped the edge and stared at my reflection in the mirror, wondering if I'd just made a mistake. Eventually, I shrugged my shoulders and decided to let it go. It was done now, and there was no harm in being friends as long as we didn't cross any lines.

Hours later, I finished touching up my hair and makeup at the exact moment I heard a horn honk outside. I ran out my main door and down the stairs to find Julian already by the front door, slinging on a coat. My steps faltered, and I glanced curiously at my brother.

"You going too?"

Eyes glued to his phone, he nodded. "Emily is going with Micah and invited me." He paused and flicked a hesitant look in my direction. "That okay?"

"Fine with me. I was just curious," I said with a shrug of my shoulders, not really caring either way.

We walked outside to find Micah, Oliver, Hazel, and Emily all squished into the cab of Micah's truck. There was no way two more people would fit unless we rode in the back, and the freezing temperatures forced me to dismiss that idea as quickly as it entered my mind. I walked up to Micah's window and leaned through with my arms braced on the door as soon as he lowered the glass.

"There's no way we can all fit. I'll take my car too. Who wants to ride with us?"

Emily and Hazel immediately started trying to squeeze their way out of the truck, climbing over Oliver to reach the passenger door.

"I invited someone to come hang out with us. That okay?" I asked, darting my eyes between Micah and Oliver. My fingers started tapping rapidly on the inside of Micah's door, anticipating their reaction. 

They both shrugged, but my eyes caught the tightening of Micah's shoulders beneath his fleece jacket.

"Lawrence?" He asked.

"No. I'll see him later. After we get back."

He raised an eyebrow curiously, but it only took a second for realization to dawn on his face. He chuckled, but his eyes held a certain seriousness as he stared into mine. "I know I said you weren't doing anything wrong, but meeting him today and Lawrence tonight is pushing it."

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from. I wasn't entirely comfortable with it myself, but I didn't see how to work out my feelings for either guy if I avoided them.

"I told him I'm seeing someone. We're just friends," I mumble in defense.

He nodded, but his lips turned up in an amused smirk. "Sure."

I leaned further into the door for more privacy from the others outside the truck, needing him to know where I stood. I didn't want him thinking badly of me.

"I don't know what I feel, Micah- for either of them. I'm confused. My first date with Lawrence was my first date ever. Lucien told me to take my time and figure my feeling out before making any decisions. So, that's what I'm going to do. I can't figure out what I'm feeling for him if I don't spend any time with him, though."

He nodded in understanding, but I could still see the strange mixture of amusement and disapproval in his bright blue eyes.

"Can you just try to be nice?" I finally asked, giving up on explaining myself for now.

"I'll try," he responded with a subtle nod. I turned to walk back to my own car, but his hand shot out, gripping my shoulder. When I glanced around, his expression had changed to one of worry. "I don't know if you're going to be able to be just friends with this guy, Ari. I was there when you two met. The attraction was palpable. I'm not judging you, though. I just don't want this to blow up in your face."

I nodded silently, knowing what he meant. I had the same worry. I wanted to try to be friends with him, though. I wanted to get to know him. I jogged back to my car, pushing any remaining worries aside. I was determined to enjoy the day. 

About a half-hour later, we pulled into the ice rink parking lot in Claywood that was used for all the high school hockey teams in the county. Micah had told me that they were open for anyone who wanted to come skate on Sundays. I had obviously never been ice skating before, and I'd been looking forward to giving it a try.

I scanned the mostly empty lot and didn't see Everett. I thought back to the first time I saw him climbing out of his car in front of the bookstore, and I didn't see that car anywhere either.

Our group entered the building, and I looked around curiously. We walked into an open area with a few sports posters hanging on the wall and a counter with a teenage boy leaning against it looking bored. He glanced up from the magazine on the counter before him as we approached.

Micah, Hazel, and Oliver had their own, but Emily, Julian, and I needed to rent skates to use. We all paid to skate, with me paying for Julian and myself. We gave the boy our shoe sizes and received some worn-looking ice skates.

Following behind the others through another door, I found myself in a huge hockey arena. I scanned the bleachers surrounding the ice and saw multiple small groups of people sitting around talking. Glancing at the few people skating, I didn't think it looked too hard.

We all sat down to put our skates on, and Oliver nudged my shoulder, pulling my eyes to him while I finished tying my laces.

"You ever been skating before?" He asked quietly.

I shook my head in denial. "It doesn't look all that hard, though."

The others chuckled, and Oliver rubbed a finger against his eyebrow, looking torn between amusement and worry. "Sure. I'm sure you'll be fine."

Micah leaned forward to see me around the others seated between us. "I'll help you. Don't worry about it. I bet you pick it up quick." 

I nodded in agreement and watched as Oliver and Hazel got up and left, gliding effortlessly across the ice. Julian and Emily followed, with Julian looking a little unsteady but managing to stay on his feet.

Micah reached out, grabbing my hand, and pulled me to my feet. My legs immediately wobbled, protesting against balancing on only a thin blade. My eyes widened, and a laugh bubbled out of Micah. I had a feeling that things were about to get embarrassing. I wasn't wrong.

As soon as my skates hit the ice, they tried to shoot out in opposite directions. Micah quickly grabbed my waist, barely keeping me from going down in a horrible impression of doing the splits. I could feel his chest shaking as it brushed against my back, and I rolled my eyes with a groan of annoyance.

"You could at least pretend to be sympathetic," I mumbled.

He laughed under his breath before maneuvering his way around me without loosening his grip on my waist. He now stood in front of me with his back to the ice.

"Just stand for now. Can you stand?"

I looked down dubiously at the skates on my feet before responding hesitantly, "I think so."

Micah bit down on his lips, trying to contain his laughter while he watched me try to maneuver my feet back under myself. Every time I tried, though, my skates didn't seem to cooperate with what I was trying to do. They seemed to have a mind of their own and decided where they wanted to go without my consent.

After a minute of trying, I finally stood on my own. He kept his hands lightly resting on my waist, ready to catch me if he needed to.

"Okay. Just like that. Just stand for now. Focus on balancing," he said as he glided backward. He let go of my waist and quickly grabbed onto my hands instead, pulling me along with him.

Oliver and Hazel skated past us, not even bothering to hide their laughter. Oliver raised an eyebrow teasingly at me as he passed. "Thought it didn't look too hard?"

I wanted to flip him off but was too scared to let go of Micah's hands to do so. Micah skated around backward for a few minutes, pulling me along with him, and I managed to stay on my feet. Barely. He guided me over to the outside of the ice and lifted one of my hands to place it on the wall. He tried to let go of my other hand, but I gripped it tightly.

"What are you doing?" I asked, more than a little panicked.

He bit down on his lip again, trying not to laugh. "I think you've got the standing part down for the most part. Now you need to try to skate. I'll stay right here with you."

I gulped but nodded, letting go of his hand. I had a death grip on the top edge of the wall with my other hand, but I still froze at the feeling of being on my own. This wasn't going at all how I'd imagined it in my head.

I was standing without Micah's support, but I wasn't confident that I could move. After a long hesitation, I moved one foot, attempting to skate, but I immediately lost my balance. I started to fall backward, but I felt hands once again wrap tightly around my waist, keeping me from falling. These hands felt very different, though, causing me to suck in a surprised breath.

I glanced up to see Micah standing a few feet away with a smirk on his face. Glancing back over my shoulder, I already knew who I would find standing there. My eyes immediately caught on the Caribbean blue ones that seemed to occupy my thoughts lately. He looked down at me, looking just as amused as everyone else was.

"I got it from here," he said, momentarily glancing away from me to look at Micah. Micah ignored his comment and didn't move, meeting my eyes, silently asking if I wanted him to leave. I nodded subtly, and he turned to go join the others.

Everett effortlessly lifted my weight so I could get my feet back under me. As soon as I had my balance, he began to skate, pushing me along the ice.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

I nodded, glancing back at him over my shoulder. "I'm starting to realize that ice skating might not have been the best idea."

He chuckled, and I felt him move slightly closer to my back. "You'll get it eventually."

Doubtful. "I don't think so. This is embarrassing. My brothers never skated before either, and he seems to be doing fine."

I glanced over to the other side of the rink, and sure enough, Julian seemed to be doing fine where he skated next to Emily. Everett's hands tightened on my waist for a second, pulling my attention back over my shoulder.

"I won't let you fall," he said confidently.

I nodded, trying to ignore the feelings his hands on my waist were causing, and I glanced back at him suspiciously.

"Just friends, right?"

He smirked at me, and his eyes danced with something I couldn't put my finger on. "I'm just being a friend. You didn't seem to mind your other friend holding onto you while he skated around."

"Yeah, well, it didn't feel like this when Micah was holding me," I mumbled under my breath, but I knew he heard me when I felt him shift closer still. His chest brushed my back with every move he made now, his breath fanning the back of my neck. I shivered involuntarily and heard him suck in a sharp breath.

"What about the guy you're seeing? Does it feel like this when he touches you?" he whispered right next to my ear.

I thought about it and couldn't deny that it didn't feel like this with Lawrence either. I felt something for Lawrence. I enjoyed his touch, but it wasn't like this. My reaction to the two guys was slightly different, but I couldn't figure out what it meant.

Finally, I shook my head slowly to answer his question and heard him release a heavy breath. We both fell into heavy silence after that, but he didn't move away. He stayed just close enough to brush his chest against my back as he pushed me around the rink. Every now and then, his thumb would move slightly, grazing back and forth along my waist, distracting me and causing me to almost lose my balance every time he did it.

After a few minutes, he started quietly humming a song under his breath. I didn't recognize the song, which was surprising, but I enjoyed it all the same. It caused me to relax in his hold. Without realizing it, I leaned back into his hold a little more. The stubble on his chin brushed roughly against the top of my head, sending a shiver up my spine.

When I saw my friends glide off the ice one by one, I asked Everett to follow them. When we reached the edge of the ice, he released my waist, allowing me a small relief from my body's reaction to his touch. I wobbled my way over to my friends, only having to reach out to grab his arm once to keep myself from falling. All of my friends were laughing by the time we reached where they sat.

"You can all kiss my ass," I said with mock hostility.

"You going to introduce us to your friend?" Emily asked innocently. I had a feeling Micah and Hazel had already filled them in, at least on the bare minimum of who he was.

I made quick introductions and dropped onto the bench at the end of the group, with Everett sitting beside me. Everyone fell into easy conversation. Hazel and Julian seemed to get along well with Everett, but Micah, Oliver, and Emily seemed hesitant and maybe even a little uncomfortable around him. Their tense body language was similar to how they reacted to Lawrence's presence.

Everett didn't seem to mind their unease, or maybe he didn't notice. He occupied himself with mostly talking to Julian and me. I watched my brother's eyes light up with excitement when the topic of baseball came up and decided to just sit back and listen, letting the two of them talk. The fact that Everett seemed to get along well with my brother warmed my heart.

While they talked, Everett admitted that he wasn't really a big sports fan, but he seemed to know all about it, talking about players I'd never heard of and stats like it was all common knowledge.

"If sports aren't your thing, what is?" Julian asked curiously.

"Music and photography," Everett answered immediately.

Julian's eyes briefly flicked to me before turning back to Everett. Even though we'd never really had a relationship or talked about our likes and dislikes, my deep love of music was well known in the family. He'd seen enough instruments and equipment come into the house through the years to know all about my obsession.

I tried to tamp down my curiosity about Everett's admission, but Julian didn't have the same qualms.

"Oh, do you play any instruments?" He asked.

"Yeah, I can play guitar and the drums," Everett replied casually, completely clueless to the excitement thrumming through my veins at his words.

"What a coincidence," Julian muttered quietly, eyes darting between Everett and me with a knowing look.

Everett turned to look at me curiously, unsure of what Julian meant, but I looked away, locking my eyes onto Micah. I'd talk music with him later. While I'm still feeling unsteady from the after-effects of his hands on my waist didn't seem like the time to discuss something we had in common. Not as long as Lawrence was still in the picture.

I hated to admit that Micah might be correct, and maybe I couldn't be friends with this guy. The way I was constantly fighting against the desire to lean closer to his side definitely supported Micah's theory. I was starting to feel like I was skating on thin ice with the guy currently sitting beside me with his eyes glued to the side of my face, and I had no intention of falling. But at the same time, that same invisible force that wouldn't let me walk away from him in the bookstore was still drawing me to him, making me want to know more about him.

When we all stood to leave, Olive threw a friendly arm around Hazel's shoulders as they walked away. I tensed in surprise when Everett took the opportunity to throw his own arm around my shoulders. My stomach tightened at the contact, but not in the usual, painful way. I glanced up at his face uncertainly, and he looked down at me, eyes dancing with mirth.

With a small shrug of his shoulders, he tightened his arm around me, causing me to press tighter into his side for a moment. "Friends walk like this. See?" He pointed towards Oliver and Hazel, and I rolled my eyes in an attempt to hide my growing amusement at his blatant antics. I didn't try to move away from him, though, enjoying the feeling of being tucked under his arms a little too much. This should have been a giant red flag pushing me to move away, but I ignored it for reasons I didn't understand.

I caught Micah watching us closely from the corner of my eye but chose to pretend that I didn't. Everett dropped his arm when we reached the car, seeming reluctant to do so. I turned to face him and leaned back against the car door. "Thanks for coming. Sorry, you didn't get to really skate since you were so busy holding me up."

His lips ticked up into a playful grin. "I didn't come to skate, Ari. I came to hang out with you. I had fun."

Biting my lip nervously, I dropped my eyes to my feet, unsure how to respond. He used one finger to gently tip my chin back up and pushed a little hair out of my face that had escaped from the messy bun on top of my head. As soon as my eyes landed on his, his smile grew.

"I'll text you later," he mumbled and turned to walk away without waiting for a response.

As soon as I fell into the driver's seat, Julian, Emily, and Hazel instantly bombarded me with questions about Everett, Lawrence, and what was going on. Since I saw them all as friends- even my little brother seemed to be becoming a friend- I told them all about how confused I was, how Everett and I had agreed to be friends, and how I was trying to figure out my feelings.

"So, you have feelings for both of them?" Julian asked hesitantly from the backseat, and I cringed.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to be honest. "I feel... something with both of them. I just don't know what exactly. That's the problem. I just had my first crush less than two weeks ago. I'm completely clueless about these things."

Everyone nodded in understanding and fell silent, settling for listening to the radio for the rest of the ride. When we pulled back into the driveway, the first thing I noticed was Lawrence seated on my front steps. A pang of guilt hit me square in the chest when I looked at him, but I fought through it. I hadn't done anything wrong. Not really.

Julian entered the house, only nodding in Lawrence's direction on his way by. The rest of my friends waved without a word while squishing into the cab of Micah's truck to leave. With only a tiny hesitation, I dropped onto the step beside Lawrence and waited for him to say something.

"Hey, I wanted to see you. So, I just walked over. Is that okay?" He asked, reaching out to hold my hand. His fingers slid into place between mine, and the butterflies in my stomach took flight, making me almost groan in aggravation. My earlier guilt came flooding back. This whole situation was all starting to overwhelm me.

I knew at that moment that I shouldn't be friends with Everett. Not while I was still seeing Lawrence.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, clearly seeing something in my face that I didn't want him to see.

I opened my mouth, intending to come clean and tell him everything, when I got distracted by my uncle's car pulling into the driveway. He and Lucien climbed out of the car and approached where we sat, both eyeing the two of us carefully.

"Hey, where were you guys?" I asked, grasping at the respite they unknowingly provided with both hands.

"I was helping Ben put some finishing touches on the bar and grill," Lucien replied, and only then did I notice he was wearing his usual training attire of workout pants and a shirt with the sleeves cut off that had new spots of paint splattered across it.

"If you ever need more help, let me know," I said, feeling slightly guilty for not having offered before.

Uncle Ben nods tiredly and pats my shoulder as he passes by me on the steps, removing his hand quickly but not fast enough to avoid my resulting discomfort. He turns to glance at me with a little wince, trying to apologize for his slip without words, and I wave him off. Right before he reaches the door of the house, he stops suddenly and turns back to face us.

"Hey, Lawrence. I've seen your face around here a couple times, but I don't know you. I'd like to know the guy that's spending time with my niece. Why don't you bring your family over tomorrow evening so we can all meet?"

My eyes widened and shot to Lucien pleadingly, but he just shrugged his shoulders helplessly at me in return. We both knew that it'd be rude to retract the invitation that my uncle had so thoughtlessly extended. Here I was trying to decide if I would dump him for someone else, and my uncle had just invited his whole family to the house. Puffing out my cheeks, I expelled a breath, trying to get rid of the nerves tangling in my stomach.

When Lawrence glanced my way with a questioning look, I tried to force a smile, but I wasn't sure if it was convincing anyone. He studied my face for a moment before turning back to face my uncle.

"I'll talk to them this evening and let Ari know if they can make it or not," he said politely.

Uncle Ben nodded and turned to enter the house, leaving me fighting the urge to chase after him and ask if he'd completely forgotten our talk the day before. If I chose to stay with Lawrence, this would be fine, but this could only complicate matters if I didn't.