CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“SHOULD WE DANCE?”

The words, whispered almost against her ear, made Nova jump nearly out of her skin. It took her a moment to process the question, blinking at Adrian as her nerves tingled. She had a list building in the back of her thoughts. A dozen lists. Everything she still had to do. Everything that could go wrong tonight.

Adrian gestured toward the dance floor. She spotted Ruby and Oscar already out there. Nova hadn’t noticed them leave the table. Rather than letting his cane impede his moves, Oscar was using it as a prop—spinning Ruby away one second, then using the cane as a pretend fishing pole to “catch” her and reel her back in. Ruby shook her head, momentarily mortified, but her laughter soon took over. And then she was following along, puffing out her cheeks and pretending to swim circles around him. Other dancers were giving them odd looks, but the two could have had the dance floor to themselves for all they seemed to care.

“Yeah,” Nova breathed, reminding herself to act normal. As normal as possible, anyway. “Okay.”

Adrian took her hand as they made their way through the tables. Though his grip was loose, it still sent a series of lightning bolts shooting up her arm.

Only once he’d taken her into his arms and they were surrounded by the upbeat notes of the band did Nova remember that she didn’t know how to do this. She had been trained to fight. To kill. What did she know about dancing?

But Adrian seemed no more comfortable than she was, and she was relieved when the extent of his skills seemed to be pressing one hand against her lower back and turning them around in time with the music. Nova observed their fellow dancers. Her attention found Blacklight, who normally struck her as pompous and vain, but she was surprised to see him intentionally making a mockery of himself. One moment he was flourishing his hands in the air, then twisting his hips in imitation of some mid-century dance steps. He looked like he was having fun.

Not far away was Tsunami, who was dancing with a man who was almost portly compared to her petite frame. They were moving way too slow, and gazing into each other’s eyes, as if for the moment they were the only people in the room. Was that her husband? Nova had never seen him before, and he didn’t at all fit what she would have pictured Tsunami’s partner to look like. Too short, too round, too … balding. He was about as opposite the mate of a great superhero as she could have imagined, but there was no mistaking the doting glimpses between them.

Her jaw clenched, though she wasn’t sure what about them made irritation rear up inside her.

Dragging her focus back to Adrian, Nova tried to school her expression into pleasantness, while inside she wanted to scream. How could Adrian be so nice, so sweet, so authentic, always so damned authentic? How could he be one of them?

“Look, Nova,” started Adrian, “I wanted to make sure that … last night…” He trailed off, and Nova’s pulse jumped as memories jumbled together all over again. His kisses, his hands, the headphones, the star … “I didn’t … cross a line, or anything, did I?”

She laughed, though more from discomfort than anything. “I wasn’t exactly pushing you away,” she said, her cheeks reddening. At the memory of it. At the truth of her words.

A faint smile twitched at his lips. “Yeah, but … I just didn’t want you thinking…” Again, he seemed incapable of finishing his sentence, and Nova wondered what it was she shouldn’t be thinking. Then Adrian’s thoughts seemed to change direction. “And I’m really sorry about the whole falling asleep thing. I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was, and I don’t want you to think that I was … you know. Bored, or something.”

“It’s okay,” she said, the heat in her cheeks becoming nearly insufferable. “You needed the rest.”

He looked away, and she noticed that he didn’t hurry to agree with her. He wasn’t suspicious, was he? She couldn’t tell. Her palms started to sweat and she resisted the urge to wipe them on the shoulders of his tuxedo jacket. She had felt those muscles before, when she’d nestled her head against them moments before falling asleep. She certainly did not need to feel them again. Not tonight.

“For the record,” said Adrian, quieter now, so that she had to strain to hear him, “just in case there’s any … confusion. I really like you, Nova.”

Goose bumps erupted across her skin. He was watching her closely.

She swallowed. “I really like you too.”

It wasn’t even a lie.

Adrian seemed relieved, if not entirely surprised by her confession.

“I’m glad,” he said. “Because I know I haven’t always been super smooth when it comes to … this.” He gestured between the two of them.

She lifted an eyebrow. “No, you’re clearly a neophyte when it comes to … this.” She mimicked his gesture.

Rather than laugh, as she expected, Adrian’s small smile turned to a confused frown. “Neophyte?”

“Sorry,” said Nova, chuckling again, and wondering if it was possible for her to be any more terrible at this. “It means amateur.”

“I know what it—” Adrian caught himself, and his frown deepened further. She could see him contemplating something as he stared at her.

“What?” she asked.

Adrian shook himself. “Nothing. Just, for a second you reminded me of … someone.” He shook his head again and forced a brighter grin. “Never mind.”

“Can I cut in?” interrupted Oscar, nudging Adrian out of the way before either of them had a chance to respond.

Adrian gaped at him. “Oh … uh, sure?” he stammered.

Nova smiled and allowed Oscar to spin her away. Glancing back, she saw Adrian retreating from the dance floor.

“Before you get carried away,” she said, “just know that I will not be reeled in.”

Oscar gave her a strange look. “What?”

“That move you were doing earlier? With the … fishing pole?”

It took him another second, before comprehension dawned and he let out an uncomfortable, decidedly un-Oscar-like chuckle.

They started dancing, but the ease Oscar had shown with Ruby was replaced with jerky movements and a tense expression.

“Is everything okay?” said Nova, even as her attention strayed to the clock again.

“Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Things are great. Nice shindig, right?”

“Very nice.”

He cleared his throat and glanced around the dance floor, then tugged Nova closer to him. “Okay, be honest. How do you think I’m doing?”

She blinked. “Doing?”

“With Ruby. I’ve been trying to impress her all night but I can’t get a read on her. Do you think she’s having a good time?”

“Um … yes?” said Nova. “You both looked like you were having fun.”

“We did, didn’t we? I mean, I was. Having fun, I mean. While also feeling like at any moment I could throw up all over her shoes, which—I don’t want to do that. They’re nice shoes, you know?”

Nova didn’t know, but she smiled sympathetically anyway.

“Okay, let me ask you this. Renegade to Renegade. Bosom buddy to bosom buddy.”

“Are we—?”

“Don’t deny it.”

She bit her lip.

“To your knowledge, have the words ‘Wow, that Oscar is such a thoughtful and/or studly and/or impossibly irresistible guy’ ever passed Ruby’s lips?”

Nova smothered a laugh. “Uh … not those exact words, no.”

He brightened hopefully. “But similar words?”

“I don’t know, Oscar. She clearly likes spending time with you, and you’re so good to her brothers. I’m sure she thinks it’s really … sweet.”

His expression turned thoughtful. “Thoughtful sweet or studly sweet?”

“I’m not sure I know what ‘studly sweet’ is.”

“Yeah, me neither.” He glanced toward their table, then spun Nova once beneath his arm. She was surprised at how her body reacted to his lead, and it occurred to her that, despite all his antics, despite needing the cane for occasional support, Oscar actually did know how to dance.

“You’ve liked her for a long time, haven’t you?”

He smiled wistfully. “From the first moment I saw her at the Renegade trials. But there’s always been a part of me that thought … you know, she wouldn’t be interested in me like that.”

Nova frowned. She’d never, not once, heard Oscar say anything remotely self-conscious before. It was a little bewildering.

He caught her expression and lifted his chin. “Don’t worry, I’m over that now. You remember that barista I saved after the hospital heist? I mean, with Ruby’s help.”

“The ‘damsel’?”

“Yeah. I know you weren’t there but she was, like, really into me. And it made me think, you know what? I’m a total catch.”

Nova laughed as he pulled her close again. “I can find no fault in your logic.”

“Right. So. Give me some pointers. How did you and Adrian get out of the friend zone?”

Nova stared at him. Is that how people viewed her and Adrian? That they’d been friends, and now they were something more?

She wanted to believe it was due to her being such an amazing actress, but she knew that wasn’t the case at all. As much as she wanted to tell herself differently, there wasn’t much acting where Adrian was involved, and there hadn’t been for a long time.

She did like him. More than she should. More than she wanted to admit.

“You could tell her, you know.” She shrugged. “Just tell her that you like her as more than a friend and see what happens.”

He shot her a disgruntled look. “Really? That’s the best you’ve got?”

“It’s a legitimate course of action.”