On the Outside

by Siera Maley

  “Done and done,” Riley agreed. “I already told you I thought you guys would make a cute couple, anyway.”

  “What else?” I cut in curiously.

  He ran a hand through his hair, and then cracked the first real smile I’d seen from him. “Last, but most importantly: please, please don’t third-wheel me.”

  Riley and I exchanged grins. “Deal,” she echoed, and then stuck her pinky finger out between the three of us. I watched Evan as he glanced back and forth between us.

  “Alright,” he said at last, and lifted his arm, his pinky outstretched. He linked it with Riley’s and echoed, with a disbelieving shake of his head. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… sounds like a deal.”

  I looked at Evan, and one of the corners of his mouth quirked upward as he stared back at me, like he was trying to tell me that even if it took some time, we were going to be okay.

  Then I looked at Riley. Just a few short months ago, I’d been worried that I was losing her, first because of Josh and then because of Evan. Now I had her for the rest of my life, if we wanted.

  She beamed at me, and I grinned back, unable to contain it. We were doing this. We were really doing this.

  “Deal,” I breathed out, and reached out to link my pinky with theirs.