Chapter 28
Troy stood with Alison in the lobby as one person after another came up to congratulate her on a beautiful performance. He felt proud and lucky to be the one next to her, holding her hand, basking in the reflected glory. He was in awe of not only her talent, but the grace she displayed with each person she talked to.
“Troy! Alison!” Mila’s voice was nothing but pure joy and excitement as she rushed across the lobby toward them and Troy reacted on instinct. He held his arms wide for her.
As soon as he did it, he realized he’d probably messed up. This new teen version of Mila would probably be utterly humiliated by the idea of hugging her big brother in public.
But before he could move to snatch his arms back down to his sides, Mila launched herself into them and stayed there for a long moment, her arms tight around his neck.
He held her close and put his hand on the back of her head as he drank it in. He forgot for a moment that she was thirteen years old. In that moment, she was just a little girl. His kid sister, giving him a big hug. Depending on him and adoring him just like she used to.
Was it possible that there was a drug that could make a person feel that high? Troy kind of doubted it.
When she pulled back, she was flushed with excitement.
“You were amazing,” he said, ruffling the back of her hair as he let her go. “This deserves a celebration. Ice cream?”
“The show choir kids are all going over to Kiana’s, and then Ashlynn’s mom said I can stay over at their house after. Can I go, Troy? Please? Please please please? Can I go?”
Well, the adoring little sis moment may have been short-lived, but at least it had happened. He’d take it.
“Sure, M. You’ve got your phone?”
She pulled it out of her bag and held it up to show him. Then she turned to Alison. “Oh! Alison! I forgot to ask you. Can you come to my school for career day?”
“Hey! I thought I was coming,” Troy protested.
Mila shrugged. “You can come, too, if you want, I guess.”
He chuckled. “Well, after that ringing endorsement, how could I say no?”
Alison laughed. “Sure, sweetie. I’ll come to your career day.”
“Awesome! Troy can tell you when it is!”
And with that, she and the gaggle of girls she’d run over to them with were gone, as quickly as they’d arrived. To Troy, it all felt like it’d happened in a whirlwind, and he was now doing his best to catch his breath in the aftermath.
He turned to Alison, shaking his head. “I think that means we’re dismissed?”
She grinned. “So, was that offer of ice cream only good for student singers, or can a guest performer get a little sundae love?”
He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Why don’t we skip the rest of the sundae and just go straight for the whipped cream?”
Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated as she drew in a sharp breath. Her reaction, in turn, caused his cock to stiffen in his pants and filled him with an overwhelming compulsion to get out of there as quickly as possible.
“Let’s go,” she said.
“You’re reading my mind.”