Smile Like You Mean It (Charlotte Reynolds Book 1)

by Willow Hadley

  Maybe I’m not around girls often enough, like Grayson’s moms are always saying. But I mean, I’ve had girlfriends in the past. And I’ve never been so attracted to any girl before like I was when I saw Charlotte playing around in the kitchen with Grayson and Sebastian.

  Remy glares at me for laughing before responding to Sebastian. “Of course I’ve seen her. Don’t be stupid. I just mean, we should still treat her normally, like, I don’t know, like how we’d treat anyone we want to be friends with.”

  Sebastian furrows his eyebrows and runs his fingers through his hair. “You’re the one flirting with her!” He waves his hands around and adds, “Elliot and Grayson too!”

  Grayson meets my eyes with a matching grin on his face. “Yeah well, it’s not like we can help it exactly.”

  Sebastian rolls his eyes. “Just try to cut it out. And help me clean up the kitchen so Charlotte doesn’t think she needs to do it later.”

  I jump up to unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher. It was really sweet of Charlotte to make breakfast for us like that. And I know she offered, because there’s no way in hell Sebastian or Grayson would have asked her or suggested it. It tasted amazing too, and I couldn’t help thinking of my mom while I was eating. I try not to think of her often or else I start getting angry. But this morning, this just made me feel happy and nostalgic.

  I’m determined to make it up to Charlotte. I want to make her happy today too.

  Chapter Eight

  It takes me longer to get ready than I thought it would. I try to keep my hair and makeup simple, but I end up changing my outfit a few times. I keep mentally slapping myself for being stupid. The boys have already seen me looking like a nightmare, so it doesn’t even matter.

  It’s quiet enough downstairs while I’m rushing to grab a purse that I feel a moment of panic thinking the boys already left without me. When I open my bedroom door, I hear Elliot’s barking laugh and relief washes over me.

  I smooth my hands over my skirt and take a deep breath. I hope they’re not pissed about waiting for so long, and I really wish I had a full-length mirror, but there’s no way I’m going to ask for one. For my outfit of the day, I finally settled on a chambray top with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into a floral-printed skirt that flares out. I’m also wearing the cutest pair of wedges, which give me an extra couple of inches height-wise.

  Liam always seems freaked out by me being so quiet, so I try to make some noise when I walk down the stairs. The boys are in the living room. It looks like Sebastian and Elliot are wrestling on the floor while the other three sit by, watching and egging them on. They don’t hear me since they’re all distracted. With a quick glance into the kitchen, I see that the mess and everything from breakfast has been cleaned up. I’m not sure if it was one of the guys or all of them, but my heart warms at their thoughtfulness.

  I stand behind one of the couches, watching the guys play, smiling happily. They’re being dumb, but it’s really cute. I reach my hand out and brush my fingers over Liam’s shoulder since he’s sitting almost right in front of me.

  He jerks forward and falls off the couch. “Jesus Christ!” he shouts and turns his head to see me standing there, and he stutters. “Charlotte, please. You’ve got to stop doing that!”

  I widen my eyes, trying so hard not to laugh at his reaction like the other boys are. “I swear I tried to make noise this time!”

  Elliot is still pinning Sebastian down on the ground, and he grins at me while Sebastian struggles to push him off. “You’re going to be fucking spectacular at helping me prank these guys.”

  Sebastian shoves Elliot off of him and he sits up, frantically smoothing his hair down. “Sorry, we were just, uh, playing around while we waited for you.”

  I don’t know why he’s apologizing, but I smile sheepishly and do the same. “Sorry I took so long.”

  Elliot eyeballs my shoes skeptically and raises his eyebrows. “Are you gonna be able to walk in those things all day?”

  The other guys look at my feet, completely in sync. It’s kind of hilarious and I can’t help laughing. “We established my height already. I need all the help I can get.”

  They chuckle, and Elliot quickly stands up and walks over to me. He surprises me by putting his arm around my shoulders and gently pushes me toward the front door. “At least you’re still shorter than me. You ready to go?”

  God, this sounds so stupid, but it’s been so long since I’ve been so close to such a cute guy. It makes me feel nervous and giddy all at once, so I nod without saying anything while we walk outside. There’s a black SUV in the driveway. I remember seeing it the other day when I came back from shopping with Evelyn, but I wasn’t sure which of the boys it belonged to.

  Elliot drops his arm from my shoulders when we reach the car, and he surprises me again by opening the passenger door for me. It’s such a sweet gesture and I smile brightly at him while I mumble thank you.

  The other guys are coming outside, and Sebastian is locking the front door. Elliot’s eyes soften and he leans close to me. Even though I’m pretty sure my cheeks are turning red, I don’t break eye contact with him.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call or text you this week,” he whispers. “Arthur and these guys are idiots.”

  I’m taken aback, and standing this close to him is making me feel stupid. I nervously whisper, “Me too. I was just afraid.”

  Elliot’s smile gets bigger, and his blue-gray eyes are practically gleaming. “Don’t be afraid. Me and you are going to be best friends. I can feel it.”

  If anyone else said something like that, I’d think they were joking or saying it to make me happy. But he says it so matter-of-factly and looks completely genuine. I really want to hug him for it. Instead, I beam at him before I slide into the passenger seat.

  Sebastian comes up behind Elliot and gives him an exasperated look as he opens the door to the back seat. “I told you guys to stop flirting with her. You didn’t even last five minutes!”

  Elliot rolls his eyes and flashes me his wolfish grin before shutting my door for me. I laugh quietly. It didn’t feel like Elliot was flirting with me, but it’s sweet that Sebastian is acting protective over me like that. The guys pile into the SUV with Liam taking the driver’s seat. He smiles shyly at me when our eyes meet. I hope he’s alright with me sitting up front next to him.

  Before Liam starts the car, Grayson asks, “You’re not bringing your camera?”

  I turn my head to see him addressing Sebastian, who is sitting in the middle row next to him. Remy and Elliot are in the third row. Sebastian glances at me and shakes his head at Grayson’s question.

  Liam turns his head and narrows his eyes in confusion. “You never leave the house without it. We can wait while you go and grab it really quick.”

  Sebastian clears his throat. “Nah, it’s fine. I don’t really feel like bringing it with me.”

  This is apparently an odd occurrence, because everybody’s quiet for a moment. Sebastian’s face is slowly turning red, and I feel like I’m missing something. Does he not want to bring his camera because of me for some reason?

  Remy breaks the silence. “Why don’t you bring it just in case you change your mind later?”

  Sebastian hesitates, glancing at me again. I guess he can’t think of a good argument, because he sighs and gets out of the car to walk back up to the house. I want to ask the other guys if he’s acting weird because of me, but I’m not sure if I’m overthinking the situation or not.

  Grayson leans forward and starts messing with the Bluetooth on Liam’s radio. “Hey Charlotte, do us a favor? Let Sebastian take your picture today.”

  I don’t know how to respond, so I keep my face blank and mumble, “Um, okay.”

  Grayson turns his head so he can meet my eyes and smiles. “He takes pictures of all of us all the time. I’m just afraid he’s worried you’ll think it’s weird when he starts shoving a camera in your face.”

  Elliot laughs from the back seat. �
��Yeah, it gets a little annoying sometimes. We’ve all learned to just ignore him when he’s doing it now.”

  Liam sighs in annoyance when Grayson finishes connecting his phone to the Bluetooth. “Seriously dude? Let Charlotte pick what we listen to.”

  Grayson doesn’t look up while he’s doing something on his phone. “Calm down. She likes this song.”

  I’m still mulling over what he said about Sebastian taking my picture. It makes me feel nervous, but I think it’s so freaking sweet that these guys seem so supportive of Sebastian’s photography. So, I’m completely shocked when Maps for the Getaway by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness starts playing over the radio.

  My mouth pops open in surprise and I turn to look at Grayson. I didn’t think anything of his comment a second ago, but this is the song I was humming when I was making breakfast earlier. It’s been stuck in my head all morning, and I can’t believe Grayson was paying close enough attention to pick up on it.

  He looks back at me with a half-smile and pushes his tongue against his lip ring like he’s nervous and waiting for me to react. I feel butterflies flutter in my stomach, and I’m so incredibly happy that he made such a sweet gesture for me. I smile bigger than I have in such a long time and let out a giggle, not even caring if it sounds stupid.

  Grayson’s green eyes light up, reminding me of springtime. “I like this song too. I was gonna say something earlier when you were humming it, but you looked so focused when you were making breakfast that I didn’t want to interrupt.”

  I say the first thing that pops into my head. “You play guitar, right?”

  He nods and laughs a little. “Yeah. Did my mom tell you that?”

  I’m nodding my head and still smiling like an idiot when Sebastian opens the door to get back in the car. He goes still when I meet his eyes, hovering halfway in the vehicle with one hand holding his camera even though it’s hanging around his neck. When he doesn’t move, I feel myself starting to blush.

  Liam clears his throat, pulling my attention to him. He’s smiling so sweetly, and still seems shier than the other guys when it comes to talking to me. “Did Evelyn say anything else about any of us?”

  “She told me how long you guys have all been friends and everything.”

  Liam smiles, concentrating on the road as he backs out of the driveway and drives out of the neighborhood. “Did she tell you how Elliot and I made friends with Sebastian and Grayson?”

  I shake my head, and Elliot barks out a laugh. “Grayson punched me in the face and broke my nose in sixth grade because I was talking too much.”

  I spin around in my seat to raise my eyebrows at Grayson with a grin on my face. He laughs. “It’s true. Instead of getting suspended, my mom convinced the principal that Elliot and I just needed to spend some quality time together. We started getting partnered up for every stupid little thing in every class and during every event.”

  Elliot sighs loudly. “And we’ve been inseparable ever since.”

  The boys keep me laughing during the entire drive, telling me more details about how they became friends before Remy moved here. Like Grayson and Sebastian, Liam and Elliot also grew up together and have been best friends pretty much their entire lives. Remy laughs along with their stories, but he’s quiet like I am and doesn’t add anything. I wonder how he managed to become part of their little group, and if he felt anything like how I do now—desperate to be friends with all of them but unsure of how to go about it. None of them bring up how they met Remy, so I guess he’ll continue to remain a mystery to me for now.

  I also can’t help noticing the music playing quietly through Liam’s radio. It’s mostly background noise, but I recognize every single song. I know it’s Grayson’s playlist, so I’m totally giddy that we have similar taste in music.

  When we get to the downtown area they’ve told me about, I stare excitedly out the windows. The streets look busy and every shop looks bright and welcoming. It took us a little under twenty minutes to get here. I don’t think that’s too bad considering this is a more rural area than where I came from. I haven’t ventured far from Arthur’s house since I got here, other than shopping with Evelyn.

  Liam parks the SUV in a lot where we have to put quarters in a meter, and the boys seem prepared. Grayson jumps out and opens my door for me while Sebastian gets out on the other side and starts putting quarters into the machine.

  I keep looking around to take in the scenery while the other guys get out and Liam locks the car. Grayson leans down so he can speak quietly to me.

  “You listen to your music on Spotify, right?” When I nod, he asks, “Can I look at your playlists?”

  I smile in surprise and pull my phone out of my purse. “Yeah, sure. Can I see yours?”

  Grayson hesitates before he pulls Spotify up on his phone and hands it to me. He has a bunch of different playlists—more than I do—and I’m elated to see that I was right and we apparently like a lot of the same artists. There are a ton of songs and bands that I’ve never heard of, and I’m dying to listen to them.

  “Aside from your playlist filled with songs from musicals and Disney movies, you seriously have awesome taste in music!” Grayson hands my phone back with a stellar smile on his face.

  I laugh quietly and hand his back as well. “Thanks.”

  Liam walks over and gently places his hand on my lower back. “Come on, let’s show Charlotte around!”

  Grayson glares at Liam and walks on my other side so that I’m between them. It’s awkward since the sidewalks are crowded, but neither boy leaves my side and everyone else is forced to walk around us. I have no idea if they’re just completely oblivious or what. They enthusiastically point out every store and restaurant we pass, even though we don’t go into any of them.

  We pass by a comic book shop and Liam stops walking entirely. I stop too so that I can get a better look at the place. It looks bright and fun. It’s obvious Liam wants to go in, but he glances at me like he’s unsure.

  Sebastian, Elliot, and Remy are further back on the street than we are, but they’re not so far that they can’t see us. So, I smile and grab Liam’s arm. “Let’s go in here!”

  Liam widens his eyes and shakes his head at me. “No, that’s okay. We don’t have to.”

  I’m still holding onto his arm, and I take a few steps closer to the door of the shop. When he keeps on hesitating, Grayson laughs and shoves him even closer. “Yeah, Charlotte wants to see you totally nerd out.”

  Liam frowns at him, but I just laugh. “I totally do!”

  Liam groans as he holds the door open to let me and Grayson walk in first. Everything inside is bright and colorful. There’s a ton of comic book art all over the walls and several rows of shelves throughout the store filled with probably thousands of comic books. I’ve never seen a store like this, and even though I don’t really know anything about comics, I’m totally in love with the place.

  There’s some other fandom stuff like toys and tee shirts placed in different areas around the store, and there are a few people looking around. The guy behind the register is talking animatedly to a group of middle-school aged boys, and he looks up when we walk in and waves enthusiastically.

  “Liam, Grayson! What’s up, my dudes?” His eyes land on me and he shakes his head in bewilderment. “Hang on. Are you guys actually hanging out with a girl?”

  The middle school boys laugh, and Liam groans in dismay. Grayson flips him off and says, “Fuck you, Adam.” He promptly grabs my hand and leads down one of the aisles, further into the store.

  I try to stay quiet, but I can’t hold it in. I start giggling quietly and pretend to flip through the stack of comics in front of me, even though I have no clue what I’m really looking at or where to even start in here.

  Grayson snorts and gives me a teasing smirk. “What are you laughing at, huh?”

  I shake my head and giggle harder. Instead of answering his question, I ask, “So, you guys like comic books, I guess?”

  G
rayson raises his eyebrows at Liam, who sighs. “Yeah, I collect them. I come here all the time, so the other guys have become regulars because of me.”

  His cheeks and ears are bright red, making his freckles stand out on his face. I wish he wasn’t embarrassed around me, and I don’t know how to convince him that I think his hobby is super cool.

  Grayson walks down the aisle, glancing around at all of the stacks. “We like comics too, just not as much as Liam. And seriously, chill out, dude. If she hasn’t figured it out already, it’s only a matter of time before Charlotte realizes we’re all a bunch of nerds. We’re taking her to the fucking arcade after this, for crying out loud!”

  Liam still looks embarrassed, so I nudge his hand and smile softly. “Why don’t you show me some of your favorites?”

  Adam’s voice rings out through the shop when the bell chimes over the door again. “There you guys are! I was wondering where the rest of the crew was.”

  I look up to see Elliot, Remy, and Sebastian walk in. Elliot glances over at us and smiles before they walk up to the register where the middle school boys were standing a minute ago.

  I follow Liam and Grayson down our aisle so we’re closer to the back of the shop than the front. Liam’s still blushing, and he gives me a shy smile. “I’ll read pretty much anything if I think it looks cool, but I’m definitely a sucker for anything Marvel, as cliché as that sounds.”

  Liam and the other guys are all so freaking cute and muscly that it’s hard to think of them as nerds. But it makes me like them more, and makes them seem more approachable and easier to talk to. I’ve already felt myself loosening up all morning. Right now I feel happier than ever, and I can feel my guard dropping significantly.

  “I like Marvel too. I mean, I’ve seen most of the movies. I know that’s probably not as cool as reading the comics.”

  Liam perks up and gives me a more genuine smile. “No, no, that’s still cool. Which are your favorite movies?”