Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

Well, she didn’t lie exactly, but I damn well got the
impression from her letters she didn’t look like that.
I’d pictured a geek in glasses with purple streaks in her
hair dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt.
I look back down at her picture, my eyes falling down her
back where parts of her skin peeks through the design of her
sexy shirt as she looks over her shoulder at the camera. My
body warms, and I quickly scan her profile, looking for some
clue—any clue—that it’s not her.
Please don’t let it be. Please just be sweet, socially
awkward, shy, and everything I’ve loved for seven years.
Don’t complicate it by being hot.
But it’s all there. Every clue confirming that it’s Ryen. My
Ryen.
The check-in at GGallo’s, her favorite pizza place, the songs
she’s listening to, the movies she’s watching, and everything
posted from her latest version iPhone. Her most favorite
possession in the world.
Shit.
I turn off Dane’s iPad and start weaving around people as I
slip through the crowd. The heaters warm the frigid air, and I
pass more fire pits, smelling the roasted marshmallows. Music
blares from the speakers all around, and I flex my jaw, trying
to calm my heart.
I walk up to the bar and set the iPad down, turning and
crossing my arms over my chest. Just stay put. If she’s here to
see me, she’ll find me. If not, then… What? I’ll just let it go?
“Hi.”
I dart my eyes up, my heart plummeting into my stomach.
The fountain girl from the video stands in front of me, a few
feet away.
And next to her…
My eyes lock on Ryen, and I know her friend just spoke,
but I don’t care. Ryen stands quietly at her side, eyes slightly
thinned, looking at me hesitantly.