“Ready?” Owen offers me his arm again, a warm smile twitching on his lips.
Charisma and charm roll off him in lazy waves, and he’s never had to worry about how or where he fit in. He’s social, but not needy. He attracts friends wherever he goes, and he’s never met a stranger.
Me? I’m more of a lifelong loner who was somehow lucky enough to be befriended by Elise and subsequently adopted by their whole crew—the musclebound hockey studs included. But none of this comes naturally to me, which is why I’m extremely thankful for Owen right now. For all those little reassuring smiles he kept directing my way all night, and the soft looks he gave me from across the room. It felt so good being near him, being treated like an equal. Someone smart who he respected. Someone to laugh with. Somehow tw
