VILIAME THE GOSSIP COLUMNIST

Catie rolled her eyes. “Like anyone is going to believe that.” The fact that she and Danny were not friends was well known. Possibly because they kept snarking on each other’s social media posts.

Take Danny’s last comment: Oh, going for the princess look today, I see. In my considered opinion, you need more gold eye shadow, and wow, go you for not hesitating to glue spider legs to your eyelids. That’s true commitment to fashion.

Danny thought he was a genius.

Not that she was any better.

Bit light on the weights today, Daniel. Tut-tut. Got a little lazy on holiday, huh? It’s all right. That’s why I got you the flamingo-pink kiddie weights for Christmas. Always thinking of what’s best for you. xoxo

It was a good thing Danny’s mum, Alison, wasn’t on the social media platform the two of them preferred for their mutual mockery. She’d twist both their ears for behaving like children rather than the full-grown adults they were supposed to be. As it was, Danny’s brothers found it hilarious and Catie’s sister just shook her head at each new dig they made.

“Um.” Viliame unfolded his arms and winced. “I mean, everyone thinks you two are flirting with the insults, so yeah, it’ll fly.”

Catie shuddered even as she pulled Danny’s jacket closed around her upper body. “I will never flirt with Daniel Tana Esera.” The idea was so ridiculous that she couldn’t even be insulted. “But go for it. Whatever works. Tomorrow I’ll post that he made a move, I kicked his ass, and we’ll be back to all systems normal.”

“I will never understand you and Dan,” Viliame muttered, then held out a fisted hand. “Look after my brother from another mother?”

She bumped her fist with his. “He’s annoying, but I love his family.”

Viliame just shook his head, then said, “Talk to you soon, brother” to Danny before leaving.

Only then did Catie give in to her worry and stroke Danny’s hair back once again. “Hey, hotshot. Sorry to break it to you, but the nurses didn’t swoon over you.” Her stomach was all twisted up. She hated seeing him this way, so still and pale. Danny was energy and life. He was the guy who’d hauled her onto his back during the beach races at last year’s family camping trip and run so fast that they’d smoked the other teams.

As the others were coupled up, the two of them usually ended up paired together unless her brother Harlow could make it or they had another friend join them. And because she and Danny were as competitive as all hell, they won more times than not.