How to Say I Love You Out Loud (27 page)

I look back at Igor, watching me watch Mad. His fingers have relaxed in his gloves. “Is pretend,” he says, cajoling now. “But we are needing under the bleachers. Mind in storm
drain.”

If I let my mind go in the gutter, I’ll never get it out.

“Madelyn,” Igor calls. “Get a drink. We resume.”

I skate over for a drink, too. Anything to stall.

Mad plunks her water bottle down on the barrier. She keeps her chin up but she doesn’t look at me. “Am I that disgusting?”

“What?”

“You won’t even look at me.”

“No.” Shiny dark brown hair. Eyes as wide and blue as summer sky. Cheeks splashed with such tiny freckles that I want to lean in close just to see them. Barrier. God, I need that
barrier. “Mad. No.”

“Forget it, forget I said anything.” She skates back to Igor.

I follow, but this time, it’s me stretching my hand out to her. Once more, we set up for the move. I do what Igor wants. I watch the white of Mad’s neck as her head dips backward,
let my eyes trail from those perfect collarbones over the bloomed arch of her chest. Mad’s circling smoothly around me, but my whole world is waterfalling down the storm drain.

On the exit, my heart is pounding so loud I can’t even hear the music. We present, arms locked out, free legs extended. But I can’t stop. I take an extra stroke toward Mad, my face
right up to those barely there freckles. “You’re disgustingly beautiful.” With my eyes locked on hers, I miss Igor’s reaction. But I don’t need even a nod to know this
time was exactly what he wanted.

Karole Cozzo
lives outside of Philadelphia with her loving husband, unendingly exuberant daughter,
and eternally pleasant son. She is a school psychologist by day and a lover of all things colorful and creative by night. Karole spends her free time drawing with her young artists-in-residence,
making photo books, decorating her home, and of course, writing.
How to Say I Love You Out Loud
is her debut novel. Find her online at kacozzo.com.

A Swoon Reads Book
An imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited

First published in the US 2015 by Feiwel and Friends

This electronic edition published 2015 by Macmillan Children’s Books
an imprint of Pan Macmillan
20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR
Associated companies throughout the world
www.panmacmillan.com

ISBN 978-1-4472-9053-7

Copyright © Karole Cozzo 2015

The right of Karole Cozzo to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Book design by Anna Booth

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