Novas dad was two beers in when he decided he wanted, more then anything, to meet all of his daughters friends. Big Red and Ricky showed up relatively quick, Nini and Kourtney soon after. Seb and Carlos came next, Gina close behind and then Natalie along with Kaden and a few of the other dancers. Miss Jenn fell into a small conversation with Novas father before the shouts from the living room startled her.

"You're such a cheater! We won! You are a lie!" Nova hollered from the other side of the table, pointing her finger at Carlos harshly, "We won!"

"You did not win!" Big Red said in disbelief, on Carlos' team.

"We clearly won. The two of you cheated and we both saw you." EJ argued from Novas side, "Liars, why do we always play liars?"

"Oh my god, how could we cheat?" Carlos asked in disbelief, gasping when Nova chunked fake money at him.

"I thought you were over exaggerating.." Ricky trialed off as he looked over at Ashlyn, "Ash, you okay?"

"I'm having PTSD." she said honestly.

"You loser! We won!" EJ threw his chips Big Reds way, "Nova and I have never lost."

"Never!" Nova agreed, "Tell us you cheated and we'll call it truce."

"Nova, we didn't cheat!" Carlos said, letting out a scream as the board was thrown at him, "She's thrown the board at me!"

"It's what you deserve." EJ agreed, leaning over Nova and throwing her sandwich at Big Red, "Give us better players."

"Ashlyn, you and Nini." Nova encouraged quickly, nodding them over, "You two won't cheat."

"Ugh, Nova, we just became friends again, i'd rather not have a board thrown at my head." Nini said honestly as she snacked on the appetizers Alaric made.

"Yeah, i'm close to another break down." Ashlyn said honestly as she looked at the money all over the floor and the food stuck on Big Red and Carlos, "At least the two of you didn't get the little monopoly man shoved up your nose."

"Dramatic." EJ waved her off.

"So dramatic, we would never." Nova agreed, nudging the Caswell boy by her side, "We just know when people cheat."

"Like a sixth sense?" Seb asked.

"Exactly, thank you." Nova said his way with a nod, "We won."

"Okay, fine, you won." Big Red said as he picked the sandwich off his face, "Never again."

"I tried to warn you." Ashlyn said his way.

"I hate you both." Carlos shook his head in disbelief.

"Okay, you two, I think they've had enough for the night." Miss Jenn said as she walked into the living room, "We do have a show to continue tomorrow and all of you need to head to sleep."

"Thanks for inviting us Nova." Seb smiled as he hugged her, "I enjoyed it."

"Glad someone did." Carlos said, coming by his side, "To think I was rooting for the two of you."

The rest of them wished Nova a goodbye, telling her father goodbye on the way out. EJ hung back, waiting until everyone was gone before speaking up, "I kept thinking about something the whole night."

"Like what?" she asked him with a eyebrow raise.

"Do you remember that one time we stayed here and we convinced your dad that I had experience so I could drive the boat?" EJ asked her as Nova laughed, "And we hit the dock."

"And then left it there and tried to manifest a storm to come through." Nova hummed as her face hurt from smiling, "He was so mad."

"A storm did come." EJ said, making Nova stare his way, "Remember?"

"Yeah, I remember." she said slowly.

A scream echoed through the lake house when the lights cut, the fans coming to a stop and darkness over taking the whole house.

"EJ, really?" Nova asked him in disbelief, feeling around her bed, "Where are you?"

"I fell off the bed." he said, bumping his head on the nightstand, "Ow, Nova, help."

"Okay, hang on." she said, tried to walk through the darkness, "Where's your phone?"

"The hall." he said back, standing up and trying to get to the door, "Where are you?"

"I don't know, I think close to the bathroom." Nova said honestly before she felt a figure press up against her. Nova screamed, swinging her fist and colliding it with the figures face. EJ yelped at the sudden contact, stumbling backward into the door. He pulled it open and grabbed his phone from the ground, finding the flashlight and shining it.

"Oh god. I'm so sorry, baby." Nova said, trying not to laugh as she cupped his face, "I thought you were a monster."

"You've got a killed left hook." EJ said back, not being able to hold back his laugh, "I can't believe you punched me."

"I told you to hang on." Nova laughed, kissing his face where she hit him, "I think your cheek bones broke my hand."

"Nova!" Alaric yelled from down stairs, "Where are the two of you?"

"In the hallway!" she called back, keeping a hand on EJ's face and leaning over the staircase, "Did the generator not kick on?"

"I think it blew." he called back, "Your mother has one back at the house."

"Do you want us to go get it?" Nova called back, taking EJ's hand and pulling him down the stairs with her, "This storm is huge."

"If you guys don't mind. Just be carful in this-" he began before his eyes set on the boat outside of the window, "Oh god, my boat!"

EJ and Nova shared a guilty expression before taking the keys and hurrying out into the rain.

"Can you see?" Nova asked, trying to see through the pouring rain on the window shield, "Do you want me to hang out the window?"

"No, I don't think anyone drives down this road." EJ said back, reaching over to take her hand, "It's 2:30 in the morning."

Nova kissed the back of his hand, "I think our manifesting worked."

"Maybe too well." he laughed, looking her way with a smile. Escaping to the lake house was something they needed to do more. School was one thing, a certain way they needed to act together. But isolated from the rest of the world at the lake was different, they were different, "Dad did say there was a hurricane watch."

"Thank you for mentioning that." Nova snorted, seeing headlights, "Stop, they might not see us."

EJ pulled over, flashing the headlights before a small crash it the side of the car. Nova gasped, throwing her hand across his chest, "What the hell was that?"

"I think-" he began before Nova opened her door, "Nova!"

The Sháo girl headed around to the front of the car, seeing the left mirror had been ripped off, "Are you kidding me?"

EJ pulled the door open, the harsh rain hitting his head as he looked at the damage, "I flashed our lights at them."

"How rude." Nova shook her head, pushing the soaked locks out of her face before suddenly laughing loudly.

"You're laughing." EJ shook his head, "Why are you laughing?"

"This weekend has been insane." Nova laughed in disbelief, "First the boat, then the lights, then your face, my fist, and now the car."

"Things seem to break when we're around." EJ said her way, pushing his hair back and squinting to see her better in the rain, "Maybe we're bad luck."

"I don't care." Nova said honestly, walking his way, "I'll never care."

Her hands cupped his face as her lips pressed onto his quickly while he kissed her back.

"That was my favorite night." Nova said honestly as she stared across the wrecked living room, "It was real."

"It was." EJ said as he stared at her with a single nod, "It was enough."

So are you.

Nova broke eye contact first as she looked at the living room, "I better get all this cleaned."

"I can stay and help." he offered with a raise of his eyebrows, "I started throwing food first."

"No, that's okay, really." Nova said quickly. EJ realized she hadn't wanted him there, giving a nod and a tight lipped smile, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." EJ said, heading toward the door before pausing to look over his shoulder. Nova wasn't looked at him, picking up the monopoly pieces, "That was my favorite night too."

Nova grinned when she heard the door shut, standing there a moment before feeling eyes on her. She turned and found her dad leaning in the doorway and staring at her. He gave a scoff ad Nova frowned her eyebrows, "What?"

"I didn't say anything." Alaric shook his head again.

•

kylie speaks

did someone say
remember that night
by sara kays?

i love showing the good
parts of nova and ej's
relationship.. such soulmate
energy, i miss em.