Luckily for me, my heart was already a withered, dead thing inside my chest. Even so she wasn’t exactly giving me the warm and fuzzies.
“Okay, let’s get this over with.” Chloe appeared out of thin air with a guy I didn’t recognize in tow.
“Big brother, this is Daniel. Dan, this is my brother Kye and his friends… you don’t need to know their names. Now can we go?”
“Hold up,” Kye stiffened. “You’re on a date? What the fuck, Clo?”
“Uh, I’m gonna… go get a hot dog,” Dan said, his eyes dodging Kye’s murderous stare. “Meet you over there, Chloe.”
“Sure.” She pursed her lips at Kye, then me and Zane.
“Don’t look at us,” I said. “We’re only along for the ride.”
“Jesus, Clo. You told Mom you were meeting a friend.”
“Dan is a friend…. of the male variety. Please don’t make a big deal out of this. He’s a good guy and I really like him.”
“Looks like a pussy to me.” Zane shrugged.
“No one asked you, asshole.”
“Who is he? I don’t know anyone in your class called Daniel. Guys, do you know any—
“He’s from Dartmouth.”
“No shit,” I said, impressed. Chloe Carter was nothing if not resourceful.
“I don’t like this, Clo. Mom will kick my ass if she knows you’re on a date. You know how she gets.”
“That’s why we won’t tell her, right?” She switched on the puppy dog eyes, and I chuckled.
Kye was useless against those fucking eyes.
“Fine. But Daniel better keep his hands to himself. Meet us back here at eleven and we’ll give you a ride home.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She hugged him. “Oh, and Nix, little word of warning. I saw Cherri earlier and she’s on the warpath.”
Fuck my life.
I inhaled a thin breath. “Thanks for the heads up.”
“Okay, I’m going. Bye.” Chloe hurried after her friend, and Kye let out an exasperated breath.
“She’s a fucking nightmare. A date. She’s on a motherfucking date.”
“Little bit is all grown up.” I smirked. “Regretting telling Maddox to stay the fuck away?”
Maddox West was a guy in Chloe’s class. He and Chloe had always been tight, but their friendship had never crossed the line. Probably because Kye told Maddox exactly what he would do to him if he ever laid a hand on her.
“West isn’t right for her,” Kye grumbled.
“And Ken Doll from Dartmouth is?” Zane arched a brow.
“He does kinda resemble a Ken Doll, doesn’t he? Fuck. Maybe we should follow them.”
“No way, no fucking way. I came for back up, but I draw the line at stalking your sister around the fair.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to do that either. But I swear to God, if he tries anything—”
“Relax, big bro.” I slung my arm around his neck. “The night is young and there’s too much pussy in the fairground to worry about little bit and her date. Come on. Let’s go find you a distraction.”
And who knew, maybe I’d find one too.
I heard her before I saw her.
We were hanging out near the concession stand, eating hot dogs and chatting to some guys from the team when a tingle of awareness ran down my spine.
“No, no way.” Her voice was like a punch to the stomach. “I can’t ride that, I’ll puke.”
“But you have to ride with us.”
It was the guy from theother day, at the park and bowling alley. I discreetly watched them, positioning myself so that the rest of my friends shielded me from sight.
Zane noticed, his expression turning grim, but I shook my head.
I’ve got this, I silently conveyed.
Like hell you do, he shot back.
So maybe he was right, maybe I didn’t have this. But I wasn’t about to do anything stupid like go over there and make myself known. Instead, I watched. Eavesdropped on their conversation as they stood on the other side of the concession stand, watching the Tilt-A-Whirl in action.
“I’ll wait here,” Harleigh said. “You two go.”
“There’s a line. It could take a while.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage.” There was a tightness to her words as if she knew she wouldn’t manage but didn’t want to ruin their fun.
I was hardly surprised. She always had been self-sacrificing, putting the needs of others before her own.
Me included.
Guilt snaked through me, coiling around my chest, squeezing the air from lungs, my dead fucking heart.
Her friends joined the line and Harleigh moved over to one of the keg tables, looking all kinds of awkward.
It would have been so easy to go to her, to corner her into talking to me. But what the fuck would I say? Besides, the place was swarming with kids from school and DA.
If Harleigh felt their curious stares, their lingering glances as they recognized her standing there, alone, she didn’t react. In fact, she was unnaturally still, staring off into the distance as if something had her full and undivided attention.
“Crazy bitch alert, two o’clock,” one of the guys said, and I swung around just in time to see Cherri arrive at our group.
Shit.
If she saw Harleigh…
It wouldn’t end well for anyone.
“Nix,” she clipped out, and I flashed her one of my trademark smirks.
“Looking good, Cher.”
She arched a thin brow, folding her arms over her chest. “You’ve changed your tune.”
“Come on, don’t be like that.” I moved around her, dragging her attention with me, and away from the direction Harleigh was standing.
Zane cast me a strange look and I shook my head slightly, hoping he would realize my plan.
“Let me guess, your precious little birdie decided you weren’t good enough after all.” The words were full of venom and fire.
“It’s not like that between us,” I said, my chest tightening at the truth of the words.
Cherri made a derisive sound in her throat and glanced away, dismissing me.
“Look, I was an asshole—”
“Major asshole.” She pinned me with a hard look. “But maybe I’ll let you make it up to me later. If you’re lucky.” Reaching for my t-shirt, she trailed a finger up my chest.
Jesus, she made it too fucking easy.
Zane’s heavy stare burned into my back, but when I looked over it wasn’t Zane watching me at all.
Time seemed to stop as my eyes collided with Harleigh. Her lips parted as she inhaled a sharp breath, one I felt down to the pit of my stomach. Hurt flashed in her green eyes for a second but she quickly masked it with anger.
“What are—”
I stepped closer to Cherri, breaking the connection with Harleigh, the loss like a physical pain inside me. “Ride the Ferris Wheel with me?” The words were forced but she didn’t notice.
“Come on, Nix, you know I don’t like that one.”
“Scared?” I challenged, knowing she would take the bait. I needed to get her away from Harleigh, as far away as possible.