Twenty minutes go by.
A third text comes through.
Willy Wonka: U there :(
I’m burying my phone into my back pocket when Zoey suggests we go enjoy what’s left of our lunch break. We vacate our table, following a stream of students out of the dining hall. Winter says she’ll catch up with us later and walks off.
I’m treading into my art classroom an hour later. I scan the room, the nuisance in my chest sinking like a rock. Will’s not here yet—emphasize on yet. Let’s just say I’ve never wanted to cut class more than in this very moment.
“Okay, what’s wrong?” Morgan pops up beside me.
“Nothing. Why?”
“You’re mad. You’ve been mad since lunch. Something’s going on. Spill.”
I lecture myself for being so transparent.
“I… I was just thinking about my dad,” I lie.
She buys it. “He still hasn’t called?”
“Nope.”
“I’m sure he’s just been busy. Or the mystery woman didn’t tell him you called. There has to be a good explanation for this.”
I appreciate my best friend’s efforts at salvaging what’s left of my relationship with my father, but I can’t make excuses for him anymore. He doesn’t care.
Not about me.
Not about Kendrick.
Not about anyone.
“Yeah…” My smile wavers. “I’m sure he has a good reason.”
“How about he’s a pile of fuming shit who doesn’t deserve what he has?”
My pulse speeds up at the sound of his voice. I spin around, only to be met with beautiful, dark, unreadable ocean eyes.
Will’s.
He doesn’t wait for me to answer, invading my space until his mouth hovers near my ear.
“Check your texts,” he says, his breath grazing my skin.
Fuck off, shivers.
Then he walks away.
I don’t move a muscle, my brain lagging for a moment too long before I snap out of it and make eye contact with Morgan.
That’s when I see her O-shaped mouth.
Translation: I am so busted.
“Oh my God…” Her eyes grow two sizes. “It’s him.”
“What are you talking about?” I clear my throat, struggling to regain my composure and saunter toward the teacher’s desk to collect my project. She doesn’t miss a beat, shadowing my every move.
“He’s the dude you’ve been texting when you think we’re not looking,” she shrieks.
For crying out loud, how does she see everything?
“What dude?” I play dumb.
“What kind of moron do you take me for? I thought maybe it was Luke, but then this. It all makes sense. You’re into this Will guy. That’s why you were pissed at lunch!” You’d think she’s about to pat her own shoulder for putting the pieces together.
I pretend I didn’t hear her so that I don’t have to refute her crazy claims and dig through the jumble of projects on Ms. Janet’s desk. Maybe if I don’t acknowledge what she just said, it will be like it never happened. I refuse to consider, for even a fragment of a second, that she might be right.
That I could be dense enough to have a crush on Will.
It’s one thing to be attracted to him—to have a natural, physical reaction to a sinfully hot guy—but a crush?
A whole damn crush?
Nope. Sorry. Not happening. Try again later.
That’s Will.
You don’t fall for a guy like Will.
Guys like Will never catch you…
I practically race to our table, cutting Detective Morgan’s investigation short, but because my bad luck is on a roll, Will calls me out the second I sit down.
“You okay?” is all he says.
He knows something’s off.
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?” I never meet his eyes.
He frowns at my tone but doesn’t insist. Luke joins us two minutes later. He greets me with a smile, which I return to the best of my “sorry I stood you up” ability.
Morgan, Luke, and I make small talk for the rest of the class. Will doesn’t comment once, depriving us from his usual snarky remarks, which makes for a heavy, awkward period.
“So, you’re feeling better?” Luke asks five minutes before class ends.
I stare question marks at him.
“You had food poisoning, didn’t you?”
“Oh, right.” I’m reminded of my lame excuse. “Yes, I’m much better, thank you.”
Will not-so-discreetly scoffs.
I glower at him while Morgan glowers at me, confused as to when on earth I got food poisoning. Makes sense. She has no idea Luke asked me out. It just didn’t come up.
“So… Does that mean you’re going to the pool party tomorrow night?” Luke continues.
“There’s a party?” I ask.
“Yeah, it’s at Natasha’s place. Everybody’s going.”
My gaze travels to Will, whose attention doesn’t budge from his project whatsoever. His careless behavior sends my mind to a place I don’t like.
A place I can’t escape.
I picture him moving in and out of Callie, see her writhing beneath him, clawing at his back, and wonder if he slept with her recently. Probably. Maybe even the day he came over and slept in my bed. Why wouldn’t he? He’s single.
But so am I.
“I mean, will you be there?” I offer Luke a seductive smile, nearly wincing at the sour taste this bad decision leaves on my tongue.
That finally seems to be enough for Will’s head to jerk up.
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Luke nods.
“So… you’ll save me a dance, then?”
Why am I like this?
“Oh, I can save you a lot more than that.” Luke’s flirtatious response only fuels the disaster that is this conversation. I can feel Morgan’s eyes burning into my skull, hear her thinking, “Why are you leading him on?”
But I can’t answer her.
Because I’m wondering the same thing.
The bell rings and I make my way out of the classroom with Morgan on my tail. I beg her to accompany me to this party, tell her she owes it to herself to have at least one night out during her high school years, to which she replies with a reluctant “I’ll think about it.” The second I lose her into the crowd, a tall silhouette materializes in my blind spot.
“What the fuck was that?”
I yelp in surprise when a strong body cages me into the tight corner couples use to make out near the girls’ bathroom. Will stands tall before me, eyes flaring with… something. Anger? Hard to tell. For all I know, I’m just seeing what I want to see.
“Hey, Willy. What’s up?” I falter, my confidence crumbling.
He cuts to the chase. “I thought you said you weren’t into him.”
“Oh, Luke? Yeah, I know. But I changed my mind. You’re right. I should give him a chance. Hey, you should bring a date, too. I’m sure Callie’s available.”
His jaw drops.
What’s wrong, Willy? Was I not supposed to know about that?
I’m long gone before he can even think of getting a word in. I push my way through the crowd, forbidding myself from enjoying this as much as I am.