Only reason I haven’t done it yet.
I start my car, firing Kass a brief text.
Will: Leaving now.
Her shitty car broke down again, which means she needs a ride to school. She said she’d take the bus, but I’m not letting her. I’ll just have to drop her off a few blocks early so no one sees us together.
My phone rings.
It’s Kendrick.
Shit.
You have to pick up. He’ll be suspicious if you don’t. I curse, press Answer, and guide the phone to my ear.
“Hey, man.” I hold my breath.
A beat of silence.
“About fucking time. Thought you were dead for a second there.” Laughter erupts down the line.
My body unwinds.
“I know. Sorry. Just been busy.” I shift in my seat. “What’s up? How’s the penthouse treating you?
“Can’t complain. I play video games all day, and Winter’s healing pretty good. But that’s not why I’m calling.”
“Yeah?”
“Listen, I know this is going to sound weird, but… I’ve heard a few things and I wanted to ask you about it.”
My stomach drops.
“Shoot.”
“It’s Kass.”
He knows.
He so fucking knows.
“What about Kass?”
“A friend of mine told me he saw her driving around town with some guy late at night last weekend. Couldn’t tell who, but I’d be surprised if it was Luke Jenson. Dude probably has a curfew.”
I curse myself for thinking we could get away with it.
That was a close one.
“Can you like… check up on her something? She’s been a mess since this thing with my dad, and my mom says she just started talking to her again. The last thing she needs right now is for some asshole to break her heart, you feel me?”
I’m going to hell for this.
“Look, you want to protect your sister, fill your old man’s shoes, I get it, but have you ever thought that maybe… this guy could be good for her?” I ask.
Kendrick scoffs. “Yeah, doubt it. She doesn’t know what’s good for her right now. So… will you do it? Keep an eye on her while I’m gone?”
I’ll keep an eye on her all right.
“Sure,” I choke out.
“I didn’t want to ask Alex since they have a past, you know?”
It’s my turn to scoff.
“Something funny?”
“Sorry. I coughed.”
“Oh, and there’s something else. You guys need to start recruiting again. Find a replacement for Blake. Fast. Rumors are spreading. Word is we’re weak right now. We can’t have that.”
“Will do.”
“What about you, man? How is everything? We haven’t really talked lately. Not to be a girl, but I thought you were mad at me or some shit,” he jokes.
Not mad. Just fucking your sister.
“I’m okay. Tired but okay.”
“Did the asshole come back?”
I tense. He knows I hate when he goes there.
“No, he hasn’t. And he better not,” I growl.
Thankfully, he takes the hint.
My phone pings with a text from Kass.
Control freak: Are you there soon?
Control freak: No, wait, don’t answer that. You’re driving. Don’t die.
I can’t help my smile.
“Got to go. Some of us still have to go to school, dipshit.”
He snorts. “Since when do you care about school?”
I don’t. But I care about Kass.
And she cares about school.
Which means I care, too.
“Quicker I get there, the faster it’s over.”
“Fine. Don’t be a fucking stranger, okay?”
“I won’t,” I lie.
Kassidy
Weaving my way through the crowded halls, I try reassuring my best friend to no avail. Morgan walks by my side, arms full of notes, going on and on about an exam she is terrified of failing. She spent our entire lunch break studying and still says she’s not ready.
Seeing Will walk into Morgan’s house with that breathtaking smile on his face this morning felt surreal. I ran into his arms, he picked me up, twirled me around, Ethan faked gagged—it was perfect.
The guys spent breakfast bouncing jokes off each other. Will eventually made Morgan laugh so hard she choked on her cereal. If he wasn’t best friend approved before, he definitely is now.
Ethan took it upon himself to play detective for Morgan and ask Will about Alex’s relationship status. Will said he hasn’t met Alex’s girlfriend yet, so he’s not sure how serious they are.
Then Morgan brought up prom, and the room filled up with this heavy, awkward tension. Will and I didn’t get a chance to discuss it, but I’m guessing it goes without saying that we can’t go together. That would defeat the purpose of keeping our relationship a secret until we can tell Kendrick in person, which Will insists on.
Will dropped me off a few blocks away from school this morning. We didn’t kiss. Didn’t hug. Just in case someone was watching. It felt gutting. Having to climb out of the passenger seat like the guy in the car wasn’t my boyfriend. We exchanged smiles in the hall after first period, but it didn’t go any further. It’s weird. How I was in his arms this morning, yet to the world we’re strangers.
It doesn’t help that he didn’t once spend the night with me this weekend. The only night he stayed over was Friday. Kept saying he had to train and he’d see me the next day. But then, first thing in the morning, he’d turn up on Morgan’s porch with coffee, ready to spend the day with me. I was so happy to see him I couldn’t be bothered to think twice about it.
I know this situation is fucked-up—boy, do I know it—but I still can’t shake the giddy feeling in my stomach. Nor can I stop my heart from speeding at the mere thought of him. Telling Morgan I’ll see her in art class, I turn the corner and stop at my locker.
“No way? Haze came to see you?” a familiar voice squeals.
I flip my head back to see Callie walking by my locker with Bianca.
“Yep. And don’t think I didn’t notice he came back right in the time frame this Winter chick stopped showing up at school.” Bianca cackles. “He got sick of her. I knew he would.”
“Well, what happened?”
“What do you think happened?” Bianca smirks.
I cringe in disgust. I could punch Haze on my cousin’s behalf right now. If only this guy was ever at school.
So much for saying he loved her, huh?
Kendrick was right.
He better be out of her life.
I’ve witnessed my lot of awkward moments in life. But sitting at the same table as the guy I rejected, who tried to get me fired from my job, and my boyfriend that I chose over said guy? I don’t see how any situation could top that.
Working in silence, I focus on my art project, careful not to make eye contact with anyone. Bianca decided to show up for once in a lifetime, and she’s been talking with Luke, which I’m grateful for, since the class started. I would hate for him to talk to me or Will—