Chapter 13
AVERY MOORE
“You have way more detailed notes than I do,” I say, looking over Ivy’s printed-out notes for Spanish. She’s highlighted a bunch of key topics for me, and I could just kiss her for that.
We’re sitting on my bed, working on our latest Spanish assignment. A month of school and several assignments later and they don’t get any easier.
She’s still in her work clothes—black pants and black shirt—and she smells like buttermilk pancakes and syrup from the diner.
When she walked through the door smelling like food, my stomach growled, but she revealed a take-home box full of pancakes and bacon, and we immediately dug in before getting to the homework.
“That’s because you make goo-goo eyes with Reid the entire time.”
“I do not make goo-goo eyes,” I say under my breath.
She takes the notes from my hand. “Then what do you call it?”
I raise my gaze to hers after attempting to get the notes back and failing. “Friendly conversation.”
She laughs. Tips her head back and belts out a laugh so loud it booms off my walls.
“So not funny,” I say when she calms down and passes the notes back.
“So then tell me what happened when you two went to the bathroom at Sicily.”
“I already told you. Nothing happened.”
She slaps my thigh, and I hiss from the sting. “You two were gone for a long time. Longer than it takes to take a tinkle. I know he went there for you. Tell me what happened.”
“No.”
She grabs hold of my arm and tugs it to her chest. “Please?” she begs.
I rub my eyes and set my notes down. “He kissed me.”
Gasping, she releases my arm and puts her hand over her heart. “How romantic.”
Biting on the corner of my lip, I say, “Yeah, it kind of was.” Every time I think of how he cornered me, my heart flutters. Neil never did anything like that.
“This has to be fun for you guys.”
“What?”
She waves her hand in the air. “Sneaking around. The secrecy. The forbidden nature of the entire thing.”
“We are not sneaking around. Nothing is happening between us,” I lie.
She laughs again. “You so are and there so is. So did he just kiss you, or did you talk?”
I shrug a little and stack the papers on my knee. “We talked a little.”
“So does this mean you’re coming around to him?”
I shrug again. “I don’t want to.”
Her grin is broad. “But you are. God, you two. My heart can’t take it.”
“Don’t get too excited. I won’t even give him my number.”
Her smile is replaced by a frown. “Why not?”
I sigh and flop back onto my pillow. “I’m just not there yet.”
She pokes my ribs gently. “You know that if I could go back in time and murder Neil before you started dating, I would, right?”
Rolling my head to the side, I look her square in the eye and say, “I have no doubt.”
“You’d have to strip down to your underwear and pose for another calendar to get my bail money.”
I chuckle under my breath and wave at my body. “Nobody wants to see this.”
A sly look overtakes her expression. “Reid does.”
“Well, Reid isn’t all there, then.” I tap my temple in emphasis.
“Or he is, and you’re just being a bitch to yourself. You do realize that you’re the only one who sees your weight, right?”
“And Neil,” I correct.
“Neil’s a pussy.”
I grin at her. “A total douche. Couldn’t even find a clit if my pubic hair was in the shape of an arrow.”
She cringes. “That takes a ‘special’ kind of man not to find it.”
“Oh, he’s special all right.”
“Reid would give him a run for his money. Hell, he already has.”
I sigh. “Whose side are you on here? Mine or Reid’s?”
“Team Reid, obviously.”
I flop an arm over my eyes. “Wonderful.”
She digs her toes into my thigh. “You know I’m always on your side, but sometimes, I have to point out the obvious and tell you when you’re being ridiculous. This is one of those times. Give the poor man your number.”
“Nope,” I answer behind my arm.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” she whispers. “I swear to God, if I die before I see you two get together, I’m going to haunt your ass.”
I chuckle under my breath and remove my arm from my face. “And if we never get together?”
She juts her chin. “Then I’ll possess you.”
“That’s not creepy at all.”
“I’ll possess you and then force you to date Reid.”
I raise my eyebrows at her. “You have this all planned out, don’t you?”
“If it was possible to come back to life, I would have already done it by now.”
I sigh. “I’ll think about giving him my number.
” Because I know she’ll hound me until I do.
I like him. More than like him. He wasn’t wrong when he said he knew I was interested.
I’m just not at the number-giving phase yet.
And to be honest, I’m enjoying the chase.
I’m enjoying that he’s working so hard to get me to give in to him.
I just want to make sure it’s not because he just wants to catch me instead of keep me.
I’m not a small fish. There’s no catch-and-release here.
The next guy I date, I want to be sure I’m a keeper. You know, without the flaying part.
“That’s all I ask.”
I sit up and set my notes aside. “Am I to assume that I’ve killed the studying mood?”
“What did you have in mind?” she asks with a mischievous grin. “A party?”
“What? No!” Jesus, this apartment is my safe place. The last thing I want is a bunch of frat boys and girls with too-small dresses spilling beer on my walls and dry humping all over my couch.
“A walk?”
I shake my head. “I want something that helps me escape from my own thoughts.”
She claps her hands and climbs off my bed. “A movie then.”
I nod slowly. “That would work.”
She claps again, her excitement almost contagious as I begin sliding my books back into my backpack. “I’ll text Dustin and Reid. Get ready, chica. We’re getting a huge bowl of popcorn.”
“What? No! Not Reid!”
Her phone is already in her hand, but she pauses in the text to look up at me. “Relax. It’s not a double date. Just friends. Besides, what moves could he possibly make sitting next to your brother?”
I frown as I think it over. “You have a point.”
“See? Now shush. Go get ready.” She exits my room as her fingers tap against her screen.