Page 61 of All of You

“What?” I throw my hands in the air. “Me and Danny what?”

He looks away. “Are dating? That’s why you’re not interested in beingdistracted?” he poses it as a question and I almost laugh.

“Can you hand me that watering can please?” Langdon looks deflated but he hands me the can.

“Danny and I are not dating for the record. He gave me a ride home and asked me on a date. That’s it.”

“So have you two been…distractedtogether?” he asks.

I watch him from the corner of my eye as he shuffles his feet. What does he think happens on drives home? That I just devour every guy I hang out with? Am I a maneater or something? Does he think I’m easy? But also, what’s it to him? We’re not dating.

“What’s it to you? Why do you look like someone kicked your puppy right now?”

Langdon bites his bottom lip then releases it. “Cause, I like you.”

I let out a laugh. It just bubbles up and slips out withoutwarning. “Yeah, in private,” I scoff.

I don’t know what possessed me to say that, but I almost want to take it back.

“That’s not fair. Private is mostly where I see you,” he says.

I plant my hands on my hips—mad. “Is that so? So school, when you don’t speak to me, or lunch when you don’t sit with me, or the halls when you can barely look my way… that doesn’t count? It’s convenient that at my house you’re basically a horndog and at work, you’re all about flirting and being nice and then miraculously in school I. Don’t. Exist. And for the record, no, Danny and I haven’t messed around but I did tell him I’d go on a date with him. Unlike you, he acknowledges my existence in public.”

“Delia,” Langdon starts, but I hold up a hand and turn back to my job. “This is public,” he mumbles while walking away.

I scoff. Butterflies tumble in my belly even though I’m pissed.Langdon Nash likes me. Ugh! Why does everything have to be so complicated? Half of me wants to smooth things over with Langdon and the other half wants him to stew in the truth for a while. My pride wins out and we don’t speak for the rest of our shift, although I do catch Langdon slyly staring at me every time I look up.

As I make sure the shop’s clean, and everything’s all buttoned up for closing, I realize I’ve shot myself in the foot with my little outburst. If I don’t have Langdon, I don’t have a valid reason to go to his house and talk to Anna and I need to know what Anna knows.

Thirty One

Langdon

I’m waiting for Niko’s football practice to end. It’s getting chilly in the evenings and I’m not ready for it. My mood is terrible. I fucked everything up at work today with Delia. My jealousy—that need-to-know aspect took over. I just wanted to know if Danny was anything to worry about but I went about it all wrong.

And she’s not wrong.

I do ignore her at school but only so Hailie will stay away from her. The last thing she needs is Hailie on her ass. Niko jogs over to me when practice ends.

“My dude, what’s up?” he asks and slaps me hard on the shoulder.

“I messed up,” I tell him. Niko stares at me waiting for more. “I messed around with Delia Sunday. And I like her.And today I told her. At work. And shit…”

“Woah, slow down. When did you start liking her? This is all news to me,” Niko says.

“Yeah, well, thing is, I’ve been keeping it a secret. Cause—Hailie.”

“Dude, we all know you and Hailie aren’t a thing why are you so paranoid about her?”

“Do you remember my last two girlfriends?”

“No,” he answers.

“Yeah, cause Hailie bullied them so hard they dumped me before I could do anything. She’s the devil.”

Niko rolls his eyes. “That’s a little extreme don’t you think?”

I shake my head. “I’m telling you Nik, if she can’t have me no one can and I didn’t want to put a target on Delia’s back. She wouldn’t be able to handle Hailie.”