Page 58

“You know, I don’t think I ever actually agreed to be your g—”

He pressed his finger up against my mouth. “Shh… Let’s not let the technicalities get the best of us.”

I almost choked on my bite of burrito. “You are so stupid.”

“Stuuuupid, and going to prom with my girlfriend?”

I could’ve drawn out the ridiculous conversation I’d found myself in, but I mean…what the hell?“Sure, why not.” I said, giving in to that incredulous smirk of his. I was sure he’d be over the idea by next week anyway. “But we’re meeting there,” I added. “And we’re not doing the whole corsage, flower-pin crap thing either.”

He scoffed and pretended to pout about it for a second, before agreeing with a resigned, “Fine.”

“‘Fine,’what? What are you pouting about now?” Greyson asked with a chuckle, sitting down in front of us. “Hey, Jess,” he quickly added before focusing his attention back on Jaymes again—cool, casual.

“Nah, no more pouting,” Jaymes responded, throwing his arm over my shoulders. “Jess and I are going to prom.”

“Ah.” Greyson nodded. His smile was a little forced, but he was genuinely trying. I could give him that much at least. “What’s that you’re drawing?” He pointed at my forgotten notebook sitting behind me. I don’t know how the hellI’d left it out for anyone to see without realizing it.

I slapped it shut. “Nothing,” I quickly answered. A little too quick.

Jaymes and Greyson both wore matching expressions of suspicion.

“None of your business, okay?” I snapped at both of them, and then back-pedaled with a, “It’s nothing, just a random sketch.” I forced a smile, hoping they’d back off. The sketch of Greyson’s eyes burned a hole through my notebook and into my hands.

Had he seen what I’d drawn? Or worse, hadthe pages of my sketchbook opened up to somethingelseI’d drawn?I stole a quick glance at him. Surely, I’d be able to tell if he had…right?

Jaymes shrugged. “Anyway, I’ve got to head out early. My mom needs some help trashing our old couch.”

Aw, I kind of love that couch,I thought absentmindedly, my mind still stuck on my drawings, before Jaymes smacked a kiss on my lips and stood. “See you guys later.”

Greyson diverted his attention elsewhere, his eyes scanning the library building and the rest of the quad.

We didn’t say anything for more than a few minutes. It was the first time any silence between us felt off. Filled with something unspoken, or with too many things spoken.

He was focused on everything but me, but I still found myself focused on him. I studied his eyes, the way they felt contemplative, avoiding. I studied the sharp line of his jaw, the way it smoothed out and disappeared into his chin, curving up towards a pouty mouth of two full lips.

Lips I’d felt on mine; lips I had tasted.I swallowed thickly, diverting my own attention elsewhere.

“So, prom, huh?” Greyson asked after another minute or so, drawing my eyes right back to his.

And it was weird, this place we’d found ourselves in. We’d seen so much of each other, and yet…here we were, pretending to be nothing more than friends. If that’s what we even were at this point. I honestly didn’t know, but something between us felt forced. Forced to bemore thanorless thanwhat we were, I wasn’t sure.

“Prom…yeah, I guess so,” I finally answered him.

But then he turned towards me, facing me dead-on, and gave me one of his most genuine, Greyson-trademarked, tilted smiles. “I hope you’ll save a dance for me, then,” he said, and the words—all of them—got stuck in my throat, my lungs completely forgetting how to give and receive air properly.

It didn’t really matter, though, because Greyson stood up and walked away before I could say anything back anyway.

And yeah, that entire last thirty minutes of my life had given me a severe case of whiplash.

I guess I was going to prom…

…with one boy when I still desperately wanted to be with the other.

Fifty Before

EXCEPT THAT…Ishowed up on prom night—in a stupid,awesomeblack dress that tied between my shoulder blades—and neither of them were there. I’d curled my short hair into waves, had braided two dark chunks of it along the crown of my head. I had onred freakinglipstick.And neither of them were there. I couldn’t spot Sara anywhere in the crowd yet, either.

You probably deserve it. Karma, much?I mentally flipped off my own subconscious.