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Then again, what if I avoid it so hard that Salem sails right into someone new? I hadn’t seen him and Jenna coming;what if someone else slips in? The thought is enough to make me grab my phone without even realizing I’m doing it until my fingers curl around the rubber case.

Am I really gonna do this? What do I evensay?I’m tempted to put my phone back down, but then I think about how Claire will be asking for updates, how Lowen found a way to ask her out even though they were clearly nervous about it, and how I want to be able to tell her I got brave too. Without giving it another thought, I dial his number.

He answers way more quickly than I’m ready for. “Skeevy? Is everything okay? Did you die?”

Ugh, I really did miss his stupid voice. “I hope not. It’d be such a waste of a good hair day.”

“Skeevy. Are youreallyhaving a good hair day?”

I yank out a curl and let it bounce back. “Can you not just let me have this, please?”

“Never.”

Never.That one word seems to inflate like a balloon until it’s taking up all the space in my brain. Is it playful? Cruel? A harbinger of romantic doom? A hint that he knows why I’m calling and he wants to cut me off at the pass before I embarrass myself?

Or, you know, is it just the logical next word in our conversation? Who can say, really??

“Skeeves? You there?”

“Whoops, sorry! Yes, I’m here.”

“So what’s up?”

Oh, right, I called him. I have to actually say something.This is so much worse than talking face-to-face somehow. There is no chance on earth I am doing this right now. Is it too late to pass this off as a butt dial?

“Um, nothing. I just…” Justwhat? How do I possibly finish that sentence? “Wanted to make sure you hadn’t burned Rumson down in my absence.” God, that was pathetic.

“Can promise I have not burned the dorm down. Cannotpromise I haven’t been using your private bathroom.”

“Salem!”

“Your shower is so much bigger than ours!”

Cool, cool, Salem’s been naked in my room. That’s fine. I am definitely not picturing it.Definitelynot thinking about how he looks without a shirt on, now that I possess that information. “Don’t get used to it,” I manage to choke out. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”

“Got it. Morning shower it is.”

I am simply going to die on the spot. “I better return to aspotlessbathroom, Grayson.”

“You know you didn’t leave a spotless bathroom behind, right? Your hair shit is everywhere.”

“Because it’smybathroom! But feel free to make yourself useful and neaten it up.”

He snorts. “You haven’t made methatgood, Peach.”

My teeth find my lip and bite so hard I nearly draw blood. I have to get off this phone call. Now. “I gotta go ice my ankle. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Try not break anything else before you get here. But if you do, I totally claim your room.”

“Oh, screw you.” I hang up over the sound of his laughter and fall back onto my pillow.

Yeah, I don’t think romance is in the cards for us.

The visit to the orthopedist the next day thankfully goes well, with the X-ray confirming there’s no break and the doctor graduating me from crutches to a boot. It’s still clunky and makes for uneven walking, but at least my armpits aren’t sore anymore. I celebrate with a Dunkin’ run with Claire after school, and then my parents drive me back up that night when they get home from work, the sun having long faded behind the fiery golden leaves lining the highway.

We’re already past dinnertime at the Beast, so we make a stop at a roadside diner about halfway to school and I get a BLT with a mountain of delicious greasy fries. Then we get back on the road, and as we pull into campus, I realize that my parents have never actually seen the school. “I wish I could give you a tour,” I say as they park in the lot nearest Rumson. “But between the boot and the dark—”

“We’ll find another time to come see everything, honey,” my mom assures me, reaching back to squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry we had to miss Parents’ Weekend. We really wanted to be here.”