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I gave him a sad half-smile. “No, I can’t.”

We stood between our cars in the parking lot. I’d been running through scenarios for the last fifteen steps, and I knew what I had to do, but I wasn’t sure how to say it, or if he’d go along, but he spoke first.

“So that was what you couldn’t tell me, the other night.”

“Yeah. And it’s why I was at Liam’s party—I wanted to get close to Danny’s phone. Even if that meant getting close to Danny,” I said, and shuddered, before rubbing sweaty palms against my jeans. Why did other people get to have normal lives—and normal relationships? “Liam came by my place earlier today.”

“Why?”

“I’m really not sure. He wanted my help to study chemistry, and then invited me to his party—now he wants help with English, but he seems plenty smart.”

Darius tilted his head sideways. “Why’re you telling me?”

“Because I have to get close enough to Mason to touch his phone. And I only have seven days to do it—Liam’s my in.” I felt awkward in my own skin. “I’m gonna have to hang out with him.”

His face clouded. “You don’t owe me anything, Jessie.”

Was that good, or bad? “I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

He took a step back and shrugged his shoulders. “No, I get it, it’s okay.”

If he’d been a little more stoic I wouldn’t have caught it but I’d worn that look myself a hundred different times, the regret of watching someone else get picked ahead of me. I stepped in quickly and kissed him before he could pretend I didn’t matter like it’d been his idea all along. He stiffened in surprise, and then relaxed and kissed me back. This time, standing, I was amazed at the ways our bodies fit together, how easy it was to lean intohim, how right it felt when his hands looped around my waist. I pulled back to stare up at him.

“I like this. Even if I’m not sure what this is. Can we just put this on pause, until everything else is over?”

He stared down at me, equally intent, and I could feel him breathing. “I’ll be waiting.”

I dared to smile then. “Good. Now…can you do me one huge favor?”

“Which is?”

“I’m gonna need a date. You’re the only junior I know.”

His lips curved up and flashed me a perfect smile. “Jessie McMullen, are you asking me to prom?”

I stepped back. “You’re making this weird. I don’t want it to be weird.”

Darius laughed. “We’re waaaaaaaaay beyond that.”

I bent my head, embarrassed and shy and also a little desperate, because he was the only other person who knew what was going on. “Come on, Darius.”

“All right. I’ll go. You buying us tickets?”

I gave him a look.

“You’re not the only one who lost a job, you know,” he teased.

I was the one who’d asked, and it was only fair, but— “I don’t know how I’m going to get my mom to let me go, much less get a dress—there’s no way I can afford tickets.”

“I’m teasing—I’ve got it.”

“Thanks,” I told him, earnestly. “But—you can’t tell anyone. Not until I get close enough to Mason to.” I wiggled my fingers between us to indicate what I would do.

“I get it,” he said, looking down. “You have to save your friend. That’s what superheroes do.”

“Hooray,” I said, in a voice that sounded slightly overwhelmed.

“You need a better catchphrase than that,” he said, still smiling. “Shazam’s taken.”