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Without waiting for an invitation, I sit on the blanket and set the bag in front of me. Everly watches with interest as I take out two bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and a chocolate shake topped with extra whipped cream and a cherry—all her favorites.
“Why come if you knew I wanted to be alone?” There’s a hint of sass in her voice.
She’s not afraid to go head-to-head with me and doesn’t hesitate to set me straight when I’m out of line.
“My mom always says chocolate is the best cure for a broken heart.” I hold out the shake, a smile tugging at my lips when she takes it.
“She’s absolutely right.” Everly grins as she takes a sip. “Want to tell me why you’re here with me instead of at prom?”
“Whitney dumped me after school,” I state flatly.
“Oh, Cash, I’m sorry.” Everly places her hand on my arm. “I hate that bitch,” she says with conviction.
Her touch sends a jolt of electricity down my spine, and it takes every ounce of willpower to maintain a poker face. She has no idea how I really feel about her, and it has to stay that way.
A few weeks after Theo told me Everly was off-limits, Whitney showed interest in me, and I threw all my energy into our budding relationship. She was the perfect distraction, helping me temporarily forget about my attraction to Everly, those feelings simmering below the surface.
“It’s for the best.” I shrug, reaching across Everly to grab a fry.
“Oh my god, Stafford,” she gasps when she spots the swollen knuckles on my left hand.
“What happened?”
I grin at her use of my last name. She’s called me that since ninth grade when I started playing lacrosse.Staffordwas stitched across the back of my jersey, and the nickname stuck. Whitney has always resented that Everly calls me that, but I couldn’t care less what she thinks now.
I like it when Everly uses it. I love it.
“Tell me what you did,” she presses when I don’t answer her question right away.
“Jacob Barlow said something that pissed me off, so I punched him in the face,” I tell her with a grin.
She gasps, her eyes wide with shock. “Oh, Cash, please don’t tell me you did it because of me.”
“Do you want me to lie?”
She shakes her head. “I want the truth.”
“I did it because he hurt you,” I confess simply. “He deserved it.” When he called Everly a frigid bitch after Theo and I confronted him for dumping her, I let my temper take over. I have zero regrets.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” she scolds me, a worried look on her face. “What if he had hit you back? You could have been hurt.”
I laugh, pointing to the scar on my face. “As long as he aimed for the left side, we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
“That’s not funny, Cash.” Everly scolds me. “Jacob was provoking you. His dad is the president of the school board, you know this. What if you get suspended?”
God, her protective side is so adorable.
I’ve been sent to the office so often that I’m on a first-name basis with the principal. I have a habit of letting my fists do the talking when someone is being a bully and am late more often than not. One more offense won’t make a difference.
In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter anyway. Graduation is only a month away, and I don’t think I want to go to college. Not that I’ve had the courage to break the news to my parents yet.
“It was worth it,” I promise Everly. “Now eat before the food gets cold.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” She grabs a burger and unwraps it before taking a large bite. A subtle moan escapes her lips as she chews.
“Good?”
“Mm-hmm,” she acknowledges around her mouthful of food.