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I stopped when I was at least six feet away from Seth and leaned against the fence that surrounded his front yard. I was desperate enough to break lockdown to see him, but I wasn’t about to get too close to him and risk either of us transmitting the virus. I’d never forgive myself if I got him sick.

Seth tucked his ball into his side as he focused on me. “So, couldn’t go two days without seeing me, huh?”

“Longest two days of my life.”

Seth laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure they have been.”

“I think the days are about to get a whole lot longer though.”

“And why’s that?”

I took in a deep breath before I responded. “Because Clary James’s parents are stuck in Mexico and she’s staying at my house until they get back.”

Seth’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”

“Ha, those were my exact words when Mom told me.”

“You’re really serious?”

I rubbed my forehead and nodded. “Completely, and I have no clue what I’m supposed to do about it.”

“Who says you have to do anything?”

“I don’t, but this isClary James.If I’m ever going to have a shot with her, this is it.”

Seth started rolling the basketball around in his hands as he considered the situation. He tilted his head to the side as he looked at me. “You know she can’t stand you, right?”

“I’m well aware,” I growled, earning a grin from him in return. I didn’t deserve Clary—not in a million years—but that didn’t stop me from wanting her.

“Just checking,” he said. “So, I guess the question is: how do we turn her from a hater to a fan?”

I shrugged. I was lucky if I ever got more than a one-word conversation out of Clary at school. Nothing I’d ever done had worked before, so I had no idea what would work now.

“Why don’t you just try being yourself around her?” he suggested. “You can actually be a decent guy sometimes.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I mean that in the nicest possible way,” Seth said with a grin. “I’ve seen you around Clary, and you act differently. It’s like you can’t help but try and push her buttons.”

He wasn’t wrong. There was nothing I liked more than pushing Clary’s buttons. Riling her up was like an itch that constantly needed scratching. I was satisfied while I was doing it, but as soon as I stopped, the itch came back more intensely. It couldn’t be normal. I probably needed help.

“So, that’s my advice,” Seth finished with a shrug. “Be less of a dick.”

“That’syour advice. Be less of a dick?”

“Yep.”

“Why are we friends again?”

“Because I make sure to deflate that huge head of yours whenever it gets too big.”

“And the punches keep rolling,” I replied with a chuckle.

“Well, it’s not the job I wanted in life, but it’s the one I’ve been given. This town loves their star quarterback, and if I didn’t keep you down to earth, who knows what would become of you.”

“Well, it’s lucky we never have to find out.” My days as our town’s beloved high school quarterback were over now that I was about to graduate.

Despite what my friend said, I was glad to see those days behind me. Football was always something that had come easily to me, but I was never in love with the game like most guys on the team. The attention that had come with it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be either. There was a whole heap of expectations, which I really wasn’t going to miss.