Page 47 of Rule 5: Never Crush on the Captain

“It means I’ll be your chaperone at every school dance.”

“Uh-oh,” I say. “Better watch out.”

I wait for Stella to giggle, but instead, she frowns.

“I should go,” I say, aiming for lightness. “Bye, Stella.”

I’m not going to make the mistake of not saying goodbye to her again.

She wriggles in Evan’s arms though, then crosses her arms. “You need to apologize.”

“Vinnie doesn’t need to apologize,” Evan says.

“He made you sad,” Stella says. “IfImake my friend sad, you make me apologize.”

Evan’s cheeks grow a ruddy color.

“I wasn’t that sad, Stella.”

“You were crying, Daddy!”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Evan

I am officially mortified.

I’m not sure what Stella could have said that would have been worse.

Vinnie is regarding me in a stricken manner.

Shit.

I move my gaze around. Isaiah and Jasmine are gazing at the parking lot pavement. Since it’s dark, and they can’t see anything there, even squished up gum or candy wrappers, I don’t buy their sudden concentration.

“Let’s go,” Jasmine says finally. “Sorry, Evan.”

Jasmine leads Stella away.

Isaiah is beside me, strangely. Somehow, I thought that he would scamper to the bus.

Instead, I think he’s casting a furious glance at Vinnie.

“I wasn’t crying that much,” I say.

“I know,” Isaiah says.

“She was exaggerating.”

“I know.”

“And I was injured. Probably does something to my tear ducts or something.”

“Yeah, probably.”

We’re closer to the bus.

“But, um...” Isaiah rakes a hand through his hair. “Just know I wouldn’t mind if you were...crying.”