Nova groans, but her grin betrays her. “My God. You two are unbelievable. I don’t need bodyguards.”
“Too bad,” Max says with a shrug. “You’ve got them anyway. No refunds.”
I smirk and add, “Exactly. You’re stuck with us.”
Nova’s eyes soften, and she wraps her arms around me first, hugging me tight before pulling Max in too. The three of us end up tangled in this ridiculous, lopsided group hug right in the middle of the party.
When she finally leans back, cheeks glowing, she plants a quick kiss on my cheek, then Max’s. “My very own Nova Protection Squad,” she teases. “Guess I’m the luckiest girl here.”
I press my face into her hair, my arms locking around her back before I even think about it. For a second—for one perfect second—it feels like nothing else matters.
And then, like always, she slips away, spinning back into the music, leaving me and Max standing there in her glow.
I’m a little burned, a little smitten, and absolutely sure of one thing:
Jesus Christ, Nova.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Nova Marshall
PAST (2018)
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“I'm a little fighter and I
stand up for what I believe in.”
Avril Lavigne
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Aside from bakery class, the only class I don’t totally hate is lit. Mostly because it’s the one I share with Vincent. Max is in it too, which makes it even better.
I can’t help it—I hate school. I can’t sit still, can’t focus. But lit is different. With Vincent around, I can survive anything. We always sit in the back, scribbling tic-tac-toe, tossing notes, or doodling on each other’s papers while Mrs. Donovan pretends not to notice.
Spring ball’s coming up. As always, Vincent and I are supposed to go together. I still need to ask him what color tie he’s wearing so I can pick a matching dress. That’s our tradition.Usually, we also end up hijacking the music—either bribing the DJ to play our songs or sneaking in to change them ourselves. We drink way too much punch, raid the snack table, and camp out in the top bleachers until I eventually drag him down to dance.
No one makes me laugh like him. And maybe this year—after Tanner’s party—maybe this year I’ll actually ask him to be myofficialdate.
So today, I went all in. My favorite pink dress with white polka dots and lace on the neckline, paired with my boots. A cloud of perfume. And in my backpack? A ten-pack of Snickers and a can of his favorite soda.
You’ve got this, Nova,I tell myself while blastingGet Weirdby Little Mix. By the timeBlack Magicplays, I’m hyped enough to keep my nerves from killing me.
But when I walk into lit class, I freeze.
“Would you like to go to the spring ball with me?”
Sarah Amos is standing right in front of Vincent, who’s perched casually on his desk like he belongs in a teen drama. Her hand is on his arm.
Fuck. My. Life.
I rip out my earbuds, shove them in my bag, and drop into the seat by the window next to Max. I rip open my Snickers box like I came here for nothing but chocolate.
“Rough day?” Max asks, draping an arm around me.
“Don’t even talk about it,” I mutter, handing him a bar.
