Yeah. I've heard it before. More than once.
Which means Caroline's mood right now? Not great. Not hopeful. Not even neutral.
We're talking DEFCON 1. Red alert. Pray-for-your-life territory.
I drag a hand over my mouth, trying to smother a giggle. A freaking giggle. What am I, a middle-schooler at a boy-band concert?
Apparently, yeah. Because she's glaring at me and all I can think is how stupidly gorgeous she is even when she's mad. Even furious, she's radiant. A thunderstorm in yoga leggings.
I blow out a breath. Great. Another full-blown episode of Sir Simps-A-Lot over here.
God, I'm hopeless.
I clear my throat, trying to fight back the grin still tugging at my mouth. "So, uh... I see we're in the 'Die, Chad, Die' phase of the afternoon. Poor Chad."
"Bold of you to assume you're not Chad."
Oof. Right in the jugular.
I lift my hands in surrender, trying to look harmless."Okay, fair. But for the record, I'd like to officially request removal from the Chad category."
Her arms fold tighter across her chest, braids swishing as she tilts her head. "Request denied."
Double oof.
"Harsh." I clutch at my chest like she's just shot me, letting the grin slip anyway.
Her glare sharpens, but I catch the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth before she smothers it.
"Look," I say, stepping closer before she decides to actually throw me out. "What you saw earlier with Taylor... it's not what you think."
"Oh, isn't that a little cliché?'It's not what you think,'" she says, doing air quotes with both hands.
"But I don't really care, Zach. Whatever you do in your life, whoever you do it with — it's none of my business. We're not... a thing."
I wince.
"But I want us to be a thing," I murmur, voice half-smile, half-plea.
She just rolls her eyes. Of course she does.
Caroline's jaw set, all business. She's playing it cool, stone-faced, the exact picture of nonchalant.
I let out a long breath, scrubbing a hand over my jaw. "Look, I get it. What you saw earlier—it probably looked like me and Taylor are... whatever. Together. But we're not. There's nothing going on between us. I already told you that before."
"Oh, sure.'Nothing going on.'" She throws up mocking air quotes again, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's funny, because it didn't look like nothing. You two were pretty cozy. People out there were already saying you look like a real couple—that you're getting serious."
Her mouth twists, bitter. "Apparently, you two are theperfect match.You sure looked like it."
"Who? What 'everyone'?"
She shrugs, "The same people who saw exactly what I saw—your arms around her, her face in your chest. You can't stand there and tell me I imagined that."
"Caro—"
"No." She cuts me off sharp, her voice tight. "You said there was nothing between you two. But from where I was standing? It looked like the exact opposite. And you know what? I don't even care if you're with her. That's not what pisses me off. What pisses me off is you lying straight to my face."
She shakes her head, grabbing her bag. "Seriously, Zach. Whatever game you're playing? Leave me out of it."
