I nod back.
Liam—who's standing in the aisle because he refuses to sit until the very last minute—looks up at the same moment.
"Little devil!" he blurts, waving so aggressively he nearly smacks a random guy in the face.
I hear a subtle shift behind me—like a body jolting upright.
I don't have to look to know it's Elijah.
But I do anyway.
He's sitting in the aisle seat one row behind me, and the second Liam says Sam's nickname, Elijah's head snaps up. He turns sharply—eyes locking onto Sam.
Sam doesn't look his way though. Not even for a split second.
She walks straight toward us, Liam slings an arm around her shoulders the moment she gets close.
"Long time no see," he grins.
"Yeah, little devil," Luke adds from his seat beside Elijah. "You haven't been showing up at the Pond lately. Don't you missusat all?"
He shoots a sideways glance at Elijah when he saysus, the smirk on his face way too pointed to be subtle.
Sam laughs, still not glancing even once at Elijah. "I've just been busy."
"Busy?" Liam scoffs. "You mean busy partying every damn night?"
Sam rolls her eyes, elbowing him gently.
"At the football house!" Liam piles on dramatically. "Can you believe that? Betrayal. Actual betrayal. What about loyalty? What about family?"
Sam snorts. "What can I say? Their parties are more fun than yours."
Luke clutches his chest like he's been stabbed. "Wow. Right to our faces."
While everyone's laughing, I flick my attention back to Elijah.
His expression is... different.
Jaw tight. Brows pulled together. That usual blank, untouchable look isn't there right now. Instead, he's staring at Sam like he's trying to figure something out. Or like he's waiting—waiting for her to look at him, acknowledge him,something.
She doesn't.
Not once.
Then Cody leans forward from the seat next to me. "Yo, Sam—I heard Khol's been asking you out. That why you're always over there? or are you guys going out already?"
If I weren't already paying attention, I would've missed it—the way Elijah freezes for half a second.
He looks at her—really looks—and it's the longest he's looked at Sam. Like he's waiting for her to laugh it off.
Or deny it.
Or say anything that tells him she's not actually out going out with the school's quarterback.
But Sam just grins.
Doesn't deny it.
