“What?”
“Tiana said that Alison has the hots for me.”
I snatch my hand away from Henry’s stomach. “That’s not news.”
“I know.”
“Why would Tiana tell you that?”
“The reason she says anything. To start drama. Or maybe Alison told her to.”
I can’t help the sourness in my voice. “So now what? Are you going to go out with Alison?”
Henry stops playing with my hair. “No. Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why, do you think I should?”
I avoid looking at him, wanting to hide my expression. “It’s up to you.” I hope I sound nonchalant.
Henry is quiet for a moment. I wonder if he’s considering it. I ask him so.
“You said I should!”
“No, I didn’t,” I snap back. “Do you want a girlfriend?”
Henry sits up, and I rip my body away from his. We stare at each other.
“Why not?” Henry asks. “It might be nice to have something serious, instead of random hookups.”
My heart splinters. “Fair enough,” I force out.
“Fair enough?” he echoes. “Don’t you want to date someone?”
I think of going on a date with a girl, holding hands in the mall and going to the cinemas together. Dancing at school events. Lying in her bed.
No way. No freaking way.
I replace the girl with a boy, but I’m still not happy. I don’t want someone else, I want Henry.
“No,” I answer.
“No?”
“I want this,” I say, gesturing between us. “We can’t dothisif you’re dating someone random.”
“You’d settle for this?”
Settle. “Isn’t this more convenient?” I demand.
“You don’t want more?” he asks. I hesitate, and he pounces on it. “You do!”
Yes, I do. But not in the way you think.
“Who would I date?” I ask. My face twists. “Sana? Complete the trio?”
Something flashes past Henry’s eyes. “What about that Eva chick?”
