It’s my red hoodie. But it can’t be. I must be mistaken.
“What is it?” Trinity asks.
I shake my head, but I can’t tear my eyes from Jasper. That hoodie looks exactly like mine, with the sleeves stretched out so they bunch over his wrists. Jesus Christ.
Feeling my gaze on him, Jasper turns and meets my eyes. He reddens and looks away.
“Is something up with you two?” Trinity asks.
“Huh?” For a moment, I forgot she was here.
She nods between me and Jasper, who’s moved off the porch to join Aiden.
“Nah, nothing,” I stammer. “Why would there be?”
Trinity narrows her eyes at me as she takes a sip of her vodka cruiser.
“He doesn’t like me very much,” I add. “That’s all.”
“Maybe it’s something else.” The soft way she says it makes the back of my neck prickle.
“What do you mean?”
She shrugs and flips her hair over one shoulder. “He looks at you a lot. At school.”
“No he doesn’t.” He never looks at me. It’s like I don’t exist.
“He does it when you’re not watching, dummy,” Trinity says. “Zaina was the one who pointed it out to me first. He does it all the time.”
I shake my head. “No. No, he’s probably looking at you.”
Trinity shakes her head with a small smile, but drops the topic.
I sneak a glance at Jasper, who’s sipping on a bottle, and then at Trinity, hoping she didn’t notice.
“Hey,” I say, talking to distract myself from Jasper. “I have a question.”
“Mm?”
“So, er,” I begin, looking down at my bottle. Then I tell her about what happened with Imogen and Kennedy, and the wolf-whistling, and what the girls had said. “I guess my question is… why do you girls think I only see you all platonically?”
Her eyes widen.
“Because I do!” I continue quickly. “I’m just surprised you think that as well.”
Trinity laughs. “For a moment, I thought you were going to confess your undying love for one of us.”
I stare at her, and she slaps my shoulder.
“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” She calms down. “I don’t get what you’re asking. It’s never been more than platonic with you.”
“But how do you know that?” I insist. I’m searching for an answer, but I don’t want to admit it. “Most guys who are friends with girls would be DTF if the girl asked. That’s the brutal reality”
Trinity blinks. “DTF?”
“Down to f—”
“I know what it means.”
