She sucks in her cheek by biting the inside and then gives me another one of those brilliant smiles. “I know that, silly. If there was anything to tell, I would tell you. But there’s not. So shoo. You have three gorgeous, hot men waiting to eat breakfast with you.” Hailey squeezes me in an overenthusiastic hug and pushes me out of her room. “See you at school!” she says, closing her bedroom door in my face.
Maybe I’m worrying for nothing. If there was something going on, she would tell me. Right? I’ll ask Ryder to talk to his sister, Brea, since she and Hailey are best friends. Part of me wonders if Hailey is being bullied by Maria too. I wouldn’t put it past Maria to mess with my sister to get at me. Anger boils up inside of me. If Maria’s put her hands on my sister in any way, she’s going to regret it. I’ll see what Ryder thinks when we meet for breakfast. We’re having it at his house this morning even though we were all just there last night to celebrate our college acceptances. Faith promised to make me her homemade gluten-free cinnamon buns.
Chapter 22
Ryder
“Do not say a fucking word to Liz about what happened at the bonfire,” Jay warns us once again. He's said that same thing to us a couple of other times over the past few days since the bonfire party last Friday.
It's Tuesday afternoon, school’s done, and we’re hanging out in the parking lot waiting on Elizabeth to finish talking to Beth and Celeste before we head out to the Fields. Luckily, Elizabeth doesn’t have to work tonight and Jayson doesn’t have a swim meet, so everyone’s coming to watch me race.
“If you don’t tell her, she’s going to find out eventually, man.”
“I agree with Ry. Tell her. Get it out there, act like it’s no big deal and move on. Liz doesn’t need another Jacinda or Maria incident.”
“Don’t you know Iknowthat already, asshole. She’s stressed enough as it is with all her AP exams coming up, work, and getting ready for her music competition. I just don’t want to add to her plate, you know.” Jay replies in frustration. “She hasn’t been sleeping and now she’s worrying over Hailey.”
“I hate to say he’s right,” Julien agrees.
“What the hell, Jules. You just told him he should tell her.”
“He made a good point. I can change my mind.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Do what you want to do, man, but I disagree. Then again, it wasn’t me Jacinda was climbing all over so it’s not me she’ll be upset with.” I stop talking when I see Elizabeth saunter over to us. Jayson reaches out to grab her, but she spins out of his reach and jumps onto my back piggy-back style.
“I can’t wait to see you race tonight!” She squeezes me tightly and then convulsively squirms when Jayson grabs her ribs to pull her off me.
“Hands off my girl, Ry.”
I want to mess with him now since Elizabeth is the one climbing all over me. “Hold tight,” is the only warning I give her and take off across the parking lot toward my car. Elizabeth hangs on for dear life, laughing hysterically. Jayson doesn’t find it funny at all. He may be a fast swimmer, but I’m a faster runner. I have Elizabeth in my car, doors locked, and engine turned on by the time Jayson pounds on my window.
“Open up fucker and give me my girl!” I raise my middle finger and rev the engine. Elizabeth wiggles her fingers in a goodbye wave, blows him a kiss, and we peel out of the lot.
“He is so going to beat your ass when he gets to the track.”
I grin at her. “Worth it.”
“Am I a bad person to like it so much when you mess with him?”
“He deserves it.”
“Why do you say that?”
I change the subject. “I can’t believe we only have a month left before we graduate.”
“I know! It all feels so surreal.”
“Any clue as to where the fams are taking us for summer vacay?”
“I did see a suspicious London travel book half hidden under my dad’s newspaper this morning.”
“You’re shitting me? We’re going to England?”
“I mean, I hope so. I was right about Hawaii.” Elizabeth starts swiping through my music files. She loves cranking up rock and roll when we’re driving in my car together. “Ryder, has Brea said anything or talked to you about Hailey recently?”
I shake my head, eyes on the road. “Nothing. Sorry. I did talk to her like you asked me to, but she said other than Hailey maybe having a secret boyfriend, she’s been the same old Hailey, just a little more standoffish than usual.”
Loud honking interrupts our conservation. “Wonder what took him so long,” Elizabeth chuckles looking out the back window at Jayson’s truck coming up behind us fast. I push the gas down and speed away, wagging my middle finger out the driver’s side window.
