Me:She rubs me the wrong way. All high and mighty—she was looking at me like I was BOTHERING HER when she was the one interrupting ME.
I don’t know what I expect from him; maybe I hope he’ll say something likeWhy do you care what she thinks? Her opinion of you doesn’t matter. I don’t even care what she does.
But all I get isShe wasn’t looking at you like that.
LIKE HELL SHE WASN’T! She was practically looking at me sideways.
The phone buzzes again.
Easton:You are I are just friends. You know that, right?
I roll my eyes; of course I know that. He is forever remindingme.
Me:I am well aware.
My heart pounds as I hit send, and I toss my phone onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
I never thought I would be one of those girls who obsess over some guy’s behavior, analyze every word he says, every look. But here I am, doing exactly that!
The Maddie situation is getting under my skin, and worse, I’mlettingit!
When my phone lights up again I sit up, annoyed that this is still on my mind. This friendship/relationship with Easton was a fluke! An accident! He was a means to an end as a prom date, and I’m the one who went and made it personal! Not him.
I’m the problem. Me.
Easton:Look, can I be honest?
I hesitate, my thumb hovering over the screen. Is this where he admits that I’m right and Maddie is overrated? That he’s realized he never had a crush on her in the first place?
Yeah, yeah, dream on, Harper.
Me:I’m listening.
There’s a long pause before his response comes through.
Easton:If it seems like I’ve been wound up it’s coz I haven’t been sleeping the last few nights.
I pause. His answer is unexpected, and more than that, I haven’t noticed if he’s been acting wound up. To me, he’s been acting like his normal self.
Me:Not sleeping? Why?
Easton:I keep thinking about the Parker Lane bullshit. I’ve been so stressed out about it. I keep thinking any fucking second I’ll get caught. Having Callahan stop us in the hallway did not help.
I frown at my phone, thumb hovering over the keyboard.
We’ve been over this; the Parker Lane situation is behind us. Callahan isn’t going to pop out of the bushes and arrest him in the middle of the night. Still. The thought of Easton lying awake, replaying everything over and over, gnaws at me because I care about him.
Guys are so much more sensitive than I realized.
Me:You’re not going to get caught.
Easton:Just because I haven’t already doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Callahan was staring deep into my soul.
Me:Callahan looks at everyone like that. It’s his literal job.
Easton:Yeah, but I DID steal the damn thing and you helped!
I wince.
