Then she bursts out laughing, clutching her stomach as tears gather in the corners of her eyes, no doubt threatening to ruin her mascara.
“Oh my god. You are seriously anidiot.”
“It was an accident!” I protest, my face burning. “The glue shot out of the tube and before I knew it, glue was everywhere.”
“You glued your hand to herchest? Jeez. I would kill you.” Maddie snorts. “No wonder you two seemed so close—you had your hand on her boob.I’m dying.This is the best thing I’ve heard all week.”
I cross my arms, trying to look annoyed, but her laughter is contagious, and I find myself roaring despite the embarrassment.
“Don’t tell anyone,” I beg. “Please.”
“Oh, I’m for sure telling people. Sorry,” she says, wiping her eyes. “This is fantastic gossip.”
After giggling a little longer, her laughter dies down and she looks across the car at me. Tilts her head.
Studies me.
“You know—I get it now.”
“Get what?” I ask somewhat warily.
“Why you like Harper,” Maddie states it simply. “She’s different, in a good way. She’s cute.”
Her unexpected admission catches me off guard, and I wonder if she’s going to drop a bomb or if she’s being nice to be nice.
My eyes narrow. “Thanks?”
She waves a hand dismissively, her smirk returning. “Don’t let my approval go to your head.”
Her approval? Now, there’s the Maddie Miller I know.
“Noted.” I chuckle. Then a thought occurs to me. “Hey. Know who you remind me of?”
“Blake Lively?”
“Good guess, but no—you remind me of my little sister, Phoebe. She’s a pain in the ass, too.”
Maddie narrows her eyes, but the smile tugging at her lips tells me she’s not offended. “Gee. I’m assuming that if you have the nerve to compare me to a child, she is fabulous. You sure have a way with words, Easton.”
I bow my head. “It’s a gift.”
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t respond right away, her expression shifting into something more thoughtful. She closes her eyes for a brief moment, then looks at me again, gazing deep into my eyes—my soul, it feels like.
“Seriously, Easton—what are you still doing here?”
“What doesthatmean?”
“I mean—why are you still sitting here with me?” Maddie asks, gesturing toward the sparkling lights in the distance, illuminating the entrance to the dance. “You need to march your ass in there and find your real date.”
“Maddie…”
She cuts me off with a raised hand. “No, don’t ‘Maddie’ me. Look, I understand you didn’t want to be a dick and dump me last minute. You agreed to go with me, and I appreciate that. But let’s be real—you’re not here for me. Not really.”
I open my mouth to challenge her, but she’s not wrong. She also does not let me argue.
“Harper is in there. If you like her as much as I think you do, then you need to march in there and snatch her up. Don’t waste the night sitting somewhere you’re not supposed to be.”
I let out a slow breath, her words sinking in. “You really think I should?”
