“No.” He laughs. “I hate school. And you’re my only friend there, so how about it? I’ll owe you a favor.”
Cameron’s friends have left town without him. He must be lonely to want to talk to me. I don’t want to go home yet . . . so I must be lonely too.
“Yeah, okay,” I tell him. “I’ll stay for dinner. Just don’t make it weird.”
He breaks into a huge smile and sits up, elbows on his knees. “You surprise me.”
“You’re making it weird.”
His eyes flash with attraction—that look of an impending kiss. But I’m quick to dissolve it.
“So, pizza?” I ask.
“Actually”—he scrunches his nose apologetically—“I lied about that. My father hates pizza, so we never have it.”
“He sounds like a monster.”
A door closes, and both of us look toward the hall. “Cameron?” a woman calls from beyond the room. Her heels click along the wood floor.
I gasp and take Cameron’s arm. He looks down to where I’m holding his biceps, and then he slowly raises his eyes until they meet mine. Our touch is fire, and I pull back my hand.
“I’m in here, Mom,” he calls, although he’s still looking at me.
“Is she going to freak?” I ask.
Cameron furrows his brow. “About what?”
“Me. Being in here alone with you.”
“I’m allowed to have friends in my room,” he says.
I feel stupid and lower my eyes.Friends. He didn’t plan to hook up with me—he told me as much earlier. I misunderstood this moment.
The door opens.
“Oh,” his mother says, looking between me and Cameron. “Sorry, I didn’t know you had company.”
I stare at her, waiting for her to kick me out. But she smiles warmly and it throws me off.
“I’m Kendra,” she says, sticking out her hand and walking toward me. I stand awkwardly, feeling guilty. I can’t imagine how much worse I’d feel if Cameron and I had been making out.
I shake her hand. “Savannah,” I say, but I whisper it. What the hell is up with my voice? I haven’t been doing anything wrong.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Kendra is pretty for someone’s mother. Her shoulder-length blond hair is brushed smooth with the ends flipped up, and she smells like flowers.
“Savannah’s in my class,” Cameron says from behind me. When he asked me to stay for dinner, I hadn’t considered this part. The part where his parents would find out I’m a delinquent too.
“Really?” Kendra puts her hands on her hips, like this is interesting trivia about me. “What did you do, honey?”
Cameron laughs. “She stabbed her ex-boyfriend.”
Kendra shakes her head. “Oh, stop,” she tells him, slapping his shoulder. “That’s not funny.”
I’m glad she doesn’t believe him, but I’m going to kill him later anyway. Kendra turns to me.
“Are you staying for dinner?” she asks.
“Oh, uh . . .” I plan to back out, but Cameron goes to stand next to his mother and smiles, like he knows I’m having second thoughts. Does he really want me to stay? To have dinner with his family? What kind of psychopath is he?
