And wasn’t that one of the reasons Eva found her so infuriating? Because Lily refused to be kept at bay; because she questioned Eva; because, no matter what Eva threw at her, Lily took it in her stride.
Because Lily was still trying to reach out, even after everything. Even when it would have been so much easier to let it go.
“I think she’s good for you,” Kate had said, and Eva hadn’t wanted to believe her. But as the plane touched down on the tarmac at O’Hare, Eva wondered if Kate might be right.
By the time they’d all collected their suitcases and everyone had been counted onto the bus, Eva had come to a decision. She was tired. Not just because of her sleepless night—the whole year had been exhausting, a war of attrition with Lily she no longer wanted to fight. Eva wanted peace, if not harmony. An end to the battles they’d been engaging in ever since Eva had first laid eyes on Lily outside her classroom door.
Eva pulled out her phone.
You’re right. I can’t avoid you forever. I can’t ignore what’s between us forever, much as I might be trying to.
Pressing send before she could second-guess herself, Eva waited with bated breath for a reply. Lily sat a few rows behind her, so she couldn’t see her reaction—or if she had realized there was a message at all.
Eva stared out of the window, watching fields flash by, her leg bouncing against the floor. She shouldn’t have said anything. She should have let it go. She shouldn’t have put herself out there like that, should have—
In her lap, her phone buzzed.
And what is between us? Because after last night, I don’t think we’d make very good friends.
Friends with benefits, maybe. But Eva didn’t think that was a good fit.
I don’t know. It’s inexplicable.Inexplicable, the way Lily had wormed her way in close. Inexplicable, how Eva’s stomach twisted whenever their eyes met. Inexplicable, how Lily had managed to flip her whole life upside down in just a few short months.
It’s not. It’s simple, really.
Eva frowned at her phone.How so?
It’s chemistry.
Eva scoffed. It was the first time she’d seen a hint of Molly in Lily’s messages today.Really? Clichés are as bad as puns.
Even if it’s the truth?
Technically, it’s biology. Hormones are on the syllabus.
And hormones are what? Chemicals. Which cause a chemical reaction. Ergo, it’s chemistry.
Eva shook her head. It shouldn’t be this easy, to fall back into things. Shouldn’t have her smiling like a teenager with their first crush. Not when everything was so muddled.What are we doing?
What we do best,Lily replied.Skirting around the issue. Isn’t that what got us into this mess in the first place?
Yes, with arguments and kisses and distractions—anything to avoid how they really felt.We should talk.
Funny, I suggested that about four hours ago.
I had to come to that conclusion on my own. I’m stubborn.
Yeah, as a mule.
Brakes screeched as the bus pulled to a stop, and Eva glanced away from her phone, shocked to see they’d arrived back at Greenfield. The school day had ended over an hour ago, the only cars still left in the lot belonging to teachers or kids with after-school clubs.
“I hope everyone had a good trip,” Daphne said, before letting them disembark. “And you’ve all managed to learn something.”
Eva certainly had, turning her head to find Lily looking right at her. More than she thought she could.
“Off you go, then. Have a good summer, if I don’t see you beforehand.” Daphne stepped aside to let the kids past.
Eva got to her feet once the aisle was clear of teenagers, following the other teachers out onto the parking lot. Lily stood nearby, Paige bidding her good-bye, and Eva pulled out her phone to call an Uber.
