“So you want to be one?”
She shrugs. “I could help other families.”
“You don’t think that would mess with your head?”
“I guess it might. I’d probably have a hard time not checking all my sealed records.”
“You wouldn’t do that. You’re too goody goody.”
She flips me off, and I bark a laugh. “Calm down, dove, I wouldn’t want to be on your bad side.”
“That’s right, and don’t you forget it.” She smiles, and it pulls me from the truck.
“Any plans this weekend?”
“I have a study group on Saturday morning, but other than that, no.”
“A study group… On the weekend?”
“I’m not doing great in AP Chemistry.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. You have a B+ instead of an A?”
“No, I have an A, but it’s not about that.” She crosses her arms. “I need to score well on the AP exam.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “You’re right, sorry.”
“Besides, I have nothing better to do. Not like any boys have asked me on a date.”
I try not to flinch externally. “Have your eye on someone?”
“No, not particularly. But I’m starting to feel like a pariah since you aren’t there every day to talk to me between classes. I see the other girls talking to their boyfriends, and it would be nice if anyone noticed me at all.”
“They know you’re my girl, Liv. That’s why they don’t bother.” I wink at her, and she huffs.
“Don’t say that. People will get the wrong idea.”
“What? You don’t want people to think you’re mine?” I ask casually, though my chest has an anvil on it.
“Not when you go around giving every other girl you see a hickey from Hayes.”
“Oh my God. Not this again. It’s been a couple of girls. The nickname is unnecessary.”
“Still.” She shrugs.
“Sounds like you want a hickey from Hayes,” I taunt, slinking over to her.
“Shut up,” she laughs, pushing my face away when I teasingly lunge for her neck.
I laugh with her even though my mouth waters thinking about sinking into her soft skin. She’s a senior now, but she’s only 17…
She’s too young, and I’m just the knucklehead who will screw with her head.
“Love you, Liv,” I tell her unceremoniously because we say it to each other all the time. “Sorry, boys are idiots.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, love you, too.”
Even though I mean it more than each time before, I’ll never cross that line, because there will be no going back.
