Page 35
“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.
