My brows pucker as I glance at him in the rearview mirror. “Where do you need to go?”
His broad frame fills the entire reflection, and he has to be uncomfortable squeezed back there, but Luci claims her age earns her front-seat privileges.
After last night, he has avoided me all day. Other than a trip into town with Auggie, he’s been in the same house as me, pretending I don’t exist.
But the biggest sign something is bothering him is the fact that he didn’t even argue when I told him I’d be driving us to the party in my car.
“Just downtown.” He points for me to turn right. “I don’t think they’ll be open tomorrow.”
Luci taps a finger to the clock on the dashboard. “They’re serving dinner in thirty minutes,” she says sternly. “I tend to pinch people when I’m hangry.”
He snorts a laugh, lifting a brow in the reflection. “Must be hereditary.”
Snowflakes land softly on the windshield as I pull into a parallel parking spot—masterfully, I must add—on the side of Juniper’s rundown historic Main Street. A few businesses still occupy spaces on the main drag, but there are many more empty ones than there used to be. With collapsing awnings and bricks in a pile from the corner building, this area of town has seen better days.
“I’ll stay in the car,” Luci says, leaning back on the headrest. “Just enough time for a nap.”
“I’ll stay too,” I announce, even though he didn’t invite me.
“I’ll hurry. No pinching.” His door snaps shut, and I watch him jog across the street to Peter’s Pizza.
Pizza?That’s the emergency errand that couldn’t wait?
Un-fucking-believable.
I pull out my phone and swipe open my messages, typing furiously.
We Catan Beat Finn
Lena: I kissed Gavin.
Lena: He kissed me back.
Lena: I accidentally kicked the Christmas tree and knocked it over.
Emil:
Micah:
Millie: OMG no you didn’t.
Lena: I did. Broke four ornaments.
Emil: How are you feeling about the kiss?
Lena: On one hand, it was the hottest kiss in the history of time, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Lena: On the other hand, he’s barely spoken to me since.
Micah: You think he regrets it?
Lena: I have no clue.
Lena: But probably.
Lena: I’m just tired of pretending.
As the sound of Luci’s deep, sleepy breaths fills the car, I set my phone on the console and lean my head back, squeezing my eyes shut tight.
