“You know she set the fire,” Collin says, his chair crashing with a thud on the carpet.“And unless Livvy’s some sorta brilliant arsonist, it’s going to come back as suspicious.It looks sketchy as hell the cameras were turned off four hours before the fire.”
“Does anyone know about the cameras?Besides your dad’s company?”
Jonathan gives me a shrug.“It’s not a secret that he sets up cameras at his work sites.”
“All of them?”
Jonathan considers this.“No.Usually just the ones that aren’t secured.”
“So, why this one?It was an indoor renovation, right?”I wondered why there were cameras.I thought about it while I was getting ready for school.The only reason I could come up with was that Hal didn’t trust Livvy or her friends—Jonathan included—not to enter the house while her parents were in Paris.
Collin stands.“Holy shit.You’re right.There shouldn’t have been cameras.”
“Maybe no one will know to ask about them.And I doubt Hal will hand them over without a warrant,” I suggest, hoping it’s helpful.But wait.Who’s this helping?I don’t want Jonathan to return home.“You’re not going back, right?”
Jonathan meets my eyes.I’m not sure if he knows I heard Hal’s threat.
“Jane is totally fine with you staying ’til college.You know that.And as long as you two don’t have sex in my bed, I’m good.”
“Collin!”My face is an instant sunburn.
He looks between us like there’s something wrong with us.“You haven’t had sex yet?Why not?”
“Omigod.”I hide my head in my arms.“Why are we talking about this?”
Jonathan chuckles.Which makes Collin laugh.
This gets my attention.“Why areyoulaughing?”Jonathan has a glint in his eye that coaxes out a smile.Can’t help it.It’s good to see light in his eyes, even at the cost of my mortification.
“Your reaction,” he says.“I wasn’t expecting you to be so embarrassed.”
“I’m not talking to Collin about our sex life.”
“What sex life?”Collin mocks.
“Will you talk tomeabout it?”Jonathan asks with a crooked grin.
“I’m outta here,” Collin declares, grabbing his backpack and exiting the study room.
“Wow, that was easy,” I note, watching Collin approach a study table and do something asinine that causes the students to erupt with laughter.The librarian rushes over to shut him up.
“I was serious.”
I blink.“You were?”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“About having sex… with you?”
Jonathan smiles.“Yes.Would you like to…”
“You want to plan it?”
“I want to do whatever feels right to you.”
“Uh… I’ve… um… yes.I want to have sex with you.”
This gets Jonathan laughing with his head tilted back.The creases around his eyes smiling along with him.
