Beside me, Ryan pulls his arm away so he can reach one of the drinks that roll over the table. The second he moves, the cold hits me properly and a shiver slips down my arms before I can stop it. Why is it so goddamn cold in here? It’s February. It’s supposed to be spring.
“Here.”
I glance up to find Ryan holding his jacket out toward me. “You look like you’re about to turn into an icicle,” he says, giving me a knowing look.
Good move.
I take the jacket, giving him a small smile as I pull it over my shoulders. “Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
The moment I slide my arms into the sleeves, warmth settles around me, the fabric soft and big.
I don’t even have to look up to know everyone’s watching. When I do look up, the entire group is suddenly very interested in their snacks. But Noah is just staring. And even though he’s my brother, I have absolutely no idea what’s going through his head right now. I don’t know if a speech is loading, or a list of questions, or—worst case scenario—afight.
I clear my throat quickly and push my chair back. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom,” I say, already standing. “I’ll be back.”
I tug Ryan’s jacket a little tighter around me as I step through the library doors.
I’m halfway down the hallway, tugging my sleeves over my wrists, when I spot Jacob. He’s standing a few lockers down, leaning back against them, scrolling on his phone.
Oh my God. This is it.
For a second, I just stand there, my brain glitching—half turning like I might walk the other way, then stopping, then almost turning back again.
Okay. What do I do?
I straighten my shoulders and start walking again. Slow at first, then a little more steady as I get closer, forcing myself not to look at him too directly. Just as I pass, I clear my throat, a little louder.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him pause, his head lifting, attention snapping away from his phone.
“Hey,” he says, a small smile forming as he pushes himself off the lockers and tucks his phone away.
“Oh hey, Jacob,” I say easily, tugging at Ryan’s jacket very obviously. “Didn’t see you there.”
He looks me over, slow and obvious, and then his eyes stop at the jacket. That smug look he always wears is replaced bynarrowing eyes and a frown between his brows. “That’s new,” he says, nodding toward it. “You get a new jacket?”
I shrug, light and easy. “Who says it’s mine?”
His expression changes; his eyes darken and his jaw clenches. And inside my head, I’m absolutely losing it.
Did you see his face? That totally worked!
Jacob looks like he’s about to say something; his mouth parts, brows knitting together like he’s deciding between playing it cool or asking the question, but I don't give him the chance. “See you around,” I say, already stepping past him.
My heart is pounding as I walk, but in a good way. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling like an idiot. I square my shoulders, tug the jacket a little tighter around myself, and keep walking.
One point for Maddy. Zero for Jacob.
Noah and I drive back to our house in silence, the radio is playing just a little too quietly and every red light seems to last longer than it should. Then after a while, Noah exhales slowly through his nose. “Okay, Mads,” he says after a moment. “I gotta ask.”
My stomach drops instantly. I keep my eyes forward, watching the road instead of him. “Ask what?”
He glances at me briefly before looking back at the road again. “What’s going on between you and Ryan?”
Shiiiiittttt.
“Uhm… I like him, I guess.”
