“Or both?”
I sigh. “Can I tell you something?”
“Yes,” she says, sounding way too anxious. As if she’s been waiting for me to open up to her, and the moment has finally come.
“That night I saw the… murder.”
“Uh huh?”
“Adrian came to check on me after. I was feeling really… bad. Shook up. I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
She waits in silence. She’s not bending her knees anymore.
“We did some things…”
“You hooked up?” she gasps.
“Not all the way. Just… stuff.”
“Got it. So, what’s the problem? You sound… not so thrilled about it.”
“I don’t know. He said he was going to stay with me on my couch, but I don’t think he did. And I woke up feeling… not any better. And then I found out that he only came to check on me because my father asked him to. Because he was too busy.”
“Is that what he said?”
“No, he said he was going to come anyway, but I don’t know…”
“I mean, he definitely likes you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I see the way he looks at you.”
I shake my head. I’m not squatting anymore either. We move to sit on the benches as we continue talking. “It’s not that…”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know…”
“You’re conflicted because you have an uncontrollable attraction to another person. A meaner, more dangerous one.” She laughs at herself.
“No. I do not.”
“Okay, but—”
“Hey!” Adrian strides over to us. “Did I say to sit down?”
“No,” Meela replies. “We got bored.”
“My legs were tired,” I add. They really were. My thighs were already shaking from some pathetic little half squats. I’m hopeless.
He puts his hands on his hips and looks between us. “Okay. Why don’t we call it for today and tomorrow come back ready to work hard. Now that you know what to expect.”
“Okay,” I say.
“We’ll see,” Meela says.
He gives her a hopeless glance.
Behind Adrian, I see Daegan approaching. By himself.
“Done already?” he asks, his gaze locked on me.
