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“Well, no, but …” I grimace. She has a point. Even though we seem to enjoy one another’s company and have been hanging out more than necessary for these projects, it’s not like we interact much at school, and we don’t really have any friends in common.
“So which is it?” She throws her hands up in desperation. “Because my instincts tell me you’ve only been nice to me so you can get your A. Why do you want to be the valedictorian so badly anyway? It’s not like you need the extra scholarship money like I do.”
I open my mouth to answer her but can’t quite find the words.
“Or do you just get a kick out of messing with me? Maybe that’s it, since I know how much you enjoy pissing off my brother. It would make sense that you’re only pretending to care so you can distract me long enough to pass me up?—”
“Loren,” I interrupt her, reaching up to yank her arm back down to me. “Would you just shut up for a minute? I’m trying to ask you out.”
She trips over her feet, probably in shock, and I catch her in my lap this time. “You what?” she spits out, her eyes wide.
I lick my lips and try to breathe regularly, even though her petite frame fits so perfectly between my thighs. “I, uh … I just …”
Dude, why am I so freaking nervous right now?
She frowns, waiting for me to get it together.
“I thought maybe, since we’re both single, that we could go to the prom together. But, like, only if you wanted to.”
She blinks at me in disbelief. “You’re actually serious?”
I slip my hand around her hip. For some reason, touching her this way calms me. “Why wouldn’t I be serious?”
“Because you’re … you. And I’mme. I’m somethat I didn’t even bother to buy a dress, because I knew no one would ask, and because I don’t have a functioning mother to take me dress shopping.”
“There’s still time, though, right? My mom could help you find something to wear. She loves you, and she loves shopping. And she doesn’t have any daughters, so it would actually be perfect,” I offer.
But she continues staring at me incredulously. “It’s a pity offer, then. Did your mom put you up to this?”
My shoulders drop in frustration. “It’s not a freaking pity offer. I mean, yeah, my mom did encourage me to ask you, but it wasn’t her idea. I went to her for advice because I wasn’t sure what you’d say, and, well, here we are.”
She looks down quietly.
“So, I guess that’s ano, then,” I mumble after a while.
Loren extricates herself from my lap. “I don’t know, Blake. I just don’t understand why you couldn’t find anyone else to take to the prom, of all places.”
I tilt my head back and groan. “I haven’t asked anyone else, because I want to go with you. Because I like you, and I think you’re cute. And I thought we’d have a good time together and that maybe a small part of you would be willing to admit you like me too. That I’m not crazy and that you feel this … chemistry or whatever it is that happens between us when we’re alone together. But, shit, Reed, for such a smart girl, you’re making this so much more difficult than it should be.”
She frowns at me. “No. I get it now.” I notice her eyes watering again. “I’ve been such an idiot. It’s Landry, right? That’s what this whole thing is about? Do you really hate my brother so much that you’d stoop to this level?”
My jaw drops for a second. “I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Let me guess. You were just waiting until prom night to make the actual proposition, weren’t you? You’ve tried being charming and cute, but I wouldn’t bite, so you’ve been saving your ‘I’ll pay you back and be your first’ offer for something like this. And you figured I’d be so flattered that you asked me to the prom that I’d happily go along with your plan. Then you could tell everyone you hooked up with Coach Reed’s daughter, or Landry’s baby sister.”
“What?” I squeal, my eyes wide. “You think I’m only trying to get into your pants so I can brag about it?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You wanna rephrase that while you can?”
I scoff. “You just accused me of using you to get to your brother, when I really don’t have any reason to hate him except for the way he treats you. I don’t know how else to convey how messed up that would be.”
“No, I meant the ‘only’ part of that question, which implies there are other reasons you’re trying to get into my pants.”
“I mean, if you really wanted to get your first time out of the way, I certainly wouldn’t turn you down,” I retort. Then I cringe internally once I realize that makes me sound exactly like the kind of jerk Loren’s accusing me of being.
“And you just assumed I’d be interested, that I’d be grateful, even? Was I supposed to throw myself at you after you called me ‘cute’?”
“Well, not exactly.”
