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“But you love Hade Harbor, and me…and HHU is a great school. It sucks that you have to go across the country when a simple conversation might be easier.”
“It wouldn’t be simple, or easy.”
Eve sighed. “Yeah, well, maybe important things aren’t meant to be easy. Maybe fighting for them is what matters. If your parents knew how you felt, don’t you think they’d feel bad? By going away, you aren’t giving them a chance to understand you, either. It’s like you’re punishing them.”
“Don’t hold back, tell me how you really feel,” I muttered, feeling utterly and horribly called out. Was Eve right?Yes, and you know it.Still, it was hard to even imagine sitting down with my parents and telling them that I needed more freedom and less academic pressure. Running away felt a hell of a lot easier.
A loud whistle reached us from the end of the hall. I glanced up. Marcus headed toward us. “You girls ready for the party?”
“We’re not going. I’m looking for my dad.”
Marcus stopped before us, rocking back on his heels. “I'm sorry to tell you, Bug, but I think he went home for some post-game celebration time with your mom. He thinks you're going to the party with Cayden.”
I blushed at Marcus’ suggestive smile.
“Shut up. Are you serious?” Eve turned to me, excitement leaping in her eyes. “Does that mean we’re going after all?”
“No – I mean, I don’t know.” My father never liked me going to parties. It wasn’t like he forbade me, more like he didn’t encourage it. I usually wasn’t invited, anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Anyway, I’m hitching a ride there myself. My bike’s in the shop. I think your ride is out back.” With that, Marcus saluted us and left.
Eve turned to me, her tone wheedling. “Please, please, please can we go. Even your dad gave the green light! That never happens!”
“To be fair, I never ask.”And I haven’t asked this time either.“How did this even happen?”
Eve’s pretty dark eyes narrowed. “You think Cayden did it?”
My mouth went dry. “Why would he?”
“He seemed pretty into the idea of you going to the party.”
“I don’t know why. It’s not like we hang out or talk to each other if we can avoid it.”
Eve and I walked down the hall toward the parking lot at the back.
“Do you think he likes you?” Eve ventured after a moment.
“What? No. Of course, he doesn’t. He doesn’t even know me, and I’m not the kind of girl guys get crushes on, am I?”
“Why not? You’re beautiful and smart—”
“And you have your best-friend glasses on. I love you, but I’m under no illusions about how I look. I’m nerdy and that’s fine. I’m not trying to be anything else.”
It was true. With my glasses, gawky limbs, abundance of freckles, and milk-bottle skin tone, I knew I wasn’t a contender for any beauty contests. Maybe my kind of pale, red-haired vibe might have been in style in 1800s England, but it certainly wasn’t popular in modern-day America. Eve was the opposite of me in every way and drew longing stares wherever she went. But with an overprotective brother like Asher, she got to act on the interest sent her way even less than I did.
The school had emptied out, and there was that creepy air of being somewhere you shouldn’t after hours. We pushed out of the big back doors and walked down the path leading to the parking lot. The cool night air made me shiver and I was grateful to be wearing jeans and an old hockey jersey from my dad’s Hellions days.
As we turned the corner into the parking lot, I came to an abrupt stop. Eve was telling me a funny story from the diner where she worked. She realized I’d stopped walking after a second and looked back.
“What’s up?”
I pointed, and she slowly turned and followed my gaze.
Two motorcycles sat at the curb, each with a rider. Beckett was well known for his toys, and the custom Harley was just another example of the fancy rides his parents lavished on him. Cayden sat astride the same bike that had shown up at the house the other day. He already had his helmet on, but I would have known it was him even without the visor up. I already recognized the shape of his long legs and broad shoulders.
“Finally. I know it’s cool to be fashionably late, but seeing as I’m the host, I really should get going,” Beckett drawled. He held out an extra helmet to Eve.
She stood frozen beside me.
