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“I think so.” I nodded. “That doesn’t mean he wants a relationship with me.”
“And what about you?” she said. “Are you sure you want one with him? You seemed pretty set on sticking to your no-jock rule after Jeremy…”
“I thought you wanted me to go for it.”
“I’m just playing devil’s advocate…”
I shook my head at her.
“Seriously, though,” she continued. “You shouldn’t feel like you have to rush into another relationship. I’m sure Reed would wait if that’s what you wanted.”
I fell silent as I considered what she said. I’d been so caught up in my feelings I hadn’t really thought about whether I was rushing into things with Reed. Whether I was ready to break my own rule again and get into another relationship. But when I considered the alternative, the thought of not being with Reed, I felt a little empty inside.
“I want to be with him, Mia. I want to be with him for real.”
Her face had been serious, but a wide smile suddenly lit up her features. “Good. Because I’m almost certain he wants the same thing.”
When she finally found her lip balm, she closed her locker and skipped off toward the cafeteria. I had to jog to catch up with her.
“You’re very invested in this,” I said. “Reed and I, that is.”
“Oh, I’m totally invested. I didn’t do enough to help you avoid Jerkemy. And I think Reed might be good for you.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t have a chance to wonder if she was right because Mia’s face scrunched with distaste. “Speaking of Jerkemy…”
I followed her line of vision to where my ex was lingering at the entrance to the cafeteria. When he spotted us coming toward him, he straightened and forced out a friendly smile. It was obvious he wanted to talk to me, but I could think of nothing worse. Ducking into the girls’ bathroom felt like a far more appealing option.
“Cover for me?” I begged Mia.
“With pleasure,” she replied.
I disappeared into the closest bathroom and released a relieved breath as I heard Mia loudly telling Jeremy he must have imagined seeing me with her. He’d tried to corner me a few times last week, and apparently, he was going to keep trying this week too. I’d been dodging him as best I could. Was Jeremy ever going to accept I’d moved on? Maybe he would now that I actually had.
* * *
When I arrived at the ice arena for Reed’s practice that evening, I couldn’t tell if the goose bumps on my skin were from the cold or the nerves I was feeling at the thought of seeing him again. I was definitely anxious but also filled with excitement and anticipation all at once.
Only a day had passed since we’d kissed on the ice, but that day had stretched on like forever, and it had felt like tonight was never going to come. I wasn’t exactly sure where we stood after our kiss. But I did know I was done with our fake relationship, and I was hopeful he was too.
I hurried across the parking lot, driven by both my desperation to see Reed and my desperation to get out of the cold. But just as I reached the front door to the arena, someone behind me grabbed the door handle, pulling it open for me. I was already so on edge and full of adrenaline that the gesture took me by surprise. My pulse quickened further still when I saw Jeremy propping the door open.
“After you,” he said, waving me through the door. I glared at him for a second, not sure I wanted to accept even the smallest gesture of help from him, but then I took a breath and stepped through the entrance.
“Violet, hold on,” he called after me, but I ignored him and kept walking. At least, I tried to.
Jeremy grabbed my arm and yanked me to a stop. “Look, I know you don’t want to speak to me, but this is important.”
I ripped myself from him his grasp. “I’ve got nothing to say to you, Jeremy.”
“Please, Violet. You need to hear this.”
“Now’s not a good time. I’m already running late.”
I started to walk away from him, but this time, I was stopped in my tracks by Jeremy’s voice. “He’s using you!”
