“Maybe I will.”
A throat clears behind my new friend. I look up to find Jade scowling down at us, her furrowed gaze darting between Cindi and me. Cindi glances over her shoulder but doesn’t seem the least bit fazed.
“I’m leaving,” Jade clips.
“Sounds good. I’ll meet you at the car.” I get Cindi-with-an-i’s number before carrying my delicious cookies over to Jade’s white Honda Civic. She’s already inside with the engine running and the air on full blast. I close the vents on my side and adjust the seat so my knees aren’t up against the dashboard. Whoever sat here before me must’ve been a shrimp. Probably Robocop.
Jade shifts into reverse and backs out of the parking spot without so much as a glance in my direction. “Who was that?” she asks, shifting into drive.
“Cindi with an ‘i’.”
Jade snorts. “Of course.”
“What’s wrong? You have something against girls named Cindi?”
“Nope.” She pops the “p” but says no more.
Sublime’s “What I Got” comes on the radio—great fucking song, by the way. I turn it up, sit back, and watch the world pass by. It’s been so mild lately that the leaves have only begun to change. It won’t be long before they’re at the height of their beauty, right in time for the fall festival. Maybe I’ll fit in a hike or two to get some shots down by the springs.
Jade’s knuckles turn white from how tightly she’s gripping the wheel.
“Do you need me to drive?” I offer.
Her green eyes flicker to me before returning to the road. “No. Why?”
“Because you’re strangling the steering wheel like it owes you money.”
Her grip loosens, but her shoulders remain up around her ears. I’ve known Jade forever; she practically lived at our house growing up, so I’m not sure why she’s acting so off today. Yesterday, she seemed as relaxed as ever, joking around with Ella and me.
Maybe she’s mad about me stealing her phone. Sometimes, I forget that people don’t always feel the same way about me as I do about them. Jade’s always been like a little sister who I never see, but a lot of time has passed since I used to throw her and Hayley into our pool, and that obviously isn’t the case for her.
“Look, if you’re annoyed about me stealing your phone, I apologize. I shouldn’t have snooped through your snoopy photos.”
Her eyes narrow on the road. “I don’t care about you taking my phone.”
“Was it the bra comment? Is that why you’re mad?”
“I’m not mad about the bra comment.”
Definitely mad about the bra comment. I can only think of one thing to fix this. The smell of sugar and vanilla sweetens the air when I throw open the box on my lap. “Want a cookie? They’re amazing.”
“No, I don’t want a cookie.” Her eyes bounce down to the box before returning to the road.
“Suit yourself.” No cookie for her means more for me. I close the lid and stare at her profile. She doesn’t look at me until we reach the stoplight on the outskirts of town. Seeing her like this makes my stomach sink. Maybe there’s something else going on, something that has nothing to do with me. “Are you okay, Jade?”
“I’m fine.”
Uh oh…
Thanks to my sisters, I can read between the lines of those two fateful words. She’s pissed about something but is not quite ready to discuss what it is. It’s only a matter of time before she boils over.
Jade parallel parks between an old Bronco and a black pickup, then shifts the car to park. “Look, I don’t want to be insensitive. I know you just lost your parents, and you’re Hayley’s brother, but I don’t really think we should be friends.”
Okay. This is completely out of left field. “Why not?”
Her mouth opens and shuts a few times before the words tumble out. “You have a…reputation. And I don’t think being seen with you is going to be good for business.” She presses her lips together, her cheeks turning crimson.
My chest clenches up. Sothat’swhat this is about? My fucking “reputation.” That little weasel must’ve been filling her head with shit. Fuck that. If she wants to judge me without having the full story like everyone else, then who am I to stop her?
