“Well, someone looks bright-eyed this morning.” My mother poured her coffee and smiled at me. “I heard you come in last night. And thanks for texting us that you were okay.” She took a sip and hummed in appreciation. “So what was going on with Leo?”
“Oh.” I lost my walking-on-air smile for a minute. “Oh, God, Mom. I can’t believe I almost forgot. It’s Lisa. She has leukemia.”
“What?” Mom sank down into a kitchen chair. “What’re you talking about, Quinn?”
“That’s why Leo asked me to meet him last night. I guess they told the boys, and Leo ... he was pretty upset.”
“Oh, my God. I need to call her.” My mother pulled out her phone. “Sheri texted. I wonder if she ... oh, no.” I watched her eyes move down the screen. “Nate’s in the hospital. Again. Sheri said he had a high temp this morning, and then she couldn’t wake him up.”
My heart sank. “I was supposed to pick him up for school today.” Which reminded me of why I’d set that up. “Um, Mom, I needed to talk to him because ... Leo and I are together. Last night, he—” I could feel my face getting red. “Well, we talked.”
“Together?” She blinked. “Like ... you’re dating? What about Jake?”
“Yeah, like we’re dating.” I didn’t know why it was so embarrassing to have this conversation with my mother. “Jake and I are just friends, Mom. We’d figured that out before I saw Leo last night.”
She gave her head a little shake. “This is a lot of information to take in all at once, sweetie. Lisa’s sick. Nate’s in the hospital. And you and Leo are now an item.”
I managed a wry smile. “I hope that last part is good news. But I guess it’s not that important, with everything else going on.” I stood up. “Should we go to the hospital?”
“Sheri says not yet. They’re running tests, but Nate’s in the ICU and they’re limiting visitors until they know more.” She rubbed her forehead, as though a headache was brewing beneath. “They’ll keep us in the loop. I’m going to assume she doesn’t know about Lisa yet, and now’s not the time to share that news. But I think I’ll call Lisa and see if we can get together.”
“Okay. I guess I should head out to school.” I hooked my bag over one shoulder, hesitating. “Mom, even with everything else, I’m still really happy about Leo and me. You think it’s okay, right? I mean, Nate’ll be all right with it, won’t he?”
Uncertainty filled her eyes. “I want to say yes, Quinn. I’ve known how you feel about Leo for a long time, and I’ve just been waiting for the day he realizes how much you mean to him. But at the same time, I’ve worried—because you and Leo being together is going to change your dynamic. Even if you don’t mean it to, it will. Nate’s going to feel left out, no matter how hard you try to include him. And sweetie, although I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt Nate for anything, your relationship with Leo is going to break Nate’s heart. He loves you. So while I’m so happy for you, honey, I’m a little worried, too. For a lot of different reasons, which we can talk about later. For now, you better scoot. I’ll see you tonight?”
I nodded. “And you’ll text me if you hear anything about Nate?”
My mom hugged me. “Of course I will. Try not to worry.”
My stomach turned over as I drove into the school parking lot. Being alone with Leo last night, kissing him, being held by him, what he did to me ... my whole body heated up, remembering. It was like I was a different person when he touched me. When his hands were on me, I couldn’t be close enough to him.
But the thought of walking into the school as part of a couple was making me quake. I was still a little terrified that Leo had changed his mind overnight, that I’d see him today and he’d ignore me. But another part of me was just as nervous about what would happen if he didn’t ignore me. What were people going to say? I was sure most of Leo’s friends wouldn’t understand why he’d be with someone like me when he could have any girl in school.
My phone vibrated, and I checked it quickly, thinking of Nate. But it wasn’t my mother or Sheri; Leo’s name was on the readout.
I see you, Mia. Are you hiding? Where’s Nate?
Craning my neck to see through the windshield, I spotted Leo a few rows in front of me, leaning against his car. His feet were crossed on the gravel, and his arms were folded over his chest.
And his eyes, those gray and stormy eyes ... they were on me.
Slowly, I climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind me. As though Leo was a magnet and I was a helpless shard of iron, I moved toward him, my heart beating faster.
When I was about a foot away, he smiled and reached out to pull me close. He didn’t kiss me at first, just stood with me in the circle of his arms.
“Good morning, Mia.” He bent his head and brushed his lips over mine.
“Hey.” I breathed the word, leaning into him. “Mmmmm, you smell good.”
He chuckled. “Guess it’s better than the alternative.” He glanced over my shoulder. “What happened with Nate? Didn’t you drive him today?”
I dropped my forehead onto Leo’s shoulder. “No. Sheri texted my mom this morning. Nate’s back in the hospital with a fever. They don’t know what’s wrong.”
“Shit.” Leo rubbed his hands up and down my back, absently.
“Yeah. I know.” I slid my arms around his waist, my hands traveling over the muscles beneath his snug T-shirt. “Leo, we can’t let him find out about us until he’s feeling better.”
“No, I get that. But we don’t have to hide. No one’s going to go running off to the hospital to tattle on us.”
