I scowl at him. “What makes you think I would ever want your help? Like, ever?”
He taps his chin like he’s pretending to think. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you looked like you were about to burst into tears back there.”
“I had it under control!”
“I don’t think you did. But if that’s true, then I’m sorry.”
I blow out a frustrated breath, crossing my arms. “I don’t know how to get out of this mess you made.”
“What mess? It seems pretty simple to me. We’re dating now, like I said at the party.” At the glare I send his way, he flinches. “What? I’m not so bad.”
“You’re the worst, actually. The worst ever.”
He grins, trying not to laugh. “Oh, come on.”
“It’s not funny, and you need to stay away from me.”
“Kinda hard to do with you being my new girlfriend and all.”
I make a gagging sound that I hope seriously wounds his confidence. “Don’t ever say that again. I don’t want to be in the same car as you, let alone be your girlfriend.”
“Well, to be fair,” he says, gripping the steering wheel. “You’re the one who got in here with me. But if you really hate me that much, we don’t have to do this, Rue.”
I take a deep breath. Some of my anger fades away. “I just want to know why you did it. Why lie for me and pretend we’re together?” My face burns.
Ezra sighs, glancing away from the road for a moment to study me.
It’s still so bizarre to talk to him. There are mannerisms of his I somehow forgot about over time, like how he licks his lips sometimes when he’s thinking, or how he used to always rock on his heels. The familiarity hits me with a strange comfort that I don’t want to feel.
“I know you probably won’t believe me if I tell you the truth…that I’m sorry for what I did all those years ago, that I want to make things up to you. So if it makes you feel better, you can tell yourself whatever you want. Either way, you can’t deny Meredith seemed a lot less angry at you once she heard we’re together.”
My shoulders droop with my exhale, like all the willpower has exited my body, too. Because he’s right. Meredith was a lot less angry. “Fine.”
He blinks. “What?”
“Fine. I guess we can just keep it going for a little while. At least, until Meredith realizes I have zero interest in Carlton.”
When he pulls up in front of my house, I see the living room lights still on. Mom must be waiting up to hear about the party. The thought makes my throat burn again.
“Thanks for the ride,” I mutter, and get out of the car.
He gets out too, and walks me halfway up the drive. “Wait a minute. Shouldn’t we talk about the rest of the deets?”
I frown. “Deets?”
“Yeah, you know. The details of our new relationship.”
“First of all, stop calling it that. It’s not a real relationship. And second of all, there are no details to discuss. The whole thing is simple enough. When people are looking, we’re together. When no one is looking, you leave me alone. And eventually we break up.”
Ezra smiles faintly. “Rue, come on. We should at least go over what you are and aren’t okay with. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable. And we haven’t even discussed when we’re going to break up.”
“True,” I say. “But I don’t really know. Whenever there won’t be any drama about it.”
He laughs. “Without any drama? Rue, do you know what school we go to?”
Part of me wants to laugh, too, but I keep it at bay. “Unfortunately. And you’re right. We probably should go over everything. But not here, where anyone might, uh, be watching or listening.”
He nods. “Okay. Should I text you? I don’t have your phone number anymore.”
