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I lightly elbowed him in his side and he laughed. I looked around at all the students sitting on the front steps. Was everyone staring at us, or was it just me? I realized they were probably staring because of the fight between my dad and Mr. Halifax. Or were they staring because they believed the spectacle of Jacob and me breaking up?

It was probably better to just tune everyone out. And I needed to talk to Jacob about something important anyway. The word engagement had been spinning around in my head all day yesterday. I needed to know where Jacob stood on that. “Jacob, can I talk to you about something real quick?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have to look worried,” I said. “It’s nothing bad. At least, I hope you don’t think it’s bad.”

“Well, now I’m a little worried,” he said with a smile.

Yeah, me too. Because I realized it wasn’t just one thing I needed to tell him. But two. First things first. “I wanted to ask you about what Uncle Matt was saying yesterday.”

“Which thing?”

“I think he was just joking. But he was talking about being engaged to your mom in high school. And I...” my voice trailed off. “He kinda made it seem like maybe that’s what we should do too. And you’re my first boyfriend.” Despite what Axel said. “We just became real two days ago. And I’m not anywhere near ready...”

Jacob laughed. “Scarlett, it’s like you just said. We’ve only been officially dating for two days. I’m not getting on one knee any time soon. I’m not Coach.”

“Oh.”

He lowered his eyebrows. “Well now you look disappointed.”

“I’m not disappointed,” I said with a laugh. “I think all of this kinda just freaked me out.”

Jacob smiled. “There’s no need to freak out. Let’s just focus on us. We’re not our parents.”

“Thank goodness.”

He laughed. And then he opened up the front door of Empire High for me.

I still needed to tell him about Axel spending the night recently. But then he grabbed my hand and we walked down the hall together. I swear everyone was staring at us in the halls too. We walked past Gigi and her minions and no one tried to trip me. And then I heard someone whisper about how hot my dad looked after a fight.

Gross. Yeah, it didn’t seem like the best time to talk to Jacob in a crowded hallway. I’d do it later. Somewhere where people weren’t talking about my dad like that.

“Hey,” Sophie said when we reached my locker.

“I gotta go get my books for class,” Jacob said. “See you at lunch?”

I nodded.

He leaned down and kissed me.

My dad cleared his throat.

Seriously...stalker! His classroom was all the way down the hall.

Jacob quickly pulled back. “Later,” he said and winked at me.

I watched him and my dad walk down the hall. They started talking. I hoped my dad wasn’t being too weird. Who was I kidding? He was definitely being weird.

Sophie pulled a few books out of her locker. “You too are so adorable. I’m obsessed.”

That was all she had to say? “Sophie, did you get my email?” I asked.

“Ew, why did you email me?”

“Because I was grounded and my dad has a new fixation of taking my phone away.”

She laughed. “I feel like he’s the one that should have been grounded.”