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The touch of his skin on mine was thoroughly unnerving. I closed my fingers around the bean and he pulled away quickly, as if I’d burned him. It was such a silly thing—trying to guess the flavor of a Jelly Bean. But it felt like there was a lot riding on this. Jayden was trying so hard to cheer me up. It was sweet. I couldn’t let him down.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
I popped the bean in my mouth and began to chew. Flavors burst to life across my tongue. It was fruity and tart and definitely familiar.
“Strawberry Daiquiri,” I shouted just a little too loudly. The people passing us by in the hallway stared at me, but we ignored them. “That’s definitely the one.”
Jayden held up the bag and his eyes scanned over the back where the flavors were listed. His gaze settled on one spot and then a smile broke out across his face. “Bingo! See? You’ve still got it.”
“Okay, let’s try another,” I said, holding out my hand. “Let’s see if I can get all of them.”
We continued walking past the stores and popping Jelly Beans in our mouths. By the time the bag was nearly empty, I’d successfully named twenty-five of the flavors. I couldn’t be sure if it was because of the sugar rush or the excitement of a challenge, but I was feeling quite light-headed. And whenever Jayden glanced over at me, a fluttering sensation would go off in my stomach.
“Okay, so I’m decent at pinball and I’ve got a strange talent for naming Jelly Bean flavors,” I said, stealing a buttered popcorn bean from Jayden’s hand to drop it in my mouth. “I’m not sure that means much. Not unless there’s a career to be made with that.”
He brow wrinkled in thought. “Maybe there’s an Olympic pinball team?”
“Or sponsors for World Record holders?” I asked with a laugh. “Face it, I’m doomed.”
Twenty-four hours ago, I would’ve said those words with a sob. But being here, with Jayden, made all of it feel not so bad. Sure, a lot was still riding on my track career. Especially my scholarships. But in this moment, I didn’t want to worry about it anymore. It felt like everything would work itself out.
“You could be a spy. Or an astrona
ut. Or a firefighter.” He paused at the storefront to American Eagle. “Or how about a career in fashion. Ever thought about that?”
I laughed and gestured at my body. “Um, have you ever noticed my wardrobe consists mostly of yoga pants and t-shirts? I’m pretty sure they’d laugh at me. I only wear dresses on special occasions.”
His gaze shot to me, a teasing glint entering his eyes. “So this is a special occasion, huh?”
Blood rushed to my cheeks. I’d been caught.
“No...it’s laundry day. And all my yoga pants are dirty. And my jeans, too. It was the only thing left in my closet.”
His lips twitched. “Uh huh.”
“I didn’t get dressed up for you.”
“Right.”
“It’s because I had no other clothes.”
“Yep, you made that clear.”
Frustration poured over me as he stood there and grinned. I opened my mouth and was about to cut him back down to size when I saw something down the hall that made all the blood rush from my face. With a muffled squeal, I grabbed hold of Jayden’s arm and yanked him into American Eagle as fast as I could.
“What’s happening?” he asked, although he didn’t pull away.
“Audrey and Collin are here.” My breath was coming in and out in short bursts. “They can’t see us together.”
I was pretty sure they’d been too distracted gazing into each other’s eyes as they turned the corner of the hall to spot us, but I wasn’t sure. Pulling Jayden deeper into the store, I hid us behind a rack of jeans and slid two pairs apart just far enough to watch the store entrance for a sign of my friends. My heart beat a million miles a minute in my chest.
“I’m a little confused.” Jayden leaned against the rack, looking as cool as night. “Why can’t your best friend see you at the mall with me?”
My gaze darted to him and then back to the entrance. “Because.”
“Because why?”
“Because...” I grunted in frustration. There was not enough time to come up with a proper fib. “...for weeks she’s been accusing me of liking you and I’ll never hear the end of it if she sees us here like this.”
