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“Shut up,” I replied with humour. “You’re all cool and confident, and…” I was distracted as I caught the lyrics of the new song. “Sorry, is that guy singing about punani?”
He shook with silent laughter. “Yeah.”
It was some kind of techno thing. “Huh. It’s catchy.”
He snorted and nudged me. “I’ll teach you all the words later. Come on, you were telling me how great I am.”
I scoffed. “Sure. No. But you… I don’t know. I just didn’t picture you outside that charming, cocky, with-it persona.”
“Yeah, because you’re nothing like that at school,” he said sarcastically.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I felt him shrug. “Because you’re totally not the popular, cool girl with the perfect hair, the perfect grades, the perfect family, the perfect everything.” He said it like fact; not judgemental, just fact.
I sighed. “Yeah, but am I really?”
“Well, no,” he answered as though it was obvious. “Because you’re more than just some teenage jerkoff’s wet dream. Only just mind,” he amended and I bumped him even though I was sure he was fifty percent teasing. He burst into laughter. “What?”
“Not cool!” I giggled.
“Why? You trying to tell me that you’re oblivious to the effect you have on the male population in this town?”
I blinked and looked at him. “What effect?”
That sent him off harder. “Seriously? You ever wonder why everyone thinks you and Carter would be perfect together?”
That seemed like a really obvious question. Didn’t it? “Uh, because he likes me?” I asked.
He scoffed. “Okay, I’ll brush aside yourobviousdesire for him.” I almost saw him roll his eyes. “It’s because you’re the same. He’s you, you’re him. You’re both the idiotically popular, hot kids–”
“I’m not popular.”
“You’re not unpopular.”
I blinked again. “What? What does that even mean?”
He continued like I hadn’t spoken, “And, it would be a total travesty if the two of you didn’t get married as soon as exams were over and have a million beautiful babies.”
I grimaced. But, I wasn’t sure if was the idea or hearing it from Roman. “Please tell me you heard that somewhere. Because that just sounded heinous coming out of your mouth.”
He laughed. “Thankfully, yes. I did hear that somewhere. Quite a lot of somewheres actually.”
I ruminated for a few moments before I spoke again. “What do you think about it?”
“About what?”
“Me and Mason.”
“Am I supposed to have an opinion?” He sounded surprised I’d bother asking and I looked over at him. “Seems to me that’s your business.”
I appreciated that, but it wasn’t the answer I was looking for. “Humour me.”
He turned his head to look at me and our noses almost touched. His eyes searched mine for a moment and I thought he might be about to kiss me. The moment became two and a stupid excited flutter rippled through me. But, then a look passed over his face and he looked up again. “Well, the town gossips aren’t wrong. The two of you look good next to each other.”
Somehow, that didn’t make me feel better. “But?”
“Well, that doesn’t necessarily set you up for a successful relationship, does it? And,” I felt him shrug, “you could look just as good next to someone else.”
