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“Okay.”
I round Jace’s car to the passenger side. When I open the door, he’s chucking clothes and empty water bottles into the back seat, and I raise my brow at him. Jace is a slob. And I thought his room was a mess. This takes the cake.
“You need to clean your car.”
He gives a deep, throaty chuckle. “Been meaning to. Don’t normally have anyone else in here but Roman, so I’m kinda lazy about it.”
I smile at that as I climb in. As soon as his door closes, the scent of his cologne hits me. It’s musky but sweet. Or maybe the musky smell is his car? I hide my smile at that thought.
There’s an awkward silence between us as we drive to school. He doesn’t speak to me, and I nervously chew my nail as I peer out the window. I don’t know if I should bring up what happened in his bedroom. That’s what this awkwardness is, right? He’s trying to ignore it, and I am too.
Or is he upset about Roman kissing me…me kissing him back? Or because I broke their pact again? He didn’t really talk to me after I mentioned that. Asher had called and that was the end of our conversation.
My heart races, and I feel like I’m sweating in his leather seat. The A/C is on, but I can’t cool down. I just want him to bring it up before it blows up in my face today. I need to know what’s going on with us. But he just blares his tunes, tapping on the steering wheel to the beat like this is a normal day. Even if I wanted to talk, he wouldn’t hear me over the music.
In the school parking lot, he cuts the engine but doesn’t move to get out, so I stay where I am. Is he going to mention it now? Why am I being so silly? I should just ask him. I swallow the lump in my throat. The more I think about it, I realize I don’t want to hear him say that nothing’s changed. That we aren’t friends still.
I look down at my palm, the scar there matching one on Jace’s hand. I run my finger over the raised skin.
Jace clears his throat, and I freeze, waiting for the rejection. “Do you remember that day?”
I turn toward him. He holds out his right hand, palm up, showing me his matching scar. That wasn’t what I’d been expecting him to say. But I smile as the tension inside me eases slightly.
“How can I forget? You passed out from the sight of blood.”
Jace chuckles with a huge grin, and my chest swells at the sound. This is what I wanted when I came back here. This smiling and happy Jace, talking about the good times.
“I’ll have you know, I’m okay with blood now. No getting weak in the knees if someone cuts themselves.”
“I’m glad you’re not fainting at the sight of blood anymore.” I reach over and lightly trace his scar with my finger. It’s just like mine. I’ll never forget that day. It’s burned into my memory.
“Mom is taking me away. I hate her. I do. I really hate her, Jace.”
His mom, Ella, is making us sandwiches for lunch. We’ve been playing football in the backyard for ages, and we’re going over to Hunter’s house later. It’s going to be our last time all together. I’m leaving tomorrow on a plane to move away from everyone who means the world to me.
“It will be okay, Mila.” Ella rubs my back as she places the jelly sandwich in front of me. I don’t like peanut butter. “You can still talk all the time. You have a phone now, and we got one for Jace, so he can call you every day. We will miss you, but we’ll all be together again soon. I promise.”
I don’t know how she can promise that. Mom made the rule that I can’t come back to see Dad. I have to live with her forever. Well, until I’m eighteen. Then, I will run back here. But that’s six years away. That’s forever.
“I hate your mom, too, Mila. I wish she would just leave you here. I will take care of you,” Grady says from the other side of the table. His big chocolate eyes look sad.
“Grady Montero, we don’t say we hate people at the dinner table.” Ella tsked at him.
“But it’s true. I hate her. I don’t want you to leave, Mila.”
I’m surprised. Grady hasn’t spoken to me much lately. Not after he said I’m like an annoying sister he doesn’t want. He wants me to stay?
A tear slips from my eye, and I wipe it away. I’ve been doing nothing but crying the last few days. I don’t have enough time to say goodbyes. It’s not fair.
“Come on, you two. Eat up, and I will drive you both over to Hunter’s. I’m picking Roman up on the way, and I don’t want to be late. I told him I would be there at one.”
I look up at the large clock on the wall. We have ten minutes to get Roman. I don’t know how long it takes to get to his house, but he worries if we’re late to get him. He’ll get all moody and worked up if we’re even a minute late, and Ella knows this too.
I get to spend today with my best friends, my boys, and tomorrow with my dad. He’s letting me have this one last day with them, swimming in Hunter’s pool and having a fun time before I have to say goodbye.
We’ve only been swimming for a little while when Hunter’s mom says she needs a nap. She leaves us with homemade lemonade and a plate full of Oreos.
Hunter’s shoulders fall at the mention of her taking a nap. I’d seen enough to know that she likes to drink until she falls asleep, and that’s what she means by taking a nap. I quickly hug Hunter close to me, and he tenses up a little before he gingerly wraps his arms around my back. But he stands funny, with his legs far away from me.
