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I’m tempted to encourage him to ask her himself. But for selfish reasons, that’s the last thing I want right now. “Yeah, she is.”
“She have a lot to say about Alleghany?”
I eye him apprehensively. “I’m not some sort of spy, Matt. And I don’t think a rundown of who is hooking up with who in Alleghany is going to help you beat their football team, anyway.”
The microwave beeps, and I pull my steaming dinner out.
Matt raises his hands in a placating gesture. “I was just making conversation, Maeve. No one’s doubting your loyalty to Glenmont.”
“I’ve got a lot of homework to do,” I say. “So I’m going to head upstairs. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Okay,” Matt agrees. “See you tomorrow.”
I give him a small smile before heading toward the staircase and up into my room.
As I eat my late dinner and complete the assignments I have due tomorrow, I contemplate the words that came to mind in response to Matt’s hasty assurance he knows where my loyalties lie.
No one’s doubting your loyalty to Glenmont, he said.
My first thought?
Maybe you should.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
WESTON
Secret relationships are tricky. They’re complicated, complex, and confusing. Especially mine, if for no other reason than I don’t even know if we’reina relationship.
Partly because I’ve never been in one, and mostly because whatever Maeve and I have defies the norms of what any rational person would consider to be one.
We don’t go out on dates. We don’t spend time with each other’s friends or family. If we ever saw each other in public, we wouldn’t acknowledge each other.
We meet up someplace empty and deserted whenever we have a free, overlapping hour, usually either the park in Fayetteville or my uncle’s cabin, and we talk and kiss. We don’t label anything or talk about our feelings. We just… be.
But just because we haven’t talked about our feelings doesn’t mean I don’t have them. I expected this year to be filled with football, and expectations, and meaningless flings.
I didn’t expect to spend every spare second I have with a girl from Glenmont. And to have those stretches of time be the highlight of my week.
I text her as I leave practice, heading toward my car.
“Hey, Wes.” I glance up from my phone to see Natalie is leaning against one of the tall trees that line the parking lot.
“Hey,” I respond. “What are you doing out here?”
Natalie shrugs. “My mom was supposed to pick me up. My car’s in the shop.”
“Do you need a ride?” I offer. “It’s not like it’s out of my way.” Natalie’s house is a few doors down from mine.
“Yeah, that would be great, actually,” she responds. “Let me just let her know I’m all set.”
She types something in her phone, and then straightens, walking over to me. She’s still in her cheerleading outfit, and I get a few envious glances from my teammates as she follows me over to my car and climbs in the passenger seat. My phone buzzes, and I pull it out to see a response from Maeve.I’m free after eight.
I shake my head in amusement. She wasn’t kidding about her schedule. I’m busy, but I seriously don’t know how Maeve juggles everything that she does.
EIGHT?I send back, along with a shocked emoji.
Past your bedtime, Cole?she immediately replies.
