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Already, my matchmaking skills proved to be lacking.
“Well, for the record, you’re wrong. He told me who he has a crush on,” I lied, because sometimes love needs a shove in the right direction, “and it’s not me.”
Mia stared at me a moment, and though I wished she’d take the bait and ask who it was, she didn’t.Whatever.At least she didn’t argue with me or call me out on the fib, so I’d take it.
We drove in silence the rest of the way to The Broken Record while I tried to collect my thoughts, but they kept circling back to the notion Barry might have feelings for me. When we arrived ten minutes later, I noted the packed parking lot and prayed Mia wouldn’t bail before we got inside, but the minute I shut off the ignition, music trickled toward us from within and her scowl returned. “Oh, look at that,” I said. “There must be a band or something. Who knew?”
Mia shot me a dark look. She wasn’t stupid, and my little ploy wasn’t lost on her. Maybe I needed to brush up on my acting skills. “This isreallyabout retrieving notes?”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and pushed open the car door as I stepped out into the cooling evening air. “Might as well check it out while we’re here,” I said, ignoring her question.
“Ella . . .” Mia said between gritted teeth.
“Come on, Mia. I promise, we’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Right. Just like we’re only here to grab your notes.”
With a sigh, I made my way around the car toward the passenger side. Clearly, she wasn’t going to make this easy on me.
I opened the door, crouching down so we were eye level. At the same time Mia unzipped her book bag and grabbed a tattered paperback from inside. “You go ahead, then. I have plenty to occupy myself.”
With a scowl, I planted my hands on my hips, but she made no sign of moving. “If you come inside, I promise we’ll only stay thirty minutes, then I’ll take you home.”
“Thirty minutes?” She gaped. “The whole notes thing was a load of crap, wasn’t it? I knew it!”
“Not entirely. I really do need my notes, but I also hate to waste a good band. And a Friday.”
Mia rolled her eyes and raised her book in front of her face. “You have two minutes.”
“Come in, and I’ll make it thirty. Otherwise, I'll stay a whole hour.”
Mia snorted, but when I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to back down, she finally groaned and dropped the book. “Man, I can’t wait until you go to college and Mom and Dad finally get me my own car,” she muttered to herself before turning her piercing blue eyes on me. “Fine. But I’m going to be myself. I don’t pretend to assimilate, no matter my environment. And, I swear to God, if we don’t leave in thirty minutes, I’ll take the car and abandon you.”
“Deal.” I couldn’t help the grin on my face.
“Now give me the keys.”
“What? No.”
She wiggled her fingers, palm out. “It’s leverage.”
I weighed my options, but realized I had little. “Fine.”
“And don’t expect me to enjoy it.”
“Noted.”
Chapter 15
ELLA
IgrabbedMia’shandand pulled her along with me toward the entrance, taking zero chances she’d change her mind and head back to the car. We stepped inside the dimly lit interior, passing a couple inside the lobby making out by the doors where I ignored the dirty look Mia shot me as I scanned the crowd. It seemed half of the Lakeview teen population had decided to show up for the band.
Luca spotted us from a high-top table near the back, standing tall and gorgeous underneath the strobing lights from the nearby stage, and waved us over. My nerves waged a war inside my chest. It seemed unfair I was so unsure about someone so seemingly perfect at first glance, especially when he’d been the first guy since Adam to make me feel special.
I started toward him, and Mia jerked me back. “I change my mind,” she said from behind me.
“What?” I frowned. “No. We had a deal.”
