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“We will.” He reaches out with his free hand after he pulls away from the curb, taking mine and threading our fingers together. I go still, surprised he wants to hold my hand when there’s no one around to put on our act for. “And I am. Boyfriends drive their girlfriends to school. Can’t look like a bad boyfriend leaving you stranded.”
A sardonic laugh bursts from me. Connor tips his head to peer at me.
“Stranded? Please, I can drive myself. You humiliated me yesterday in front of your friends and made fun of my sweater, now you’re holding my hand like you’re sweet?” I yank my hand free and tuck it beneath my thigh so he can’t get at it. I smooth my green plaid uniform skirt with my other hand, then prop my elbow against the door, resting my head in my palm. “You’re still not forgiven. I’m only here because you’re blackmailing me. I wouldn’t come near you otherwise.”
“You certainly were ready to come all over me before.” The glare I direct at him drops the temperature in the car by a few degrees. He blows out a slow, strained breath and grips the wheel with both hands. “Okay. Whatever. Noted.”
We ride in silence for a long stretch. The drive to school isn’t long, and I realize I’m wasting a good opportunity for the details I’m desperate for.
“So what’s our deal? Or rather, your deal that I have no choice but to accept because the alternative is…yeah, no thanks. Asshole.” I shift a little to face him better as we drive through Ridgeview, turning onto the tree-lined road that leads up to the school. “When did we get together? How did it happen?”
Connor cuts a look at me from the corner of his eye. “We’ll keep it simple so it’s easy to remember. We’ve grown up as neighbors. Got together over summer or something. You’re the girl next door, what’s not to like about that?”
I frown as he hitches a shoulder. “That’s unimaginative.”
Amusement crosses his face. “We could always use the true version: you sent me a wrong number nude and I was like aight.”
“You ass! We are not using that. And I wasn’t naked.”
“Yet. Shortly after?” Connor hums, shifting in the driver’s seat. “So gloriously naked.”
With a scandalized squeal, I swat his arm, overwhelmed by his proximity and what he’s saying. He drives me to things I never do.
He laughs. The corner of his mouth tugs up in a crooked grin as he turns the wheel with the heel of his palm, entering the student parking lot.
“You want a whirlwind romance, or something? I’m just trying to make it easy. It’s not like it’s real.”
The words slice me and I suck in a pained gasp.
It’s not real.
Right.
For as big as his SUV is, I’m suffocated by being so near to him while my emotions spiral.
Connor is my first actual boyfriend, but it’s all fake. I stare at my lap.
“Is it cool if I drop you off here?”
I look up, blinking out of my depressing thoughts. He took the loop that cuts off from the student lot for pick ups and drop offs up the hill where the school stands flanked by tall pine trees. His friends gather in the parking lot at the base of the hill. Devlin Murphy’s flashy red sports car stands out like a beacon, and a few people gather around it as he leans against the side.
We didn’t get to cover much on the ride. Not knowing what to anticipate being Connor’s puppet is grating on me.
“Don’t want to be seen with your nerdy girlfriend? Too big of a dent to your shiny popular soccer captain image? I thought that was the whole point of this.” The acidic bite in my voice surprises me.
“I, no,” Connor says, furrowing his brow. He drags his fingers through his messy light brown hair. “I just thought—because of yesterday. I didn’t think you’d want to show up with me yet.”
The hot and cold nature of his cruelty and his unexpected consideration is giving me whiplash.
“Okay.” I’m ready to escape the car anyway. I pop the door handle and grab my bag from the floor. “Thanks. Bye, I guess.”
His voice halts me when I turn to join the flow of students making their way into school. “Wait for me after homeroom. We’ll walk together to first period.”
My brows wrinkle in confusion as I spin to face him. “We don’t have first period together.”
“The way to your first class has the most foot traffic. We’ll get the rumor mill going early and b
y lunch they’ll all have heard about it. You should sit at my table today.”
