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“You mean, with helping you spy on my uncle and find out why we’re off the grid?” I double-check.
He nods, measuring my reaction closely.
I pause, but only for a second. To be honest, while I’ve been pretending to think on their offer, I’ve wanted to say yes since the moment it was proposed to me. “Yeah, I’m in.”
“You sure?” A challenge dances in his eyes.
Maybe it should scare me away. I mean, Katy told me all that stuff about the guys yesterday, about how scary they are, and how Zay is into some really weird sexual stuff and never kisses anyone on the lips, not that that should matter to me … But anyway, her warning should make me cautious, yet it doesn’t. Besides, after witnessing Katy chase after Hunter yesterday, I don’t think I’m going to take to heart anything she told me. Plus, I want to know why my family and I are off the grid, too, which means I need to help the guys get to the truth. I also want to know why Hunter is off the grid, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to ask that. That would mean telling him why I looked into him in the first place. And how weird would that sound?Hey, I had a dream last night that I think you were in, but I couldn’t quite tell because we were kids. Then I got weird and searched your name online.
Yeah, I’m so not doing that yet.
“Yep, I’m in,” I tell Zay with confidence. “Although, I still don’t get why Hunter asked me what my favorite breakfast food is.”
“Because we’re picking up breakfast on our way to school.” Jax props his boot-clad foot onto his knee. “That was just Hunter’s weird way of asking if you want anything.”
“Hey, at least I asked,” Hunter points out while giving Zay the side-eye. “This guy over here would’ve just assumed she didn’t.”
“Technically, you’re assuming she even wants to go,” Zay says. “And by her agreeing to help us, she’s agreeing to pick up breakfast with us because we need to talk about some things before we get started on this.”
While they’re bantering, I check the time on my phone. “Honestly, as lovely as breakfast sounds”—not that I can afford to eat anywhere—“doesn’t school start in like fifteen minutes?”
Hunter’s lips kick up into a smirk. “Afraid you’re going to be tardy, pretty Raven?”
Great, he’s given me a nickname. And while it’s a nice nickname, it’s completely unfitting.
“No,” I reply. “But unlike you, I can’t charm the receptionist into giving me a pass. And pretty Raven? Seriously?”
“What?” He gives me an innocent look. “I think it’s fitting.”
“No, it’s not. So, if you’ve gotta call me something besides Raven, think of something better.”
“Hmm …” He rubs his lips together as he pulls the knit cap off his head, strands of blond hair sticking up everywhere. “I’ll try, but once I get something stuck in my head, it’s usually stuck there. Hence the termstuck.”
When I playfully narrow my eyes at him, he grins then turns around in the seat. “And I can get you out of being tardy.”
“How?”
“You just leave that to me,” he replies vaguely. “I just need to know if you’re okay with getting some breakfast at the cost of being a little bit late for school.”
I lift a shoulder. “I’m cool with being late as long as I don’t get detention.”
He gives me a thumbs-up. Then he starts texting on his phone.
Zay seems pretty content on driving in total silence, something that’s a little weird. Why can’t he turn on the radio or something? Talk about awkward.
“You never did say what your favorite breakfast food was.” Jax leans over and quietly says to me so abruptly that I jolt in the seat. “You okay?” he asks with a crease between his brow.
“Yeah. I’m just being a spaz; that’s all.” I rewind over what he asked me … Oh yeah, my favorite breakfast food … “It’s French toast. I haven’t had it in forever, though.” Since my parents died. Not that my aunt doesn’t cook French toast. I’m just usually not invited to family meals and have to cook my own food. So, you know, frozen pizzas and crap like that.
He smiles. “That’s my favorite, too. And this place we’re going to has the best French toast ever.”
I smile back, but on the inside, something dawns on me again. I have no money. The story of my life.
I’d love to get a job and everything, but I can’t drive, and my aunt and uncle won’t taxi me around. And since there’s no public transportation here, I’m pretty much screwed on the job thing.
“I’ll definitely have to try it, then.” Sometime, when I have money.
Smiling, Jax opens his mouth to say something else, but my phone pings, causing him to pause. Confused, because who the heck would be texting me so early, or at all, I dig out my phone from my pocket.
