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“Oh, those flowers aresoadorable.”
I gave an awkward, nervous laugh to each person who walked up to me, clutching the flowers closer to my chest as if they were a shield. Then again, fat chance I’d be invisible now. I just kissed Connor Bray in front of the entire school. Ava was probably putting it on Brentwood Babble right this instant.
What ship name would she give us?Maisor?
I looked down at my flowers, and though they made me smile, I couldn’t help but cringe a little.
Some of the band members walked past me on their way back to the bleachers, and I spotted the tuba among the sea of students. Alex’s face, though, stayed in my blind spot, and though I felt a little guilty, there was no denying that I was happier this way.
Connor, still dressed in his full football gear, dodged a band member as he jogged off the field. When he got close, Connor wove his fingers through mine and drew me underneath the bleachers, tucking us back into the shadowy corner we’d ducked under weeks ago.
“There, not so many eyes,” he said softly, trailing his thumb over the backs of my knuckles. “I’ve got five minutes before I need to be back on the field. Coach wasn’t happy I skipped out on our halftime huddle, but this is more important.”
“I didn’t think you’d do something like this,” I admitted breathlessly, looking down at the roses. “I wasn’t even expecting it.”
“You deserved to be more than a secret.” His lips twisted into something more serious. “I should’ve said something last night. I shouldn’t have let Jade get to me, should’ve donesomething.” Connor ducked his head to bring his forehead level with mine. “I let you down, but I swear to you, it’s not going to happen again.”
I’d never dreamed of Connor Bray saying things like that to me, making promises like that to me, but here he was. The promise settled over me like a warm blanket, tucking me closer, turning my insides into a gooey pool.
“I don’t want to care about what other people think,” he went on, bringing my hand up between our chests. “And I don’t when we’re together. When I’m with you, I don’t think about anything elsebutyou.”
I looked down at the roses once more. I pictured him looking up a tutorial online, pictured him attempting to fold the edges right. “What about Jade? She’ll be angry.”
“I meant what I said. She can have my reputation, and she can do her worst.” He blinked, concern flitting across his features. “Wait, are you—are you worried about you? About her spreading lies about you?”
“I’m not.” That was another thing that had changed over the course of the past few weeks, funnily enough. Maybe it was because I’d grown more confident in who I was. Maybe it was because Connor helped me see that. “I’m just…I don’t know.”
Connor dropped my hand then to loosely frame my face with his palms, eyes suddenly becoming desperate. “I never should’ve put you on the stupid list. It was horrible and childish and cruel, and I’ve regretted it ever since.”
I shifted the bouquet of flowers in my grip, listening to them crinkle. “I think you do need to explain to me, though, why you put me on the Most Likely Tos. And how you came up with the label.”
His cheeks reddened, but he gave a solemn nod. “The Top Tier votes the first Friday of the school year, and then someone—I honestly don’t know who—complies everything to go out in the list. I wasn’t going to vote. Ironically enough, that was the same day that Mrs. Diego and Principal Oliphant called me to the office.” He reached up and rubbed the side of his neck. “Told me about the retake test, told me about getting a tutor. They mentioned you—said you were in advanced math, best tutor in the school. That you did math worksheets for fun.”
“Wow, Mrs. Diego didn’t hold back, did she?” I grumbled.
He chuckled once, but pushed on. “It was fresh on my mind when I needed to pick a label. I said it without really thinking.” And then everything about him sobered. His hand trembled as it came up to coax my hair back, and when he spoke again. “But I never,evershould’ve done it. I didn’t realize how hurtful it’d be. That day when you said it bothered you, it—it nearly tore me apart, knowing it was my fault why you felt that way.”
I pressed a palm against his shoulder pad, shaking my head. “It’s okay. Seriously.” Looking back, being on the Most Likely To list wasn’t all a bad thing. It showed me that itwasokay to have my own passions, and embrace them. It stung at first, but being on the list showed me that it was okay to beme.
And then it dawned on me. “Justpleasetell me that after all that, you passed your exam.”
Connor raised his eyebrows, eyes sparkling. “Why? You wouldn’t date a guy who failed math?”
“Unfortunately, it might be a deal-breaker.”
Connor spread his palms a little, gesturing at himself. “Well, good thing you’re looking at a senior who passed Algebra II.”
Laughing, I wrapped my arms around him and leaned in, the flowers crinkling as I gripped him tightly. The hug was awkward due to the shoulder pads, but I didn’t care. It was one last weight off my shoulders, one less worry. He’d done it, despite all his fears. He’d passed.
His hand smoothed up my back. “I tried to take the longer test.”
I smiled over his shoulder. “I know.”
“I wanted to do right by it. By you.”
And he did. Oh, did he ever.
The embrace only lasted for a moment, though, before I leaned back. “You really do stink.”
