AllFreeNovel
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“You should be wearing hiking shoes,” Zane says, noticing my uneven gait.
“Why?” I ask. “We aren’t hiking tonight.”
“Tennis shoes don’t belong on mountain terrain.”
“I have hiking shoes,” I insist. “I just didn’t wear them.”
“What, you didn’t want to ruin your cute little outfit for your date?”
“You think my outfit is cute?” I smirk, glancing down at my cargo pants. “And this isn’t a date.”
“Isn’t it?” he counters, stopping at the edge of the water.
The light is dimming as the sun continues to fall in the sky. I search for a small, smooth stone, finding one a few feet away.
“Not that I know of,” I say. I toss the rock and frown when the stone sinks to the bottom instead of skipping across the water like I intended for it to.
“You have to flick your wrist,” Zane instructs. He locates another one and executes it perfectly, the stone skipping across the surface no less than six times before it sinks into the water.
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “Of course you can skip stones perfectly.”
Zane chuckles. “Why do you say that?”
“I just have a feeling everything you do comes easily to you.”
“That’s not true,” Zane counters. He turns until we’re facing each other. “Does Wyatt know?”
He brushes a strand of hair over my shoulder. It’s a seemingly innocuous touch, but somehow, it feels intimate when he does it. I scowl, irritated that such a simple move affects me so much simply because Zane’s the one doing it.
“Does Wyatt know what?”
“That this isn’t a date?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what Wyatt thinks, to be honest. He asked me to go to a cookout, and I said yes. I didn’t know who else would be here. I was glad to get out of the house.” I don’t add that I thought Zane would be with him. And probably Benji too.
“You should make it clear to him that you’re just friends.”
I scoff. “And why should I do that, Zane? Becauseyousay so?” I look him in the eye as I pause in silent challenge. “What about you?”
“What about me?” He scowls.
“You and Jessica … what’s going on there?”
“Me and Jessica … are you jealous, Lo?” A slow smile spreads across his face, but it has a naughty shine to it. He stares for a few seconds, his smile evaporating before he looks away. “There is no me and Jessica.”
“Does she know that?” I throw the question back at him.
“Probably not,” he says honestly. “She’s still living in the past.” He tips his bottle back until the last drop disappears into his mouth.
“And I wonder why that is,” I say, my words dripping with meaning.
“Maybe it’s because I’m so unforgettable.” His smirk turns arrogant.
“Or maybe it’s because you lead her on.”
“What do you know about it?” His words are sharp as his temper suddenly flares. “If anyone is leading someone on, it’s you. You show up here with my boy, on his arm.” He doesn’t disguise his jealousy this time. Or his judgment.
“He asked me to come. I didn’t see you inviting me. I haven’t heard from you or seen you since we went to Moose Falls. You know, the day after the night you kissed me and then disappeared into thin air.”
