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I swallow past a painful lump in my throat. “He said I should go out with Reese.”
“Who’s Reese?”
“A guy in my class who asked me out.”
“And Jason said you should go out with him?” Ian sounds skeptical.
“Yes.”
“Do you want to?”
“Not really. I mean, he seems nice, and I’m flattered. But no, I don’t want to go out withhim. I don’t even know him.”
Ian’s quiet for a moment, as if he’s trying to read between the lines. “Is there someone youdowant to go out with?”
“Maybe.” It’s hard for me to admit even that little bit.
“Is it someone from school?”
“No.”
“Is it someone I know?”
I almost crack a smile. It’s like we’re playing a game of Twenty Questions. “Yes.”
“Is it Jason?”
I don’t respond, and that’s enough of an answer for Ian.
He groans softly. “Oh, Layla.”
“It’s stupid, I know!” I try to pull away, but he tightens his hold.
“It’s not stupid. It’s just—it’s impossible.”
I sigh. “I know. I’m just a kid to him.”
“It’s not that.” He sighs, too. “As your bodyguard, he can’t get personally involved with you. And Mom and Dad would never stand for it. In fact, I’m sure Dad has already warned him off you. He did the same with Tyler when we first started dating.”
“Yeah, but Tyler ignored the warning, right? He continued to see you anyway.”
He grins as he pulls me close again. “Yeah, but Tyler was just a guy I’d met—he wasn’t mybodyguard. That’s a whole new level of complicated.”
“But I’m an adult.”
Ian chuckles. “Tell that to Mom and Dad.”
“Would it be considered unethical if Jason liked me?”
“Yes.”
And therein lies the rub. I haven’t known Jason very long, but I think I know him well enough to know that he’d cut off his own arm before he willingly did something unethical. “So it’s pointless, then.”
“I’m afraid so, sis. I’m sorry.”
At the sound of a quiet knock on the greenhouse door, I pull away from Ian and wipe my damp cheeks. I’m sure my eyes are red and puffy, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.
Ian lays his hand on my knee. “Is it okay if Jason comes in?”
