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She gave me a guilty smile and zipped her lips, wiggling even more. Diego gave an exasperated roll of his eyes and then continued braiding. He worked quickly with her hair, feathering the strands over his fingers to form a pretty fishtail braid. It was stunning, watching this strong guy be so delicate with his little sister.
Soon the first braid was finished, and he moved on to the next one. He hummed softly as he went, a song I didn’t recognize but instantly loved. His sister might have been a budding musical star, but the boy had rhythm.
When he finished the second braid, he teased and twisted the ends until she had a bun at the base of her neck.
“Take a look,” he said, giving her a handheld mirror so she could see the back.
She twisted and angled herself to get a view of her whole do. She had him add a few pins to keep it in place, and then a smile spread on her face. She jumped from the counter into his arms, holding him tightly.
“Thanks, bubba,” she said, her voice muffled by his shoulders.
“Any time, baby girl.”
As I watched them together, I knew falling for him was just as inevitable as our heartbreak.
Thirty-Six
Diego
The next morning,I got to school early. I wasn’t sure what time April usually arrived. I only knew I needed to be there when she did.
So I parked my car and walked to the bench. Said good morning to a few of the guys from the football team walking by. Some of the cheerleaders.
Then Xander dropped his backpack on the ground and slid onto the bench next to me. “I got the worst sunburn this weekend.”
I snorted, still scanning the parking lot for April. “Didn’t Deena help you put sunscreen on your back?”
“She was supposed to,” he huffed. “But there’s a big strip of skin she missed, and it hurts like a mother trucker.” He moved his back over the edge of the bench. “And it itches.”
I laughed. I shouldn’t have laughed. But I did.
“You’re the worst,” he said.
“Maybe,” I agreed.
He nodded toward the stairs. “You going in?”
My cheeks felt warm. “I’ll see you in class.”
He raised an eyebrow. He knew me too well.
“Okay, I’m waiting for April. Happy?”
His steely grin told me he was. “So I’m guessing Sunday went well?”
“Yes.” Except we didn’t get a repeat of that mind-blowing kiss from Saturday. It might have been an addiction, the way I kept thinking about her lips on mine.
“Man, you’re in trouble,” Xander said, getting up from the bench and slinging his backpack over his shoulders. “More trouble than a day of detention for the skateboarding fail.”
He was right. Although I’d never tell him.
Not long after he left, I saw her. Her face looked focused through her windshield as she drove into the parking lot, and I lost sight of her for a moment as she parked. I got up from the bench, walking to the curb to meet her. Then I extended my hand.
Looking confused, she gave me a high five.
I laughed. “Your backpack, April.”
“My backpack?”
