Page 63 of Fighting the Forbidden

“Griff and I?—”

She cuts me off with a loud squeal of happiness and punches her fist in the air. “Finally!”

Frowning, I step back and stare at her. “What do you mean finally?”

“Come on, Molly. It’s been so obvious for like…ever that Griff’s into you and you’re—” She lets out another squee and claps her hands together.

Utterly stunned by her reaction, I just stare at her. “Really?”

“Yeah.” She whips her head toward the racetrack, then the parking lot. “Is Juliet here yet? She owes me twenty bucks.”

“Wait, what?” I shout a bit too loudly.

“She said you wouldn’t get together until after your graduation. I bet her that you’d be a couple before prom.”

“Whoa, sister.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “We’re not together together.”

“Give me a break.” She flicks her gaze to the sky. “Oh, wait. Let me guess. Remy?”

“Well, yeah.” I pull a what else face. “You know how tight they are.”

“Geez.” She bites her lip. “My man better step it up. Vapor too.”

We’re still talking about Griff and me, right? “Step up what?”

“Nothing.” She snaps her mouth shut and widens her eyes as if she’s completely innocent and isn’t hiding a thing.

“Ella?” I prompt in my sternest voice.

“They’ve just, you know, here and there, the guys have been trying to plant some seeds in your stubborn brother’s head.” She sprinkles her fingers through the air like she’s the romance fairy sowing seeds of love. “Operation Get Remy To Unclench.”

I burst out laughing. “What?”

“About you and Griff.”

“Aw, really?” I sigh. Damn. I better start offering my babysitting services more often so Vapor can take Juliet out on some stellar date nights.

“So, you think we make sense?” I fight to keep the hesitation out of my voice. “I’m not, you know, too young for him?”

She stares at me for so long, I twitch under her scrutiny. “You’ve been hanging out with us for years now. You’re part of the group. You and Griff belong together.”

That didn’t sound like an endorsement. “Because it makes things easier on the group or…”

“Damn, Molly.” Her face falls. “You know what I mean.” She reaches out and squeezes my shoulder. “If you weren’t still in high school, I wouldn’t think of you being younger than me at all.”

“Griff and I have known each other forever.” I duck my head. “I’ve always kinda had a crush on him. But this feels different now.”

“I know.” Her gaze strays toward her husband. “When we were kids, Easton was larger than life to me…my monster who kept all the other monsters away.” Her voice takes on a wistful quality. “But when we were older and met up again, it was way different.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. Griff and I haven’t ever really been “apart.” And even though my life hasn’t always been easy, I’ve never been tossed around to different foster homes the way Ella was her whole life. I had my brother to take me in when I needed him.

And now I’m making out with his best friend behind his back. Worse, I can’t wait to do it again.

“Hey, sorry.” Ella squeezes my shoulder. “I didn’t mean to go all melancholy on you.”

“You didn’t.” I have the sudden impulse to hug her. I reach out, bundling her up in my arms, almost knocking her off her feet. “Thanks for listening to me.”

“Any time, girl.” She pats my back and I release her.

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