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He looks me over. “You okay? You seem a little jumpy.”

“Yeah, no, I’m fine. Just, uh, a lot on my mind. Got a test tomorrow. You know how it is.” I try to laugh, but it comes out sounding strained.

“I was in the library looking for you. But you weren’t at your usual spot.” He reaches out, grasping my hand. “Did something happen?”

“It’s nothing. Some guy accused me of something I didn’t do.”

Jason’s brow furrows. “What guy? What did he say to you?”

I shake my head, glancing over my shoulder. He’s gone. Probably for the best. “It’s not important. Mike was just being an ass.”

“Mike?” Jason’s grip on my hand tightens. “What did that prick do now?”

He’s my best friend, but sometimes I wish he wasn’t so overbearing.

I lift my shoulders. “He accused me of trashing his car or something. I don’t know.”

“Why? You wouldn’t do something like that.”

I fiddle with the hem of my skirt, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. “He hooked up with another girl last night. I guess he assumed I’d be upset about it because I saw them.”

“I’ll tell him to leave you alone.”

“No!” The last thing I need is more drama.

He studies me for a moment, his eyes searching mine. Then he reaches out, cupping my cheek with his hand. “Did you have one of your episodes again?”

I flinch at his touch, stepping back to put some distance between us. “No, I’m fine.”

He drops his hand. “Lil.”

“Seriously, Jay. I’m okay.” I force my happy face. “You don’t need to go reporting back to my brothers.”

“It’s not—I just worry about you.”

“I know.” And I do. Jason has always been there for me, even when I push him away. “But I can take care of myself.”

They promised.

He nods, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we get some ice cream? It’s the perfect weather for it.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun. Ju’s coming, too. That’s actually why I was looking for you.”

I hesitate, weighing my options. I could go back to my room and wallow in self-pity, or I could spend some time with my friends and try to forget about everything else.

“Alright, fine. But you’re buying.”

Jason grins, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “Deal.”

I glance behind us again. Where did he go?

“At which time do you have training?” I ask.

“Since when are you interested in that?”

“Uh, I thought it would be fun to watch and support you, and I found this new cupcake recipe with a lot of protein. That’s good, isn’t it?”

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