Page 271 of The Blairville Legacies

“That's not the only reason...” I said, barely audible, thinking about how she always watched me when I talked to Julian.

“What do you mean?” he asked with interest. He seemed to haveabsolutely no idea.Maybe I was just imagining it, but I usually had a feel for this sort of thing.

“I think Emely is a bit jealous,” I said.

Julian laughed,“Emely? Jealous? No way!”

“What makes you so sure?” I asked, seriously interested.

“I just know Emely. All she cares about is the pack.”

That sounded harsh, and I was sure that if Emely had been here now, it would have hit her.

“You better not say that to her face,” I said and looked back out onto the street. We were back in the town center.

Julian seemed thoughtful because he was silent.

“Fuck...”he said suddenly. “Do you really think she could be into me?”

I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head slightly. “She totallyis.”

Julian hesitated, flabbergasted.

“It wouldn't make sense to me, you know? She's a lot more dismissive than she was back then.”

“She's with you all the time,” I countered, “...even though she already has a group ofguys.”

“The only reason she's always with me is because she wants me in the pack or because of the thing with you...”

Therewe had it.

“She wants you in the pack.I see.Why do you think that is?” I helped him along.

Julian didn't answer, just stared at the road in thought and dodged a branch in the lane.

“Would she have any reason to worry?”

I wheeled around to face him, startled and already feeling the blush rising again.

“No, what do you think?” I punched his shoulders again. Julian dodged, grinning.

“Don't tell me youdon'tthink I'm hot?”

And there he was again.Julian Bardot, my annoying neighbor.

We were standing at a traffic light, so he turned and stretched his head toward me, only to ask with a wry puppy dog look, “Not even a little bit?”

“Julian!” I laughed and pushed him back into his seat. “Concentrate on the road!”

He was such a chaotic person.

“Don't worry about it. I've got everything in sight.”

He cleared his throat and drove on as the light turned green.

“How long have you two known each other?” I asked what had been burning on my tongue for weeks.

Julian sighed. “We practically grew up together. My father was still living with them in the neighborhood in one of the wood cabins in the Copeland Woods. We were inseparable, played outside with her brothers and another friend, and we got up to a lot of shit. Things that kids do...”

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