Page 20 of Growing Into Love

I show her my phone.

“This is good,” Autumn says approvingly. “Really hot. Look at you! I didn’t know you had a sexting side.”

“Neither did I and it’s never coming out again. Sexting Cass is officially dead and buried.”

“No way,” Autumn says, shaking her head. She takes out her own phone and for a second, I panic.

“Who are you calling?” I ask.

“Reinforcements,” she says.

“Hey, Ren, what’s up?” Winter’s voice crackles through the speakerphone.

“Win, we have an emergency situation here,” Autumn says. She explains what’s going on, then reads my text out loud, which is even more mortifying than writing it down in the first place.

“Damn, Cass, look at you!” Winter exclaims.

“That’s exactly what Autumn said,” I grumble.

“It’s almost like we’re twins or something,” Winter says. “Oh, hold on, Virgil just got here.”

I hear my brother’s voice in the background then Winter says, “It’s private girl stuff, you dingdong, give me a minute.” He speaks again and she adds, “No, Virgil, not everything is about you.” Then she laughs. It’s that special sort of laughter that only happens between people who truly love each other. I’ve heard it between Autumn and Dec. And Gran and Gramps.

“Okay, I’m alone,” Winter says. “Wow. Woof. So, Jaz hasn’t said anything? Not on text or to your face?”

“Nothing.”

“That doesn’t mean anything, though,” Autumn says.

“I think if his reaction was going to be positive, he’d have responded by now.”

“Oh, Cass, you sweet innocent lamb,” Winter says. “Let me explain something real quick: men are dumb.”

“Extremely dumb,” Autumn says. “Remember when Declan broke up with me because he didn’t think he was good enough for me? He acted like he was doing me a favor instead of sharing his fears and insecurities. Would have saved us a lot of time and heartbreak if he’d been honest.”

“Yeah, but that’s Dec,” I insist.

“I hate to break it to you, Cass, but Jaz is a bit like Declan in this regard,” Winter says.

“In what way?”

“In theexpressing his feelingsdepartment,” Autumn says.

“Sometimes, men need a little nudge,” Winter says.

“And Jaz is shy,” Autumn says.

“He is?” I frown. I’d never thought about him that way. But I suppose I can see it—he hates being the center of attention, he’s always on the outskirts at parties. Not an outcast, just quiet. Not like me—I love to be where the action is. And yet I’ve always felt so comfortable around him. Despite the love I kept secret, he was always someone I could talk to.

“Remember how he looked at you at my and Autumn’s birthday party last year?” Winter says. “After I gave you that amazing haircut.”

I can hear her grinning through the phone.

“Yes!” Autumn exclaims. “You were in that gorgeous tulip-print dress. He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“Now you’re both taking the piss,” I say.

“We are not,” Winter says, sounding affronted.

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