Page 102 of Sincerely, Your Enemy

She snorts. “All that tells me is you’re both equally stupid.”

“Hey!” I reach forward, as she’s sitting in the passenger’s seat of Dia’s car, and swat her shoulder playfully.

“I mean,come on, the guy nearly got himself killed trying to protect you and your sister. That doesn’t say casual to me,” she adds.

Part of me wants to believe her. But the other, more reasonable part of me knows better than to let my mind wander. He hasn’t said he wants to date me. Conclusion: he doesn’t like me in that way.

“Andhe’s been texting you every single day. If that’s not a sign that he’s fallen for you, I don’t know what is,” Dia weighs in.

Maybe they’re right.

Maybe this has become more.

No, no. That kind of thinking will get your heart broken.

“Doesn’t matter if he’s fallen for me. What matters is what he’s doing about it, which is nothing,” I say.

Dia kills the engine a moment later, and we all climb out of the car.

“Hopefully, he’ll make it official before another guy comes in and makes a play for hisfriend,” Dia comments as she’s getting two bottles of red wine out of her trunk.

I shrug, feigning indifference, but inside, I’m thinking,From your mouth to God’s ears, girls.

We link arms as we cross the street and make our way to the party house. TJ told me to text him when I got here, so I do, fishing my phone out of my jeans and sending him a quick “Almost there.”

He doesn’t answer in the five-minute walk it takes to get to the house, but I don’t think much of it.

Whatever, I’ll just see him inside.

We’re pushing the front door open a heartbeat later, and I nearly gasp at the number of drunk students on the other side. I’ve never in the many times I’ve come to one of the guys’ parties seen this many people crammed together.

I can’t stop myself from scanning the area as the girls work their way through the sea of party animals. Aveena excuses herself to the bathroom to pee for the fifth time in an hour and says she’ll find us later.

Dia and I enter the kitchen, and I immediately spot TJ and Aaron in the far corner of the room.

I can only see TJ’s face from where I am, and I’m too far to pick up on what Aaron’s saying to him, but TJ looks furious. Furious and a little bit scared.

Whatever these two are arguing about, it’s got TJ on edge.

I keep my gaze strictly on them as Dia pours two glasses of wine and hands me one. I accept it with a thanks. Dia is quick to notice my focus is elsewhere and follows my gaze to the guys.

“Gee, who took a shit in TJ’s cereal?” She pokes fun at the angry expression on his face.

I give a small laugh. “What do you think they’re talking about?”

“They’re fighting over you,duh! Probably challenging each other to a duel where they’ll fight to the death for you.”

Aaron seems to be finished speaking his piece because he shakes his head and turns to leave. It’s at that exact same time that TJ’s eyes find mine across the room.

His face lights up at the sight of me, and the sweetest smile forms on his lips.

Chance’s voice cuts through the air. “Ladies!”

I flip my head to see Chance walking toward us. His greeting captures Aaron’s attention, causing him to notice us standing by the table. The next thing I know, he’s coming over, too.

TJ witnesses the whole thing, watching as Aaron makes a beeline for us. Then, without giving me another glance, he directs his gaze to the floor and disappears into the crowd.

What the hell was that?

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