Page 54 of Puck and Prejudice

I hear mumbles of affirmation, and that’s good enough for me. I know the guys won’t blabber. The only snake in our midst is Wickham. It’s high time we get rid of him.

Once Chad and I are in our seats, Chad turns to me. “What was Izzie doing in your room?”

“She got locked out of her room, and I happened to bump into her as she was making her way to the lobby to get a key.”

“Okay… but why did end up in your room?”

“Some idiot Vikings fans pranked her. She was covered in slime. I told her she could clean up in my room before she went to lobby. I offered to go with her, but she declined. She didn’t want anyone to start rumors.”

“That didn’t work out, huh? Why is Wickham such a douche?”

I shrug. “Don’t know. Some people are simply born that way.”

Chad takes out his phone, my guess is to text Jane. He puts the phone away after a minute and asks, “There’s really nothing going on between you and Izzie, right?”

“No, of course not,” I reply, and immediately, a shard of guilt lodges in my chest.

I don’t know what’s going on between Izzie and me, but it’s definitely something.

ChapterTwenty-Three

IZZIE

I’ve never been happier for a trip to end. We didn’t have flight issues on the way back from Vancouver, but it was a long day of traveling, and I’m beat. I’m glad I had the foresight to request another day off to recover.

Because the trip was an overnight, we drove to the airport in Jane’s car. But I can tell she’s more tired than I am, so I offer to drive home. It’s close to midnight when we pull into the driveway, but I’m not surprised that the lights in the living room are on.

“Someone is still up,” Jane says.

“Yeah, Mom most likely. I hope you’re ready for the mother of all inquisitions.”

Jane rests her head against the seat. “I just want to sleep.”

The front door of the house opens, and Mom walks out. “Here she comes. Just give her a summarized version of events.”

“Uh… how summarized?”

“Don’t mention the fight with the Vikings fans, or that you spent the entire night fucking Chad’s brains out.”

“Izzie! Of course I wouldn’t tell her that.”

I laugh. “Well… you asked.”

She shakes her head. “You’re the worst.”

We exit the car, and immediately, Mom asks, all panicked, “So… how was it? Did you make up with Chad?”

“Yes, Mom.”

She presses a hand against her chest. “Oh, thank heavens. Does that mean the wedding is back on?”

Jane nods. “It’s back on.”

Mom throws her hands in the air. “Gracias, San Valentino!”

Jane and I trade a look. I bet Mom spent a good portion of yesterday praying to Saint Valentine. She has a collection of statues of all the major saints, and depending on the situation, she’ll worship one in particular.

“You should also thank Jackson,” Jane adds, making me flinch.

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