Page 73 of Choosing You

Then he just walks out. Talk about mixed signals. What the hell was that? He touches me, compliments me, and gets all close like that and then doesn’t even kiss me?

I can’t be mad at him because it’s what I wanted. He was being respectful of my friends-only request, waiting for me to decide when to take things farther. And tonight, I was very close to taking things farther. A lot farther.

* * *

We don’t meetup again until Sunday morning. Garret tells me about the party Friday night. He says that Blake was so drunk that he didn’t even remember him being there. And yet the jerk insists that Garret go to these parties. I guess Blake just wants to make sure Garret isn’t hanging out with me. I know Blake hates me for taking up Garret’s time and especially for cutting Garret’s alcohol intake to basically zero. Even when Garret goes to these parties, he hasn’t been drinking, which totally pisses Blake off.

* * *

Over the nextfew days and the weeks that follow, Garret and I become even better friends. On the weekdays we watch TV in his room, go for a run, have meals together, or just sit and talk. On the weekends Garret goes out on Friday nights, usually to a party with Blake, and on Saturday nights we do something together. Sundays are still pancakes followed by Garret’s football game with the guys. So far, the arrangement seems to be keeping Blake, Ava, and anyone else who’s watching us, quiet. We haven’t had any unexpected visits from Garret’s dad.

We’ve managed to keep our just-friends status going even though our attraction to each other is off the charts. Harper says she can feel it whenever she’s around us. She keeps telling me to move out of the friend territory and I keep telling her I’m not ready for that, but I think Iamready for that. Actually I know I am.

But we still have the problem of Garret’s family. Garret keeps telling me he’s done taking orders from his dad, but then he goes along with the fake girlfriend thing. And he’s doing all he can to make sure his dad doesn’t find about us. So I don’t need a psychic to predict where this is headed. It’s clear that Garret and I will never be a couple. At least not a real couple. We can hang out and maybe even move past the friend stage, but it will always be in secret.

Knowing all this, I should probably keep my distance from Garret. I should spend less time with him and focus all my attention on school. But I can’t do it. The more I get to know him, the more I want to be with him.

* * *

On the second tolast Saturday of October, Garret and I plan a movie night in his room, which we haven’t done for a couple weeks. It’s cold and rainy and a good night to stay inside. We order Chinese food from a new place that just opened up close to campus.

“What are we watching?” I grab two sodas from the fridge.

“A sports movie.” He holds up a movie that has a football player on the cover.

“Ugh. Really? Do I get a say in this?”

“It’s a good movie. And it’s football season. It’s the perfect time to watch it.”

“All right. Give it here.” I take the movie from him. “The delivery guy’s probably downstairs. You should go get the food.”

When he’s back we take our food and sit in the giant bean bag chair. I start the movie. A cartoon dog in a detective uniform appears on the TV.

Garret groans. “No freaking way I’m watching this again.”

I tilt my head. “But, Garret, you love this one. It’s your favorite.”

He jumps up and searches the cardboard box for the football movie. “Where is it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it fell into the heating vent.”

He stops searching. “The what? Jade, what did you do with it?”

My eyes remain on my chopsticks as I use them to pick up a chunk of sauce-coated chicken. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He snatches the Chinese food carton from me and sets it on the table. Then he kneels over me, putting his arms on each side of me so I can’t move. “Where’s the movie, Jade?”

“It’s in the box.”

He smiles. “It’s not in the box. I just looked.”

I smile back. “Maybe under the bed?”

He glances over there. “Nope. Try again.”

“I really can’t remember,” I say innocently.

His hands start tickling my sides. I didn’t think I was ticklish until now. Between the tickling and the howling dog sounds coming from the TV I can’t stop laughing. I’ve never laughed that hard. It’s making my stomach muscles tense up so much that I think I’m getting an ab workout.

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