Page 100 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
“What’s so funny?” Jade leaned up, trying to look at my phone screen. “Your mom really texted somethingthatfunny?”
“She has her moments.” I pulled my phone back before she could read the messages. “But, ah—I have to head out. She wants me home.”
Jade had already been frowning from the whole Lacedon makeout fest, but it deepened when she looked at me. “What is up with your mom lately? Why is she all up your butt?”
I gave a flippant shrug. “I think it’s because I’m a senior now, and she’s freaked her little girl is growing up. Not sure.” I gestured loosely to the couple on the recliner. “Besides, if we’re all going to start kissing each other, I’d rather bow out now.”
Landon’s face was so red that anyone else might’ve thought he was choking.
“Playing hard to get, Maddie?” Kyle wrapped his smarmy hand around my ankle, sliding his fingers underneath my sweatpants. “I brushed my teeth this morning.”
This time, I kicked my foot out hard, my socked toes getting him in the side of his thigh. My aim was off. “My bar isn’t that low.”
Jade leaned forward on the couch, looking up at me. “You’re going home?” she clarified.
“Straight home.” This time, I didn’t feel bad about lying. I didn’t take time to analyze that either. “See you later?”
It came out as a question, but Jade didn’t even hum an answer. She just watched me as I gave a dismissive wave to everyone in the room, hurrying to the entryway to slip my shoes on.
As I slid into the driver’s seat of my car, my phone buzzed again.
Mom
Okay, fine, I’ll double text again
Wherefore art thou, Juliet?
I grinned, twisting my key in the ignition. With my other hand, I shot off a quick text.
coming to you now, Romeo
Noah lived on the cusp of Haven and Jefferson, about a twenty-minute drive from Ashton’s place. There were more people on the road than I’d thought for eleven at night, and the idiot behind me kept their high-beams on the entire drive, but my GPS deposited me in Noah’s driveway still in high spirits.
High, but nervous spirits.
This will be okay, I told myself, cutting the engine.You’re with Logan. It’ll be okay.
Even from here, with my car door shut, I could hear the laughter echo in the night. Loud.Happy. I couldn’t remember the last time someone in the Top Tier had laughed like that.
And strangely enough, hearing it almost chased the nerves away completely.
A softtap-tapcame on my window, and I turned to find Logan standing there with his knuckle poised over the glass. His eyes started smiling before his lips did, his shoulders rising with a deep breath.
Through the glass, his voice was gentle. “There she is.”
I wasn’t sure I’d ever get over those three words. I popped open my door, a girlish grin touching my lips. “Here I am.”
Logan propped his hand on the top of my door, smiling down at me. “I was trying not to scare you. Some guy appearing out of the darkness to knock on your window sounds like the beginning of a horror movie.”
“You’re notsome guy,” I told him, climbing out of the driver’s seat and tipping my head up at him. “I don’t think you could be scary if you tried.”
It was then that I noticed he had a blanket folded over his left arm, and he shook it out, wrapping it around my shoulders. Holding onto both edges, he leaned in, his nose nearly brushing mine. “Boo.”
The blanket smelled like a bonfire in a comforting way—woody smoke mixed with the scent of Logan. My eyes almost instantly dropped to Logan’s upturned lips, and the image of Landon and Lacey kissing flashed across my vision, taunting.
“Noah’s… probably going to be prickly,” Logan said, pulling me from my thoughts. “He’ll throw a quip in here and there, but he’s all bark, no bite.”
“I’m co-captain of the cheer squad—I can handle prickly. As long as it won’t show up on Babble.”
