Page 69 of Fraternizing with the Enemy
Mom shrugged. “Forbidden things are always more exciting, aren’t they?”
“Are they?”
“You only think it’s ridiculous because you know how it ends. A tragedy. But for them, it’s just a romance.”
We were already halfway through the movie, after Douglas Booth and Hailee Steinfeld decided to meet at the church to tie the knot. Mom’s eyes were still glued to the TV, but my mind was too busy wandering. “It would be like… like, say… oh, I don’t know… if I fell in love with Jefferson’s quarterback or something.”Scoff.
I watched Mom from the corner of my eye, but she didn’t look over. She did, however, laugh. “Yeah, hard to imagine, isn’t it? Their principals must not have been that strong to begin with to even find themselves in this position.”
“Principals?”
“You would never allow yourself to be in a position where you’d even fall for Jefferson’s quarterback.”
“What if I didn’t know?” I swallowed hard. “Theydidn’t know when they first saw each other. That they were from enemy families. They fell in love first andthenfound out.”
Mom finally looked over, brow furrowing. “Hang on, so which side are you on here? Do you think they’re ridiculous or are you defending them?”
I shook my head and dug back into my bag of chocolate fruit, shoving a handful into my mouth. “Just… playing devil’s advocate.”
That was how it’d happened with Logan and me,though. Of course I’d never have fallen for Logan if I’d known he was Jefferson’s quarterback first. But I hadn’t known. I’d thought he was going to Brentwood, allowed myself to be wooed by the possibilities and the what ifs, allowed myself to swoon at how handsome he was… and it left me in this situation.
Would it end similarly? I wasn’t dramatic enough to think that anyone was going to die, but my social life—would that survive? My friendship with Jade? I was past worrying about peaking in high school now. Was a romance with Logan worth the heartache that was sure to come?
When I thought of how warm his arms had been around me Friday night, butterflies rushed through me. Every. Single. Time. And yesterday, the way his eyes sparkled as we walked through the game shop. My heart had nearly melted at the sight of his happiness.
Today, though, all the answers to the question ofwhy nothad come back to me in an equally dizzying rush, tampering my eagerness.
The doorbell rang, startling both of us. “That must be the pizza.” Mom looked at me, settling deeper into her seat and tugging her blanket up to her chin. “I’ll buy your gas for the week if you go get it.”
Of course, I couldn’t pass that up. Throwing my blanket off, I stretched my arms above my head. “Cash is in your wallet?”
“Yep.”
Perfect. I padded down the hallway, tugging on the hem of my pajama shorts.
When I opened the door, it wasn’t the pizza delivery driver on the other side, but Jade.
With red, puffy eyes and big splotches thatkissed her throat and the skin all over her face. She’d been crying. Hard. “What’s wrong?” I asked immediately, grabbing her forearms. I checked our driveway. “Did youwalkhere?”
Jade lived probably a ten-minute drive from our house with downtown traffic, which meant it easily had to be nearly an hour walk. Her glassy gaze lifted to mine, and when she spoke, her voice was scratchy, raw, and small. “Can I come in?”
“Girl, of course.” I practically tugged her into the foyer, shoving the door shut behind her. I glanced back toward the living room, but I couldn’t see Mom from where we stood. “Let me go tell Mom I’ll be back later.”
Jade closed her hand over my wrist. “Don’t tell her I’m…”Crying. Jade couldn’t say it.
“I won’t.”
She started down the hallway, and I doubled back toward the living room, steps slow as I thought of what I’d say.
Mom was craning her neck when I came into view, a confused look on her face. “Was that Jade I heard?”
I nodded hesitantly. “She’s?—”
“It’s our day, Madison.”
My shoulders dropped. “She needs me right now.”
“Just like you needed her Friday night when you had to call me to pick you up from Wallflower?”
