Page 37 of Fall for You (Flirting with Forever 4)

Me: Do you want me to come there if she’s well enough this afternoon?

Me: Would she think that was weird?

Liam: I don’t know. But I’d love to see you.

Liam: And I think she’s frustrated that she was just feeling caught up and now she’s behind again.

Me: That’s certainly a concern of mine.

I glance up from my phone, chewing on the inside of my mouth. I’m not sure if this is a good idea or not, and would love some opinions from my girls. “I guess I’m going to their place after school for tutoring.” I let it hang there like an explosive, ready to go off under the right conditions.

Zoey grits her teeth. “What does she have?”

“They think it’s just a particularly nasty cold.” I shrug my indifference. I’m around germy kids all day long.

“You sure you want to go and expose yourself?”

I shrug, taking a nibble of my sandwich, but quickly setting it right back down. “I half wonder if I don’t already have a touch of it. This sandwich tastes weird to me.”

Madison frowns and holds her hand out. “May I?”

I hand my ham and cheese over without question. She takes a bite from the uneaten side and squints one eye playfully as she chews.

Her brows pinch together, and she slides a quick glance at Zoey. “It tastes fine to me.” She sets it on the wrapper in front of me.

Zoey giggles and scoots her chair a tiny bit away from me. “Maybe you are sick.”

I grin. “More likely I’m just a garden-variety hypochondriac. Do you ever do that? You hear someone else is sick, and all of a sudden you imagine that you’re getting it?”

Madison laughs. “I do the same. It’s why I’m constantly spraying down the library tables with disinfectant. I hate being sick.”

“So, is tutoring this afternoon at their place an awful idea?” I give them a nervous face. “I mean, things have tasted and smelled a little weird to me the last few days. And now just thinking about it has my stomach upset.” I shake my head. “Crap, I’ve probably already gone and gotten myself sick. May as well go.”

Madison laughs a second time. “Um, maybe you should head on out. The three of you could quarantine at his place.”

I snort, completely unladylike. “I don’t know how well that would go. I don’t think Olivia has been told yet that we’re seeing each other. Liam was planning to sit down with her on Sunday, but then he had work issues come up and she was sick, so …”

Zoey bites her lip. I suddenly get the sense there’s something she wants to say, but isn’t sure if she should. “What? Spill.”

“Oh. Um. Well …”

Madison sits up straighter, setting her sandwich down. “This feels like gossip.” She picks up her bag of chips and pops them open, then shoves one in her mouth, munching away with eyes wide open.

“Go ahead, Zoey.” I inwardly groan. What could this possibly be about?

“It’s just … well, you know I hear stuff, right?” She drops her gaze to her sandwich.

I nudge her foot under the table. “What?”

“I did hear some talk about you and ‘Olivia’s dad’ being out at the coffee shop Friday night.”

“We were just drinking coffee at that point. No big deal.”

“Hm. Well, it’s probably for the best Olivia hasn’t been in school for a few days. You know how the rumor mill works.”

“I sure do. Thanks for the heads-up.”

Chapter 21

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