Stay With Me (She's With Me #2) - Jessica Cunsolo Page 0,103

kind of long now.

“I mean, just like with the whole finding Greg dead outside our house thing, I didn’t exactly tell them everything. But they know who Andrew Kessler is now, and they don’t really care for him. So since we’re staying at Mason’s for a bit, Brian and Natalia have been really good with keeping them occupied and getting them ready for back to school.”

Ever since Aiden’s arrest, Mason’s dad has legal custody over Aiden and his brothers, Jason and Jackson, until Aiden turns eighteen and is allowed to file for custody. I’m guessing it’s working out pretty well for now, since Aiden’s been dealing with a media frenzy and it’s helpful to have actual adults around that you can depend on.

The warning bell rings, so we all start moving toward class. As we walk, Aiden grabs my hand in his bigger one, and I smile as I look up at him.

“Hey, just a heads-up, don’t make plans this Friday.” Noah smiles not so innocently.

Aiden sighs, already knowing what he’s talking about. “I told you, I don’t want a birthday party.”

“You’re turning eighteen in two days! You’re getting a birthday party! My house. This Friday. Be there.” Noah stresses the importance of each word.

“Noah, the last time you threw a party, you ended up in the hospital,” I point out, and I know none of us want a repeat of that. Especially right now.

He looks at me thoughtfully, then says, “You can’t just stop trying to live because something bad happened. We’re just gonna pull up our big boy and girl pants and throw the best damn party that Aiden deserves. And no one is going to talk me out of it.” He looks at us with narrowed eyes, challenging any of us to disagree.

It’s Aiden’s party, so really, he gets the final say. He sighs, mumbling something that sounds like “Fine, whatever,” under his breath, making Noah smile triumphantly.

As we walk, something about Noah’s words resonate with me. Bad things happen in life—especially mine lately—and we can’t let that stop us from living. I am going to get through this senior year and have a normal life if it kills me, which it honestly just might. With my new resolution coursing through my veins, I feel more determined than ever.

“What classes do you have after lunch again? History, spare, then math with me?” Aiden asks me as we walk up the stairs.

“English, spare, then math. Why?”

“We have a sub for math.” His eyes light up mischievously. “What do you say we get out of here after English and go do something?”

“Like what?” I ask, trying to hide my absolute delight. Alone time with Aiden? Don’t have to ask me twice! We haven’t had any real alone time since before the accident.

“Your choice.”

“So if I wanted to get pancakes …?”

“Then you’re getting pancakes.” He smiles a bright smile that transforms his whole face, and I feel my heart squeeze.

“Then how can I say no?” I’d never say no. Who knows how much time I have left with him?

“Good. I’ll meet you at your locker after fourth period.” He kisses my forehead quickly, an act that for some reason feels so much more intimate and sweet than a kiss on the lips, and leaves in the opposite direction with Julian.

Noah and I have the same class, and Annalisa’s class is near ours, so we continue to room 341, the class that started all of this.

“Well, damn. I’ve never felt more like a fifth wheel in my life,” Noah grumbles. “Anna and Julian were on one side of me making out, and Amelia and Aiden were on the other side of me making out. But no one’s over here making out with me before first period.”

“We were not making out,” Annalisa and I defend ourselves at the same time.

“Yeah, yeah.” He dismisses us. “Maybe it’s time I find a nice girl and settle down. Any suggestions?”

“Kaitlyn,” Annalisa says flatly.

We both swing our heads over to look at her.

“That’s not even funny,” I deadpan.

“No, I’m not talking about Noah,” she explains, tilting her head in the direction she was looking. “I meant Kaitlyn is coming.”

I follow her gaze, and sure enough, the she-devil herself is marching right in our direction.

3

I can practically feel the excitement coursing through Kaitlyn’s veins at getting to pick a fight with me. She must have gone stir crazy over the break without having me to annoy the shit out of. She and Makayla stop in front of