we’re here,” she says, and I look up, startled. How can that be true? I think this is the first time in the history of my life that anyone has been glad I’m anywhere.
“Why?” I ask before I can stop myself.
“I just am,” Peak says, smiling strong enough that I know she means it. She takes another gulp of her drink, and I want to kiss her so bad, to know what the chocolate tastes like against her skin, but I don’t. I duck my head and shift in my seat and try really hard to think about anything else.
“Hey.” She reaches her hand out and tips my chin back up. It feels like something. It feels important. “We’re going to figure this out.”
I swallow hard. “What does that mean?”
“It means my feelings haven’t changed.”
“You still want me to fuck off, then?” I say, just to break the tension.
She laughs. “No, my feelings after that. Or before that. Or before and after that, actually. Have yours?”
“No.” I grab the seat of her chair and slide it closer to mine until our legs are slotted together. And this time, when she laughs, I go in for the kiss.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Jubilee
“YOU’RE JUST GOING to completely let him off the hook? So this is Dakota 2.0, then, another person stomping all over you while you stand there saying thanks?”
I slam my locker door, and Jayla’s frowning face is waiting behind it. “It’s not like that.”
She starts walking to biology, and I follow behind. It’s my least favorite subject but usually my most favorite class because it’s the only one the three of us have together. I’ve been dreading it all day.
Yesterday, Jayla came into the store while I was working, took one look at Ridley helping me stack, and walked right out. She wouldn’t answer my texts last night and didn’t even come to lunch today. I saw her eating with Emily in the courtyard.
“Then what is it like?”
Nikki walks up, linking arms with each of us with a look that says she’s deliberately ignoring the tension. “What are we talking about?”
“Jubilee and Ridley made up.”
“I know. I totally called it, by the way.” Nikki grins, fluttering her eyelashes and spinning around in a circle while clutching her chest.
“I can’t believe you told Nikki first.” Jayla rolls her eyes as Nikki sweeps herself dramatically down the hall. “Actually, I can.”
“I love that you look out for me, I do, but this isn’t like the last time.”
She raises her eyebrows. “Jubi, come on.”
“Hey,” I say, because now she’s taking it too far.
“Am I supposed to act happy that you’re sleeping with the enemy?”
“He’s not the enemy.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am, actually,” I say, pushing past her and walking into the room, but Jayla matches my pace. “I know what I’m doing.”
“Do you?” Jayla asks, sliding into her seat beside me at the lab table. “Because from here it seems like you’re totally wrapped up in another kid who’s just taking advantage of you. It’s like you’re genetically programmed not to see when people are bad for you.”
“That’s not Ridley,” I say, more firmly this time. “You don’t understand.”
“Help me understand, then,” she says, pulling out her notebook. Nikki settles into the table behind us, leaning forward to hear my response.
“It’s not my place to tell you,” I say, but I know it’s not helping my case. “Look, he’s not spying, and he had a reason for not coming clean.”
Jayla uncaps her pen, shaking her head. “I’m sure. Just like Dakota had a good reason for hooking up with another girl while you were at your cello lesson.”
“That’s not fair. This isn’t the same thing at all.”
“You stayed with him for another month after that happened, Jubi!” she says just as the bell rings. Mr. Lillis is, thankfully, late as usual.
“She has a point,” Nikki adds, biting her eraser, and I shoot her an incredulous look.