to overthink it when you have a boyfriend.”
His mouth snapped shut, and I could hear his teeth grind together. “He didn’t seem to miss you too much tonight.”
I sat up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dash rolled to his back, tucking his arm behind his head. The moon danced through the window, highlighting the tormented look etched upon his face and the muscles clenching in his upper arm. “Never mind.”
“But I do mind. Did he do something?”
“Other than act like a fucking idiot? No, nothing you need to worry about.”
I lowered to my back, and we both stared up at the patchy paint on the ceiling a long while.
Dash passed out before me, the sound of his snoring lulling me into a restless sleep. When I woke up, he was gone.
Peggy
After watching my phone like a hawk all day Saturday, wondering if Byron would call, I almost missed it that night when I decided to throw my phone in my sock drawer.
He was tired and hungover, so therefore, he sounded disinterested in anything I talked about. Which was understandable.
He called again on Sunday to apologize, saying he’d never drank that much in his life and that half the night was a blur.
“Oh, goodie,” Dash said, who’d also been quiet on the drive to school. “More weeds.”
I shushed him, then pasted on a smile when I walked over to Byron, who was holding more sunflowers in front of my locker. “Thank you.” I took them from him, toying with one of the luminous petals.
He slid his hands into his pockets, his tie still undone. “Open the note?”
I flicked it open and read the small inscription.
Do homecoming with me?
Homecoming was just under two weeks away, and I hadn’t even thought about it until now. Which was strange, given I’d already bought my dress.
I looked up at him and nodded. “I’d be delighted to do homecoming with you.”
He grinned, wrapping an arm behind my back. We squished the flowers between us when he grabbed my face and quickly pressed his lips to mine, pulling away before we got caught. “I’ve wanted to do that for days. And that felt more like a tease.”
I bit my lip, then unlocked my locker to grab my books and put the flowers inside. “I’ll see you at lunch?”
He tipped his chin up, winking as he walked backward to his own locker. “Count on it.”
“Damn,” Daphne said from behind me. “Someone has it bad.”
“Or someone is trying a little too fucking hard,” Dash chimed in, unlocking my locker and inspecting the card. “Homecoming?” He threw an accusing glare at me. “You said at the start of break that we were going together.”
I didn’t remember that, but maybe I had. Thankfully, I was saved from answering when Lars approached with a sucker hanging between his lips.
Daphne bristled, and I frowned as he gave her a once-over, then jerked his head for Dash to head to class with him.
“This conversation isn’t over, Peggy.”
“Oh, I’m sure.” I waved.
He stopped, his tone hard and his eyes slightly crazed. “I’m dead serious. I’m taking you. So fix whatever the hell you just agreed to with Prince Shit Shoes over there.” He flicked his eyes to where Byron was laughing with Danny, one of his teammates, down the hall.
Then he was striding away, Lars glancing at me over his shoulder as they walked to class.
“Told you,” Daphne singsonged.
“Told me what?”
She and Willa rolled their eyes, then started talking about what a mess some of the cheerleaders were at Wade’s party.
“So what do you want for your birthday?” Byron asked, unwrapping his chicken wrap and taking a huge bite.
I watched him chew, then dragged my eyes to the rose gardens lining the sitting area outside. Now that fall had begun to turn the heat down somewhat, it wasn’t a death sentence to sit outside and eat lunch. Thank God, because being cooped up, having people’s glares directed at you when you were simply trying to eat, wasn’t my idea of a nice break from class.
“You don’t have to get me anything, really,” I said around a bite of cheese.
“Are you kidding? Of course, I do.”
I paused mid chew, swallowing too hard. “What makes you think that?”
His brows knitted, face bunching. “Uh, because when a girl usually says they’re fine, they’re not.”
I didn’t say I was fine, but I let that be. “Honestly, I’m happy with cake. Lots and lots of cake.”
“What kind?”
I flicked some crumbs from my lap. “Caramel. Double chocolate. I’m not picky.” Those last