“Aw, I love you, babe. Best answer ever!” He gives her a shit-eating grin.
“But babe,” Lucy says, eyes still on her book, “yours is the only one I’ve ever seen, so I have absolutely nothing at all to compare it to. It could be tiny and I wouldn’t have a clue. Now, let me finish my book.”
Everyone laughs again. Heidi leans over to give Lucy a high five, which she enthusiastically accepts.
I smile at Lucy. She’s something else. “What are you reading?”
She looks up at me and blushes a little. “Um, it’s called The Sea of Tranquility, and it’s by—”
“Katja Millay, right? Josh Bennett is so swoon-worthy,” I interrupt. Her smile is huge, like she’s finally found someone she can talk to about this stuff. Inside, I’m kind of feeling the same way, since none of my friends read the kind of books I enjoy.
“I’ve definitely found my new book boyfriend.” She mock swoons, holding her e-reader close to her heart. Cam just shakes his head at her.
“I bet you’ll never look at wood the same,” I say, faking dreaminess in my voice. The car is silent for a second, then everyone cracks up, including Lucy. What I said hits me.
“No!” I yell. “I meant . . . Because he likes to build things from wood.” I’m animated now, gesturing to prove my point. All eyes go to my hands, and everyone starts laughing harder. I look down and almost die of embarrassment. Who would have thought that sanding a chair leg would look the same as jerking off?
I moan in defeat and embarrassment and try to hide my face on Jake’s shoulder. He chuckles into my hair and shifts so he can put an arm around me. I’ve known this guy for less than an hour, and I’m already comfortable with him.
The laughter at my expense is still going strong when the door opens and Logan looks inside.
“What’s so funny?” He looks around the group, but no one bothers to fill him in. “Fine, don’t tell me.”
He looks at the seating arrangement. Although it would make complete sense to sit opposite me, he squishes in next to me, forcing us all to move down until I’m almost sitting on Jake’s lap. Lucy, still enthralled by her book, works out what’s happening and moves to the other side to sit on Cam’s lap. I smile gratefully at her. She reminds me of myself a little.
“Let me know when you get to the end,” I tell her.
“Almost there,” she says, lifting her finger to shush me. Her eyes go wide, and I know she’s done. “No shit,” she says.
“Shit.” I nod. “It’s my favorite book.”
“We should totally be book best friends.”
I laugh. “Yeah, sure.”
“What are they talking about?” Logan looks between me and Lucy. No one says anything. “Hey, uh . . .” He nudges my leg with his.
“Her name’s Mikayla, asshole,” Jake says, slightly tightening his hold on my shoulders.
“Mikayla.” Logan nods. “I owe you an apology about the beer thing . . . It was an asshole thing to do. I wasn’t think—”
“Hey.” I cut him off, waving my hands. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Actually, I should probably be thanking you. If you hadn’t spilled that drink on me, I would’ve never walked in on what I did. I’d probably be at my own prom right now, dancing with my so-called perfect boyfriend, clueless to the fact that he and my best friend were fucking for two years behind my back.” I try to smile, but my anger overcomes me.
There’s an awkward silence in the car. Jake slowly removes his arm from around me, probably because he thinks I’m crazy. Just as I’m about to apologize, Lucy pipes up.
“You should totally key the dickhead’s car,” she says. Everyone turns to her, then slowly to me.
I should laugh it off as a passing comment—a little joke between friends. But I can’t help the smile that creeps across my face. “Well, I do have his keys. And I know his truck’s at his house and no one’s home.” I look at Jake and he grins, eyeing me sideways.
“Wait.” Cam breaks the silence. “Are you saying you have his car keys, you know where his car is, and no one is around?”
I nod slowly, glancing at all of them.
“Uh-oh,” Heidi sings.
“Operation Mayhem!” Dylan declares loudly, pulling Heidi off his lap and placing her at his side.
In two seconds flat, the boys somehow reposition the girls to one side of the limo so they can discuss whatever in private.
“What are they doing?” I ask Heidi, but Lucy answers. “Trust us, it’s better you don’t know. It’s more fun this way.”
FOUR
MIKAYLA
“You guys,” I say, trying to catch up as we walk to the twenty-four-hour Walmart. “You’re going to miss your senior prom.”
“No one cares! As long as we’re there at the end when they declare little miss Heidi prom queen, we’re all good. But that’s hours away,” Logan says, tapping Heidi on the ass. She squeals and hides behind Dylan.
“Touch her again, and I’ll break your arms, asshole.” Dylan glares at Logan, who throws his hands up in surrender. Dylan’s one of those guys who doesn’t say much, so you listen when he does. Now that I see him at full height, I notice he’s huge—bigger than the others. He seems loyal and protective, though, willing to give his all to his girl. I can see why Heidi loves him. I would, too. I thought I had that kind of guy.
“What are we doing here? I mean, what are we getting?” I ask them, walking into the store.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little face.” Logan runs his hand down my back, lower and lower, until he cups my ass.
“Get your hands off me, before I get Dylan to break your arms!” I say it like a joke, but I’m serious.
“I don’t think it’s Dylan I have to worry about,” he mutters.
Jake gets between us and shoves him aside. “Leave her alone, asshole,” he says to Logan. He holds his hand out to me. “Come with me.”
I take his hand. “What about the others?” I really want to know what this Operation Mayhem is. I hope it doesn’t break the law or cause permanent damage. I don’t know these guys at all—they could be buying stuff to bomb his truck or his house. Oh my God, what if they’re going to kill—
“Relax, Mikayla.” Jake laughs. “We’re not going to do anything crazy. It’s just a bit of fun. Trust me, okay?”
He must have seen the internal meltdown I was having. I smile and nod. Because I do trust him.
“But babe,” Lucy says, eyes still on her book, “yours is the only one I’ve ever seen, so I have absolutely nothing at all to compare it to. It could be tiny and I wouldn’t have a clue. Now, let me finish my book.”
Everyone laughs again. Heidi leans over to give Lucy a high five, which she enthusiastically accepts.
I smile at Lucy. She’s something else. “What are you reading?”
She looks up at me and blushes a little. “Um, it’s called The Sea of Tranquility, and it’s by—”
“Katja Millay, right? Josh Bennett is so swoon-worthy,” I interrupt. Her smile is huge, like she’s finally found someone she can talk to about this stuff. Inside, I’m kind of feeling the same way, since none of my friends read the kind of books I enjoy.
“I’ve definitely found my new book boyfriend.” She mock swoons, holding her e-reader close to her heart. Cam just shakes his head at her.
“I bet you’ll never look at wood the same,” I say, faking dreaminess in my voice. The car is silent for a second, then everyone cracks up, including Lucy. What I said hits me.
“No!” I yell. “I meant . . . Because he likes to build things from wood.” I’m animated now, gesturing to prove my point. All eyes go to my hands, and everyone starts laughing harder. I look down and almost die of embarrassment. Who would have thought that sanding a chair leg would look the same as jerking off?
I moan in defeat and embarrassment and try to hide my face on Jake’s shoulder. He chuckles into my hair and shifts so he can put an arm around me. I’ve known this guy for less than an hour, and I’m already comfortable with him.
The laughter at my expense is still going strong when the door opens and Logan looks inside.
“What’s so funny?” He looks around the group, but no one bothers to fill him in. “Fine, don’t tell me.”
He looks at the seating arrangement. Although it would make complete sense to sit opposite me, he squishes in next to me, forcing us all to move down until I’m almost sitting on Jake’s lap. Lucy, still enthralled by her book, works out what’s happening and moves to the other side to sit on Cam’s lap. I smile gratefully at her. She reminds me of myself a little.
“Let me know when you get to the end,” I tell her.
“Almost there,” she says, lifting her finger to shush me. Her eyes go wide, and I know she’s done. “No shit,” she says.
“Shit.” I nod. “It’s my favorite book.”
“We should totally be book best friends.”
I laugh. “Yeah, sure.”
“What are they talking about?” Logan looks between me and Lucy. No one says anything. “Hey, uh . . .” He nudges my leg with his.
“Her name’s Mikayla, asshole,” Jake says, slightly tightening his hold on my shoulders.
“Mikayla.” Logan nods. “I owe you an apology about the beer thing . . . It was an asshole thing to do. I wasn’t think—”
“Hey.” I cut him off, waving my hands. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Actually, I should probably be thanking you. If you hadn’t spilled that drink on me, I would’ve never walked in on what I did. I’d probably be at my own prom right now, dancing with my so-called perfect boyfriend, clueless to the fact that he and my best friend were fucking for two years behind my back.” I try to smile, but my anger overcomes me.
There’s an awkward silence in the car. Jake slowly removes his arm from around me, probably because he thinks I’m crazy. Just as I’m about to apologize, Lucy pipes up.
“You should totally key the dickhead’s car,” she says. Everyone turns to her, then slowly to me.
I should laugh it off as a passing comment—a little joke between friends. But I can’t help the smile that creeps across my face. “Well, I do have his keys. And I know his truck’s at his house and no one’s home.” I look at Jake and he grins, eyeing me sideways.
“Wait.” Cam breaks the silence. “Are you saying you have his car keys, you know where his car is, and no one is around?”
I nod slowly, glancing at all of them.
“Uh-oh,” Heidi sings.
“Operation Mayhem!” Dylan declares loudly, pulling Heidi off his lap and placing her at his side.
In two seconds flat, the boys somehow reposition the girls to one side of the limo so they can discuss whatever in private.
“What are they doing?” I ask Heidi, but Lucy answers. “Trust us, it’s better you don’t know. It’s more fun this way.”
FOUR
MIKAYLA
“You guys,” I say, trying to catch up as we walk to the twenty-four-hour Walmart. “You’re going to miss your senior prom.”
“No one cares! As long as we’re there at the end when they declare little miss Heidi prom queen, we’re all good. But that’s hours away,” Logan says, tapping Heidi on the ass. She squeals and hides behind Dylan.
“Touch her again, and I’ll break your arms, asshole.” Dylan glares at Logan, who throws his hands up in surrender. Dylan’s one of those guys who doesn’t say much, so you listen when he does. Now that I see him at full height, I notice he’s huge—bigger than the others. He seems loyal and protective, though, willing to give his all to his girl. I can see why Heidi loves him. I would, too. I thought I had that kind of guy.
“What are we doing here? I mean, what are we getting?” I ask them, walking into the store.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little face.” Logan runs his hand down my back, lower and lower, until he cups my ass.
“Get your hands off me, before I get Dylan to break your arms!” I say it like a joke, but I’m serious.
“I don’t think it’s Dylan I have to worry about,” he mutters.
Jake gets between us and shoves him aside. “Leave her alone, asshole,” he says to Logan. He holds his hand out to me. “Come with me.”
I take his hand. “What about the others?” I really want to know what this Operation Mayhem is. I hope it doesn’t break the law or cause permanent damage. I don’t know these guys at all—they could be buying stuff to bomb his truck or his house. Oh my God, what if they’re going to kill—
“Relax, Mikayla.” Jake laughs. “We’re not going to do anything crazy. It’s just a bit of fun. Trust me, okay?”
He must have seen the internal meltdown I was having. I smile and nod. Because I do trust him.
