help.” But I’m not sure that I’m glad.
“Hey Loser!” I see Josh pull up in the driveway in his Jeep. Cameron, Brigitte and Lisa are with him.
“Just a sec!” Landon calls over his shoulder. He looks back at me and leans toward me, lowering his voice and smiling. “We’re not done. I’m going to find a way to make you tell me what you see when you touch me—if you’re not just making it up.”
“Hey.” Brigitte wraps herself around Landon’s back, leaning her head up to look at him. She makes more than one passing glance at me. Apparently I shouldn’t be talking to her sometimes boyfriend.
“Micah, right?” Lisa shifts her weight onto one hip, looking at me.
“Right.” I stuff my hands in my back jean pockets. I don’t know how to talk to these people. Lacey’s friends. Landon’s friends. People.
“Micah, this is Lisa. Lisa , this is Micah. If you two shake, you’ll officially meet.” Landon winks.
“I think we’re good.” I narrow my eyes.
“Micah!” Mom waves from the driveway. “I need your help with something!”
“See ya.” I quickly glance around at their small group, lingering too long on Landon’s grin. It’s a group I definitely don’t belong in.
“Come on!” Cameron yells from the Jeep. “Get back in! Let’s get out of here!”
Lisa bumps into me.
Cameron’s shirt is off. His face is above her. She’s scared. Words aren’t coming . I choke.
Lisa flashes me a dirty look like I was the one who ran into her, not the other way around. Though, I’m sure it’s Landon’s fault. I don’t want to know this.
Mom smiles as I get closer. “J ump in , honey. I want to take you to dinner.”
I reach out for the side door , and Landon appears next to me.
“What?” I’m still exhausted from my conversation with Landon .
“What did you see?” he whispers and raises an eyebrow.
“Do you believe me?” I put my hands on my hips trying to show way more bravery than I feel.
“Tell me.” He leans too close to be in front of my mother and too close to be in front of his friends. I breathe in the smell of him again.
“Keep her away from Cameron. He…” I don’t know how to continue. “She doesn’t want him as close as he wants to be.”
“When?” His voice sounds urgent, and his face is so close to mine I can feel his warmth .
“I thought we covered this.” It comes out harsher than it should. “I have no idea.”
I climb in the passenger’s side of my mom’s va n. The window is rolled down, so I can hear them talking as Landon jogs to the Jeep.
“What’s with you and Micah?” Brigitte’s frowning, and her body is turned away from him.
“Saving me from boredom which is more than I can say for you assholes.” Landon laughs and jumps into the back in one easy leap. He acts like he’s completely unbothered, which he might be.
“Those your friends?” Mom asks as she starts to back out of the driveway.
I don’t know how to answer. “Just Landon. I don’t know any of them that well.”
“He’s cute,” Mom comments.
“Landon’s a nosy jerk.” I chew hard on my thumbnail.
Mom gives me her best, ‘really?’ look. “But he’s your friend?”
“I don’t know.” I have no idea what Landon and I are.
Maybe all that happened today was that I ended up a distraction for his boredom. I don’t want to hope for more than that, but suddenly I do.
TWELVE
Mom and I walk into the pizza restaurant with its deep red and brick walls, and dim lighting, scanning for Ethan. I’m not sure how I feel about eating with Ethan and his two girls, but here we are.
“Over there.” Mom starts toward the corner, and I follow.
She sits, giving me full view of the four people waiting.
Wait. “Steven? What are you doing here?”
“Wow, that’s quite a welcome.” He’s only half successful in holding in his smile as he pulls out the chair next to him and motions for me to sit.
“No, I’m sorry. I thought you were staying with your
“Hey Loser!” I see Josh pull up in the driveway in his Jeep. Cameron, Brigitte and Lisa are with him.
“Just a sec!” Landon calls over his shoulder. He looks back at me and leans toward me, lowering his voice and smiling. “We’re not done. I’m going to find a way to make you tell me what you see when you touch me—if you’re not just making it up.”
“Hey.” Brigitte wraps herself around Landon’s back, leaning her head up to look at him. She makes more than one passing glance at me. Apparently I shouldn’t be talking to her sometimes boyfriend.
“Micah, right?” Lisa shifts her weight onto one hip, looking at me.
“Right.” I stuff my hands in my back jean pockets. I don’t know how to talk to these people. Lacey’s friends. Landon’s friends. People.
“Micah, this is Lisa. Lisa , this is Micah. If you two shake, you’ll officially meet.” Landon winks.
“I think we’re good.” I narrow my eyes.
“Micah!” Mom waves from the driveway. “I need your help with something!”
“See ya.” I quickly glance around at their small group, lingering too long on Landon’s grin. It’s a group I definitely don’t belong in.
“Come on!” Cameron yells from the Jeep. “Get back in! Let’s get out of here!”
Lisa bumps into me.
Cameron’s shirt is off. His face is above her. She’s scared. Words aren’t coming . I choke.
Lisa flashes me a dirty look like I was the one who ran into her, not the other way around. Though, I’m sure it’s Landon’s fault. I don’t want to know this.
Mom smiles as I get closer. “J ump in , honey. I want to take you to dinner.”
I reach out for the side door , and Landon appears next to me.
“What?” I’m still exhausted from my conversation with Landon .
“What did you see?” he whispers and raises an eyebrow.
“Do you believe me?” I put my hands on my hips trying to show way more bravery than I feel.
“Tell me.” He leans too close to be in front of my mother and too close to be in front of his friends. I breathe in the smell of him again.
“Keep her away from Cameron. He…” I don’t know how to continue. “She doesn’t want him as close as he wants to be.”
“When?” His voice sounds urgent, and his face is so close to mine I can feel his warmth .
“I thought we covered this.” It comes out harsher than it should. “I have no idea.”
I climb in the passenger’s side of my mom’s va n. The window is rolled down, so I can hear them talking as Landon jogs to the Jeep.
“What’s with you and Micah?” Brigitte’s frowning, and her body is turned away from him.
“Saving me from boredom which is more than I can say for you assholes.” Landon laughs and jumps into the back in one easy leap. He acts like he’s completely unbothered, which he might be.
“Those your friends?” Mom asks as she starts to back out of the driveway.
I don’t know how to answer. “Just Landon. I don’t know any of them that well.”
“He’s cute,” Mom comments.
“Landon’s a nosy jerk.” I chew hard on my thumbnail.
Mom gives me her best, ‘really?’ look. “But he’s your friend?”
“I don’t know.” I have no idea what Landon and I are.
Maybe all that happened today was that I ended up a distraction for his boredom. I don’t want to hope for more than that, but suddenly I do.
TWELVE
Mom and I walk into the pizza restaurant with its deep red and brick walls, and dim lighting, scanning for Ethan. I’m not sure how I feel about eating with Ethan and his two girls, but here we are.
“Over there.” Mom starts toward the corner, and I follow.
She sits, giving me full view of the four people waiting.
Wait. “Steven? What are you doing here?”
“Wow, that’s quite a welcome.” He’s only half successful in holding in his smile as he pulls out the chair next to him and motions for me to sit.
“No, I’m sorry. I thought you were staying with your
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