spot where Jake had disappeared, loathing every little thing about his fellow classmate. When he finally drew his attention back to Ellie, he found her head lowered over her phone. A giddy smile was plastered on her face as she read whatever text message she’d just received. “He just left the room,” he complained with a growl. “What could he possibly have to say to you?”
She glanced up with an innocent expression. “How do you know it was from Jake?”
“By that stupid, lovesick expression on your face,” he said dryly.
“He was just telling me that he missed me already,” she informed him with a superior tone.
“Bleck.” That being said, he lowered his head and fork over his helping of school macaroni and cheese.
“You’ll help me prepare for prom, won’t you?”
Alec flinched. He stayed still and silent for a moment before glancing up into her innocuous eyes. “Help you with what?” he asked warily.
Ellie shrugged. “Oh…I don’t know. Whatever it is people do at proms. No doubt there’ll be more dancing, and we both know I never mastered that.” Shooting him a pleading look, she sweetly asked, “You’ll practice more dancing with me, right?” Her eyes lowered to the ticket in her hand. “Prom is two weeks away. I didn’t even think I was going. Now I’m going with the potential prom king. I really need your help, Alec. Please?”
He let out a sigh and dropped his head to his hands. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “Fine. Okay.”
She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. “Thank you. You are totally awesome.”
He lifted his head to look at her and grinned. “I sure am. I do believe you love me,” he teased.
“I do.”
His comment had been light and mocking, as had her reply, but the words hung between them like an accusation. It was only funny until they’d both had a moment to think on it. Now it was uncomfortable.
“Yeah, well…” He spoke slowly, uncertainly. “Don’t forget it.” It was surely a thought that had been refusing to leave his mind ever since that fateful night at DeNuzio’s.
* * * *
“So let me hear it,” Matt declared. He pointed a french fry at Alec and gave his friend a pointed look. “Spill already. What’s got you in such a foul mood?”
Alec blinked at him in surprise. “I don’t know what you’re…” He trailed off at the unconvinced looks on both of his companions’ faces.
Kara, Matt’s younger sister by a year, pursed her lips at him. “Even I can tell something’s got you in a funk. Come on, Alec. Matty’s right. Spill.” She arched her brows at him as she swirled a fry in ketchup, then popped it into her mouth.
Alec hesitated, but he’d known Matt for years. Kara, too. If he didn’t give them something, they’d gang up on him and badger him relentlessly until he caved anyway. “Jake is taking Ellie to the prom,” he said simply. Then, feeling silly, he gave a shrug as if he wasn’t really all that bothered by it.
Matt’s expression turned to one of pity. “Aw, man. I’m sorry.”
Keeping his eyes trained on his plate as if his food was the most interesting thing in the world, Alec shrugged again. “It is what it is.”
The brother and sister exchanged a worried glance that had Alec’s hackles rising. “It’s not that big of a deal, okay? I just don’t…” Dodging the truth, he said, “I just don’t like her going with that preppy yahoo. I’ve seen the lack of manners his friends have where their dates are concerned.” With a little snort, he shoved his plate away a few inches as his appetite all but evaporated. “He’s going to do something ungentlemanly. I just know it. Then I’m going to feel obligated to kick his ass. It will end in a suspension from school, and I’ll have to spend a week at home with my father. It’s a drag all the way around.”
“So just keep an eye on him at prom,” Matt suggested. “If he tries anything stupid, you can break it up before it
She glanced up with an innocent expression. “How do you know it was from Jake?”
“By that stupid, lovesick expression on your face,” he said dryly.
“He was just telling me that he missed me already,” she informed him with a superior tone.
“Bleck.” That being said, he lowered his head and fork over his helping of school macaroni and cheese.
“You’ll help me prepare for prom, won’t you?”
Alec flinched. He stayed still and silent for a moment before glancing up into her innocuous eyes. “Help you with what?” he asked warily.
Ellie shrugged. “Oh…I don’t know. Whatever it is people do at proms. No doubt there’ll be more dancing, and we both know I never mastered that.” Shooting him a pleading look, she sweetly asked, “You’ll practice more dancing with me, right?” Her eyes lowered to the ticket in her hand. “Prom is two weeks away. I didn’t even think I was going. Now I’m going with the potential prom king. I really need your help, Alec. Please?”
He let out a sigh and dropped his head to his hands. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “Fine. Okay.”
She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. “Thank you. You are totally awesome.”
He lifted his head to look at her and grinned. “I sure am. I do believe you love me,” he teased.
“I do.”
His comment had been light and mocking, as had her reply, but the words hung between them like an accusation. It was only funny until they’d both had a moment to think on it. Now it was uncomfortable.
“Yeah, well…” He spoke slowly, uncertainly. “Don’t forget it.” It was surely a thought that had been refusing to leave his mind ever since that fateful night at DeNuzio’s.
* * * *
“So let me hear it,” Matt declared. He pointed a french fry at Alec and gave his friend a pointed look. “Spill already. What’s got you in such a foul mood?”
Alec blinked at him in surprise. “I don’t know what you’re…” He trailed off at the unconvinced looks on both of his companions’ faces.
Kara, Matt’s younger sister by a year, pursed her lips at him. “Even I can tell something’s got you in a funk. Come on, Alec. Matty’s right. Spill.” She arched her brows at him as she swirled a fry in ketchup, then popped it into her mouth.
Alec hesitated, but he’d known Matt for years. Kara, too. If he didn’t give them something, they’d gang up on him and badger him relentlessly until he caved anyway. “Jake is taking Ellie to the prom,” he said simply. Then, feeling silly, he gave a shrug as if he wasn’t really all that bothered by it.
Matt’s expression turned to one of pity. “Aw, man. I’m sorry.”
Keeping his eyes trained on his plate as if his food was the most interesting thing in the world, Alec shrugged again. “It is what it is.”
The brother and sister exchanged a worried glance that had Alec’s hackles rising. “It’s not that big of a deal, okay? I just don’t…” Dodging the truth, he said, “I just don’t like her going with that preppy yahoo. I’ve seen the lack of manners his friends have where their dates are concerned.” With a little snort, he shoved his plate away a few inches as his appetite all but evaporated. “He’s going to do something ungentlemanly. I just know it. Then I’m going to feel obligated to kick his ass. It will end in a suspension from school, and I’ll have to spend a week at home with my father. It’s a drag all the way around.”
“So just keep an eye on him at prom,” Matt suggested. “If he tries anything stupid, you can break it up before it
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