“I wasn’t thinking!” I wailed, back on the defensive. “Look, it was really sudden, and there was so much to do in New York, and—”

Uh oh.

“Wait, New York?” Bree demanded.

“New York!?” Vik echoed almost simultaneously.

I took a deep breath. “Riley took me to New York City,” I confessed.

Bree went from victim to listener to attack dog in mere seconds. “Oh my god, Andi!” she cried, “I thought you just meant you were like, at Riley’s place all weekend… doing stuff.”

Behind her, Vik blanched. But before he could say anything, Bree went on.

“But instead, he took you to New York City? And you didn’t tell anyone? What if he was a creeper? Or a murderer!”

“You’re the one who was defending him last week!” I yelled back, stung by her words. She didn’t know Riley like I did! He wasn’t any of those things!

“That was before he made you an idiot!” she yelled back.

Vik had turned away and was leaning against a desk.

The silence hung heavy between us.

“Andi, please,” Bree said after a minute. “You just met Riley, what, two weeks ago? And all of a sudden you’re running off with him, leaving the state, for a whole weekend without telling anyone? This isn’t like you. That guy’s just… he’s just bad news. You have to—”

“You should go get lunch,” I cut her off, cold as ice. “You know how cranky you get if you don’t eat.”

Vik twisted around and looked at the both of us in shock. Bree just flinched, and turned to leave. But she couldn’t go without one last parting shot. “Andi, please, just don’t… get so wrapped up some guy that you can’t… can’t see what trouble you could—”

“Riley is the last one to get me in trouble, Bree,” I snarled, remembering Friday night. “I’m a big girl, I can handle Riley.”

Bree left. I was alone with Vik.

“So what, now I’ll get it from you, too?” I shot at him.

He lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. “Look, Andi, I know Bree didn’t… she was just so worried about you, she was a real mess yesterday,” he tried to explain. “I was too…”

“Don’t,” I snapped. I felt cold, alone… betrayed.

“Hey, we’re still your friends,” Vik said. He crossed the space between us, putting a hand on my shoulder.

I couldn’t help it then. The tears I’d been holding back all morning, deep inside me, welled up. Vik’s brotherly arm moved around me comfortingly and I plopped my head defeatedly against his shoulder.

“She just doesn’t understand! I… I just—” and I couldn’t say it. I love him! I wanted to scream it to the heavens.