Sneaking out of my house was easy, but trying to find Julia was a pain in the ass. I wasn’t familiar with her property at all, so attempting to navigate it made me feel like I was a blind mouse in a maze.

“What do you want, Russo?” Her voice carried over the grapes and led me straight to her. She had four separate bottles of wine propped next to her, and she was apparently drinking them all.

“What are you doing?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I figured, if I was going to run this place someday, I might as well try to like the stuff.” She sipped from her glass and wrinkled her nose. “It’s so gross. How do people drink this?”

I laughed because I had the same reaction each time I was forced to try our wine as well. “I’ve heard it’s an acquired taste,” I said as I sat across from her.

“That’s what they say about beer, too. I don’t know about you, but if something has to be an ‘acquired taste,’” she said with air quotes, “I think that means it sucks.”

“How much have you had to drink?”

“Why do you care?” she snapped, and I knew she was at least buzzed.

“I care because …” I paused, almost too nervous to answer honestly.

She took another gulp of the wine and winced, waving her hand for me to continue. “Because what?”

Shit. Here goes everything, I thought to myself before word-vomiting all over her.

“Because I like you. I’ve always liked you, Julia. Since the moment I first saw you,” I said, a little too honest for my own good.

“When we were four. I remember. But what are you even saying right now? Do you hear yourself?” Her tone sounded almost offended, which made no sense.

“Of course I hear myself.” I scooted closer in the dirt, so I could touch her if she let me. “I’m telling you that I like you.”

I reached for the hand resting on her knee, but she pulled it away.

“You don’t like me, Russo. You like a challenge. You like the things you think you can’t have.”

“Seriously?” It was my turn to feel offended.

The look in her eyes practically leveled me. “Seriously. You don’t like anything that comes too easily. You never have. That’s probably why you think you like me, but you don’t really.”

“You don’t get to tell me how I feel about you.”

“Whatever. I’m sure this is some sort of game. Did Dane put you up to this? Did you make some kind of bet with your stupid basketball team?” She started to hiccup, but it didn’t stop her. “Why don’t you go spend time with one of the many girls I’ve seen in your room lately?”