“Why don’t you go to the parties that much?”

“I don’t enjoy them,” I reply matter-of-factly. There’s no point beating around the bush.

“I don’t either,” he admits with a shrug, and I look up.

“You don’t?”

“No,” he shakes his head, “not really. Dylan drags me along most of the time.”

“Why do you let him?” Color me intrigued—he has sparked my interest.

His broad shoulders lift and fall as he sweeps his eyes over my face. “If you don’t attend these parties, you stop being invited.”

Now I’m confused. “So? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“Ya think? I don’t want my friends to forget about me. They enjoy these parties, so I tag along. Isn’t that why you’re here tonight? Because Chloe wanted to come?”

“She’s my best friend.”

“Exactly.”

My lips twitch. “You’re a smartass.”

That makes him smile and lean close with his elbows on his thighs. “So are you.” He sits back and crumples up his plastic cup. “Wanna get out of here?”

I pause, then blurt, “I’m not fucking you.”

His eyes snap to mine, and for a long minute, he just stares. Laughter climbs up his throat, confusing me even more. “Damn, you say it straight.”

“Well, yeah…”

“Is that what you thought I meant?”

My throat jumps. “It’s code for ‘let’s go upstairs,’ isn’t it?”

He shakes his head before rising to his feet and holding his hand out. “Come on, let’s go.”

I debate for a brief moment about what to do. I’m not used to boys. Unlike Chloe, I don’t want to date high school boys. The last thing I need is for Luca to get the wrong idea. Despite this, I take his hand and allow him to pull me to my feet.

He goes to speak, but raised voices interrupt what he was about to say.

“You fucking asshole! You thought I wouldn’t find out?”

Luca and I exchange a glance as Chloe and Dylan burst through the patio doors.

“You’re making this into something it’s not!”

Chloe whirls on him and slaps him across the cheek. “Fuck you! So if a boy sent me nudes, it wouldn’t be a big deal?”

“Where the fuck are you going?!” Dylan roars when she sets off down the side of the house.

We run after her too.

“Away from you!”

“The fuck you are!” Dylan pulls her to a stop.

“It’s the anniversary of my mom’s disappearance, Dylan,” Chloe says with a broken voice. “Out of all the days to find out about this shit, it had to happen today.” She swipes angrily at her cheeks.

“It didn’t mean anything. They were just pictures.”

The sadness in her eyes turns to fury. “Just pictures? Just fucking pictures?!”

“Yes! I never touched her.”

“It doesn’t fucking matter! You asked her for pictures and did what? Jerked off to them? Sexted her?”

Luca whispers in my ear, “Let me drive you home. I think they need to be alone.”

My instincts tell me no. I don’t want Chloe to be upset and alone tonight. Especially not now.