I cleared my throat. “Regardless, I think I’ll be able to go. Liam is concocting some kind of elaborate escape plan.”

Axel smiled. “I bet RJ is helping with that.”

“Oh, 100%.” RJ was all about masterminding crazy plans.

“You seriously couldn’t wait one minute, asshole?” Jacob asked as he walked up the stairs, his eyes directed at Axel. Even though he’d called Axel an asshole, he didn’t actually sound mad.

Axel shrugged. “I didn’t want to be late.”

“Yeah, right.”

Jacob and Axel always came to school together. Usually in Axel’s BMW. I turned to see Jacob’s truck in the parking lot. It stuck out because unlike the other cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, it was really old and dinged up. It was probably older than I was. And I kind of loved that truck. I liked the fact that it was different. I liked that Jacob was different.

“I see you’ve ditched the sky-high heels today,” Jacob said.

He’d told me I looked sexy yesterday while I was wearing them. And then changed it to beautiful. Did he still think that when I was wearing flats? “My dad was not impressed with my new look. He confiscated my Odegaards so…” I shrugged. It didn’t look like Jacob was staring at me any differently than yesterday though. And that made me smile.

He laughed. “I like you better mini-sized anyway.”

I laughed. “I’m not mini-sized.”

“Pint-sized.” He put his hand on the top of my head to show how much smaller I was than him. But everyone was smaller than him. He was over 6-feet tall.

“Worse.”

“Bite-sized.” Something darkened in his eyes when he said it.

I swallowed hard.

“The bell’s about to ring,” Axel said and stood up. “And I promised your dad you wouldn’t be late.”

I tore my eyes away from Jacob as Axel grabbed my hand.

I thought he’d drop it as soon as he got my attention, but instead he wound his fingers through mine and pulled me up the stairs.

Axel Stevens is holding my hand.

He still didn’t let go as we entered through the front doors.

He’s holding my hand in the hallways of Empire High!

I saw a few heads turn. And when Sophie saw us her jaw actually dropped. The Triple Gs had similar expressions on their rude faces. Gigi looked the most shocked of all. And I’m pretty sure it made my smile grow even bigger, if that was possible.

Axel Stevens is holding my hand while I’m wearing his varsity jacket!

I looked down to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. But Axel was indeed holding my hand. I would have pinched myself, but even if it was all in my head, I didn’t want the fantasy to end.