Chapters (39)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
The limo drives us around the edge of the lake and I look out the window at the water. It’s almost sunset now, and the light is catching on the surface in that golden way that reminds me of summer camp, of the feeling at the end of August when you know everything is ending.
Dean’s hand is draped casually over my leg like it belongs there. He and Ryder are laughing about something, passing the flask back and forth between them, but I’m not listening. All I can think about is how his hand feels on my skin, how the first time he ever laid his hand there it had electrified me, but now I feel nothing. He leans in and kisses the sensitive skin around my ear, and his breath smells like whiskey, making me shiver. I can’t help but look a few seats to my left to where Andrew is sitting with Danielle, their faces practically connected.
Hannah and Charlie are across the bench from me and when Ava hands Hannah the bottle of champagne, Charlie reaches up to run his hand over Hannah’s thick braid, pulling lightly like he never lost the right to touch her. That one little movement makes me so mad. Hannah takes a sip of the champagne and then she hands it to me. Our eyes meet and I tilt my head to the side, trying to tell her with my expression everything that’s so messed up about this situation. How could she have been so right about Andrew but so wrong about this?
Andrew laughs about something and then kisses the inside of Danielle’s wrist. It’s like a ripple effect around the car. Cecilia wraps her arms around Chase’s bicep and snuggles her nose into the collar of his shirt, and I feel myself leaning closer to Dean, letting his hand crawl higher up my knee. I hate that I’m reacting the same way as Cecilia—that we’re both just two girls Andrew’s cast aside.
“I’m excited for tonight,” I whisper into Dean’s ear, because I’m trying to convince myself I am. If Andrew can have meaningless hookups, so can I. I don’t have to like Dean to sleep with him. I can sleep with him because he’s hot, and it’s prom, and everything is perfect. Why would I waste a moment like this one?
“Me too.” His eyes light up like he wasn’t sure until right this second that I’d follow through.