Chapter Thirty-six

It’s been four days since May and I kissed, and she’s all I can think about. This is the first time since my mom took the case that time hasn’t seemed like it’s being dragged through a field of thick liquid goo.

Nothing bothers me anymore—not Matt, not Rosa, not my parents. They’ve all faded into the background, their sharp edges softened against the heat of May’s mouth and the feeling of her hand in mine. I’m trying my best to give her space to ease into the idea of what’s happening between us—it can’t be easy, given who my mother is—but it’s a challenge. All I want to do is see her.

I’m at my locker on Wednesday morning, minding my own business, when Conor’s grinning face peeks around the door. I ignore him, pull out my last textbook, and slam the door shut hard enough that he jumps back. He sent me about a million texts last night, trying to get the DL on what’s happening with May, but I never wrote back. I want the memories to be mine and mine alone for a little while longer.

“What do you want?”

His face falls. He’s like a giant puppy dog that just wants love. “You never responded to my texts last night, man! I know you’re in a May-induced coma, but c’mon. Bros before—”

I shoot him a warning glance. “I’d stop right there if I were you.”

He holds up his hands. “Okay, okay, I get you. I won’t speak ill of your GF.” He literally says the letters GF out loud. He’s so hard to take seriously sometimes.

I glance around to make sure May doesn’t happen to be within earshot. “Dude. She’s not my girlfriend!” I pause, because I don’t know what she is, except the person I think about more than anyone else in the world and the only person I want to talk to right now.

“Okay, well, your not-girlfriend, then.” He laughs like he just said something funny.

“You know, you have a terrible sense of humor.”

He rolls his eyes. “Lay off me, bro. I’m just excited for you. And once I get Lucy to say yes to a date with me, we can double. It’ll be so cute. Like something out of Riverdale.”

I snort. “I still cannot believe you watch that shit.”

“OMG, it’s good!”

I laugh. “You know, if all your adoring fans knew about your taste in TV and your use of ridiculous acronyms, I bet they’d reconsider your image.”

“That’s so binary of you, dude. Open your mind. Like, just because I’m a guy in a band, I need to act a certain way? You sound like Matt.”

I glare at him. “How dare you compare me to that dickwad.”