Kincaid looked at him, obviously deliberating, and then sighed. “Fine. I guess we don’t have to stay to the end. My feet are killing me anyway.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Graham said, taking her hand. “I’ve got to call the limo driver and tell him we’re ready early.”

“Wait.” Ash panicked, his hand shooting out to grab Graham’s arm. “Hey, why don’t you go and take care of that? I need to borrow Kincaid for minute. I’ll walk her out after.”

“For what?” Graham asked.

“Borrow? I’m not a library book, Ash,” she said, still clearly mad at him. “What do you need?”

Ash scrambled, trying to come up with something that would make sense. “I have a… Evie needs something.”

She gave him a look that said she was going to call him on his bullshit.

“Like a girl something,” he hedged. “Please. She texted me from the bathroom.”

“Oh.” Kincaid sighed, and her expression turned sympathetic. “Damn, poor girl. Period on prom night is epic suckage, and they never stock those damn bathrooms. Yeah, I can help her out. Walk me to my locker.”

“Can’t she get that from someone else?” Graham asked.

Kincaid patted his shoulder. “I’ll just be a minute, baby. Girls need to help out other girls. I’m sure the limo guy will take a few minutes anyway.”

Graham sighed. “Five minutes, all right? Don’t get distracted. I’m ready to get out of here.”

“Got it.” Kincaid gave him a quick kiss and started to walk toward the side door.

Before Ash could follow her, Graham grabbed his tuxedo sleeve. “Keep Justin away from her, okay? I don’t want to have to beat his ass on prom night.”

“No problem,” Ash said, his neck muscles so tight he could barely nod.

Graham released him and headed for the main doors, his gait a little off-kilter from whatever he was drinking. Ash strode after Kincaid to catch up. She glanced his way when he fell into step beside her. “I don’t want to fight with you. Can we drop it?”

“I don’t want to fight either.”

She took that as meaning he was done talking to her about it, even though that wasn’t what he’d said. She made a sour face. “I can’t believe Graham wants to leave early. I’m supposed to be in the pictures. I’m supposed to dance around with my tiara. This is our last high school dance ever. Why the rush?”

“He’s pissed about Justin,” Ash said carefully. “Like really, really pissed. You should’ve seen him when you were dancing.”

“Oh my God,” she said with a dramatic groan as her heels clicked along the gym floor. “He needs to get over that shit. I already dated Justin. I have no desire to do that again. How could he propose to me and then suspect I’m, like, interested in someone else?”

“Because he’s got major jealousy issues.” They pushed the metal bar that opened the side door and stepped into the hallway, the music dulling when the door clicked shut. Kincaid turned as if to go toward the main hall and her locker, but Ash touched her shoulder, halting her. “Hey, hold up.”