Graham hooked his thumbs in the straps of his backpack. “Yeah, but those girls didn’t mean anything to me. I mean, I cared about them at the time, but it wasn’t, like, love or whatever.”

Ash shrugged. “I’m sure hers weren’t either. I can tell you that she’s never said she loved a guy before—at least not to me. You were the first guy she ever used that word about.”

“She says she loves you all the time,” he pointed out.

Ash shook his head. “You know that’s different.” Totally, completely, painfully different. “But all I’m saying is I wouldn’t worry about the guys from her past. You’re just going to drive yourself nuts.”

“It does drive me nuts. That guy Justin she used to date has been hanging around her a lot lately, making jokes and being nice to her. I see how he looks at her when she walks away. And she just rolls her eyes when I bring it up. She’s too nice to him. It encourages him. She doesn’t see what he’s trying to do.”

“Kincaid’s friendly to everybody, man,” Ash said. “That’s just how she is. Let it go. She loves you. It’s obvious to anyone who’s around the two of you. You guys are sickening. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Graham let out a breath, and finally, the corners of his lips turned up a little. “You’re right. I’m overreacting. I just can’t stand when other guys look at her like that, especially the ones who’ve already touched her. And she’s, like, oblivious, being all friendly back. Guys take that shit like an invitation, especially ones like Justin. It makes me want to ruin my perfect school record and punch the dude in the face just to remind him that she’s mine.”

“That who’s yours?” a lilting voice asked.

Ash and Graham looked ahead to find Kincaid smiling at them from a few steps away. She was already in her dance-team workout clothes, ready for after-school practice. Ash dutifully ignored the short shorts and her long, tanned legs, tried to remember her as a fifth grader with dirty, bony knees instead. Failed.

Graham grinned and stepped forward to wrap an arm around her waist. “That you’re all mine, baby. I was just telling Ash that I can’t wait to get to college so we can get our own little apartment, and I can have you all to myself.”

All to himself. A muscle in Ash’s jaw twitched, and something like dread rolled through him. He hated even having that feeling about his friend, but lately he couldn’t shake that uncomfortable itch. He rolled his shoulders, trying to shrug it off. His own crap was clouding things. He was probably seeing stuff that wasn’t really there. “Y’all are getting an apartment together? I thought you were going to be in a dorm, Graham.”

Kincaid hugged Graham and sent Ash a smile from over Graham’s shoulder. “He’s supposed to be. No way are the Lowells going to let me shack up with him. He’s dreaming.”