Kiss and Make Up

(A Bayfield High Romance Book 2)

By

Madeleine Labitan

Copyright

Copyright © 2018 by Madeleine Labitan

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The characters in this book are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Dedication

To Arya, Sansa and Ollie, we miss you every day…

Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Table of Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Sneak Peak: Perfectly Clueless

About the Author

Truth or Dare

One

“Josh hasn’t texted yet. I’m worried. Do you think he’s going to break up with me?” Lexi Santiago, my best friend, whines from across the table.

She’s been complaining about her college boyfriend since this morning, so I just tune her out and continue playing with the fries on my plate.

We’re having lunch at the cafeteria but I can barely manage to eat. Not by choice. My appetite has been low for more than a month now. It’s to the point that when I checked my weight this morning, I realized I’ve lost almost ten pounds. A few pounds more and I’ll be dangerously close to being skinny.

I know I shouldn’t keep this up. But I just can’t force myself to gain my appetite back.

Pathetic, but my health isn’t the only thing suffering. My grades are dropping and I’m in danger of failing. I find it hard to concentrate in my classes. I can’t count the times I’ve been called on by my teachers for answers only to end up staring blankly at them.

Don’t even get me started on my extracurricular and after-school activities. As the president of the Community Service Club, I should be on top of our latest projects. But if someone asks me what those projects are, I’ll probably draw a blank.

Even my usually thriving babysitting-slash-tutoring job is currently on a hiatus.

I miss the kids I teach and look after a few nights a week. But what can I do? I’m distracted and miserable these days. I can’t be around them in both conditions, or else, I’ll just mess up. So I’m taking a break.

And the cause of all of that? Well, he’s right across the room.

Adam Hayes.

The boy who broke my heart.

Don’t look at him. Don’t look at him.

But it’s too late. My eyes have already betrayed me, straying back to his table, for the third time since I walked into the cafeteria.

Staring at him, a familiar ache twists in my chest. He's sitting with his best friends Sean Murphy and Brandt Thomas, along with a few guys, laughing and showing off those damn dimples.

Ugh. I really hate those dimples.

He’s not looking my way, thank God. Otherwise, he would’ve caught me staring. Again. The number of times he did in the past week alone makes me want to claw my eyes out.

Mackenzie Brown, Sean's girlfriend, is also in the table with them. As always, the new couple looks to be lost in their own world. Their heads are bent close together, whispering to each other. The two of them are so cute together it’s practically nauseating.

“Mads, are you even listening?”

I peel my gaze away from their table, focusing back on my best friend.

What is she talking about again?

Oh, right. Josh.

“Didn’t he just call you last night?”

“But he said he’d text me today,” Lexi pouts.

I stifle an eye-roll.

If there’s a poster child for uber-clingy girlfriends, it’s Lexi. Sometimes I even wonder how her relationship managed to last this long. She’s been dating Josh for over two years now, starting when we were only sophomores and he was a junior.

I thought they’d finally break up when he moved two hundred miles away for college, but they surprisingly stayed together. Lexi even told me she’s planning to attend the same university he goes to when we graduate next year.

I’m a little skeptic but I don’t want to spoil her plans. She’s really excited about it.

“Chill, Lex. He’s just probably busy with his classes. Why don’t you call him later when you get home?”

“But what if he doesn’t want to talk to me?”

Oh, for God’s sake. This time I don’t stop from rolling my eyes. “You’re being silly.”

“I can’t help it!” she whimpers, then eyes the fries on my plate. “Are you going to eat those?”

Lips twitching in amusement, I push my plate toward her. “Help yourself.”

“I’m supposed to be on a diet,” Lexi says wistfully, but then shrugs and picks up some fries. “I’ll start again tomorrow.”

Lexi is always “on a diet.” She’s not overweight, though. Far from it. But she’s always been conscious of her body.

We’re about the same height—around five-nine. But while I have a willowy frame, Lexi has always been curvy—great rack, small waist, wide hips, big butt.

Boys love looking at her. They literally trip over themselves just to get her attention. And she eats it all up. But there are times when she hates looking at herself in the mirror. She says as much whenever we go shopping and she struggles to find the "perfect” pair of jeans.

She blames her mom—who was a beauty queen back in the Philippines before moving here—whose looks she inherited.

Which is a load of bull, because she’s absolutely gorgeous. Aside from having an hourglass figure, Lexi has long, luscious black hair and naturally golden brown skin that doesn't require tanning to maintain the color. Lucky girl.

I, on the other hand, have to spend some time under the sun just so I won't be pasty-white. And my ash blonde hair only emphasizes my pale complexion.

"Anyway, what are you planning to do tonight?" Before I can open my mouth, she quickly adds, "Please don't say you're going to mope around again."

I glare at her. "I never said that."

She points a fry at me. "You're right. You just do."

"I'm not moping around."

Lexi arches a brow. "Then why did you make a breakup playlist on Spotify and listen to it every night?"

"Sshhh. Lower your voice down."

She's right though. I've been reduced to a pathetic mess ever since I broke up with Adam. No, scratch that. Ever since he broke up with me.

My first boyfriend, my first everything. And my first heartache.

It sucks.

If this is what love always entails, then I'm going to swear off committed relationships for the rest of my life. Then I wouldn't have to get hurt and endure a broken heart again. I'll just be that cool middle-aged woman who loves to travel and remains romantically unattached, only entertaining casual relationships and having meaningless sex.

God, that sounds depressing.

I'm not a hopeless romantic by any means. That's all Lexi. But I've always known that I want to get married and have my own family someday. And I've always envisioned Adam to be my husband.

Until the day he dumped me.

Now I can't even stand to hear the word "wedding."

"Is he still trying to talk to you?" Lexi asks, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah."

Adam tried to talk to me this morning. For the thousandth time. But just like his previous attempts, I completely ignored him. Once again, his lousy explanations fell on deaf ears.

Did he honestly think I'd give him the time of day after he heartlessly dumped me in the locker hall for everyone to see? And then refused to listen when I tried to explain myself? Turnabout’s fair play, right?

Besides, as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to talk about anymore. I don't even want to see his face.

Then why do you keep on seeking him out, you hypocrite?

"Shut up."

"What?" Lexi gives me a confused look.

"Um, nothing."

"Slut." A guy wearing a thick eyeliner coughs into his hand as he passes by our table. His equally emo-looking friend behind him snickers.

"It wasn't her. Didn't you get the memo?" Lexi snaps, making them jump and scurry away. She even throws a few fries at them, causing me to choke out a laugh. "Jerkwads!"

God, I love this girl. Drama queen aside, she's the bestest best friend a girl can ever have. She's been there for me when half the school shut me out and treated me like a pariah, pouncing at anyone who dared to talk crap about me. She’s been my rock through the whole ordeal.

"I can’t believe you’re still getting hell for that." Our friend Amanda Hall sets her tray down on the table and sits next to me.

"It's hard not to when there are pictures of her and Derek kissing," Carla Bennett chimes in, malice coating her voice as she settles down beside Lexi.

I glare at her. "Not my fault. He mistook me for someone else."

A simple case of mistaken identity and the root cause of my misery. Only it hadn’t been simple. Because when a very drunk Derek Matthis mistakenly grabbed and kissed me at a house party, someone took pictures and posted them online.

Pictures that looked so damning Adam was convinced they were real.

It’s almost amazing how fast I went from being one of the most popular girls to the biggest outcast overnight. From being dubbed as Bayfield High’s “Princess Diana” to being called the “biggest slut” in the planet. It only took a few malicious pictures to ruin both my reputation and relationship with Adam.

I learned one thing though. That when it comes down to it, save for a few select people, the whole school would side with Adam without verifying facts. Hell, even some of the teachers had looked at me like I murdered their beloved son.

Because my ex isn’t just any boy. He’s the senior class president who spearheads successful school programs left and right, the top candidate for valedictorian who’s believed to be a shoo-in for an Ivy League school, and the one voted most likely to succeed since freshman year.

He’s also the most popular boy in school. And one of the hottest. His light blonde hair, baby blue eyes and dimpled smile give him that all-American good looks that girls swoon over. Even his prescription glasses add to his appeal.

But more than his looks and his academic achievement, Adam possesses a winning personality that makes everyone love him. It’s what drew me to him in the first place.

Golden Boy of Bayfield High, that’s what he is.

And once you hurt the Golden Boy, you hurt the whole school.

I wish I can say he made everyone hurl those whispered insults and dark glares at me. That would make him the bad guy, right? But I can’t. Adam may have acted like a jerk when he dumped me, but he’s far from being one.

Even when he thought I cheated on him, he still went out of his way to defend me whenever he heard someone talk crap about me. He even landed in detention one time when he punched a guy for calling me a “cheating whore.” I personally witnessed that.

So, no, even after what Adam did, I can’t find myself to hate him.

If there’s any bright side to the whole thing though, it’s that I found out who my real friends are.

"Your friend's a real piece of work, Carla,” Lexi says, dragging me back to the present.

"It's really shitty of her to let Maddy take the fall.” Amanda tucks an errant lock of red hair behind her ear, her new layered bob looking so good on her.

Wait. Are they talking about Erin Taylor? The same girl who Derek mistook me for?

My expression hardens. It turned out she was the one hooking up with him. But instead of owning up to it, she let me become the scapegoat and continued on with their affair in secret, with everybody else none the wiser.

I tried to convince Derek to tell everyone the truth. But Erin had so much hold over him, he wouldn’t even budge. He even pretended not to remember and said that I was probably the one who initiated the kiss.

Please.

If it weren’t for Sean and Kenzie, nobody would know the truth. I’d still be a social pariah. Oh, there are still some people—like those two emo jerks—who believe I really cheated on Adam. But it’s only a few of them so they don’t bother me much. I just ignore them and let Lexi do her protective bestie thing.

"I know. Erin is sorry about the whole thing, Madison." Carla gives me a faux sympathetic smile.

Ugh, she's so fake. Why do we even put up with her?

Like Lexi, Amanda stood by me during those dark times. Carla? Not so much. I even heard her telling someone that she once saw me making out with a soccer player in the boys’ locker room.

Obviously, she mistook me for her twin sister.

"Yeah, right," Lexi scoffs. “Erin is only sorry she was caught. She doesn’t care about Maddy.”

“That’s not true. Erin—”

"What are you even doing here, Carla?” I finally snap. “Shouldn't you be following her around like a good minion?"

Amanda chokes on her soda can while Lexi laughs shamelessly.

"I'm not her minion!" Carla sputters, her cheeks reddening.

I just roll my eyes and look away, my gaze wandering back to that table.

Big mistake.

Because my eyes lock with his right then. How long has he been staring at me? And why does he always give me that look? Like I did him wrong. Like I was the one who hurt him.

"He looks like a lost puppy," Amanda comments, apparently staring at him as well.

Carla clucks her tongue. "Poor Adam."

Lexi turns up her nose. "Serves him right, if you ask me."

Like the true best friend she is, Lexi started hating on Adam when he broke up with me. Especially after everybody gave me the cold shoulder.

"Can we not talk about him, please? As far as I'm concerned, we're done."

Carla turns to me with a calculating gleam in her eyes. "If you don't want anything to do with him anymore, then you wouldn't mind if I go and cheer him up, right?"

Amanda whips her head to her. "Seriously, Carla?"

"What is wrong with you?" Lexi practically yells.

Carla simply ignores them, her attention still focused on me, waiting expectantly for my answer.

"He's all yours, “ I tell her with a cold smile. Then I pick up my tray and rise from the table, painfully aware of a particular pair of eyes watching after me as I walk away.

Two

I nod my head and shake my butt in time with the lyrics of Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato, singing every word full of emotion.

Lexi thinks I'm moping.

Nope. No moping going on here.

Well, okay, maybe there was.

But not tonight. I may still be listening to breakup songs. But I'm no longer crying into my pillow and mourning the three-year relationship I just lost.

I'm done being a pathetic mess. I'm done pining over him. This is me moving on. Screw Adam Hayes and his lame attempts at apologies.

He broke my heart once. I'm not going to give him another chance to do it again. And he can shove those puppy-dog eye looks up his own butt, because I'm not going to fall for them ever.

Even though I’m sorely tempted to give in and listen to what he has to say whenever he manages to corner me. Ugh.

Honestly, I thought he was done trying to talk to me after I yelled at him over the phone last night.

Just like the first time he tried to apologize. It was a couple weeks ago and it took place right here in my room. I was lying on my bed and listening to my breakup playlist when he climbed up my window...

"Maddy."

I scream and jolt up the bed, before recognizing the boy sitting on my windowsill seat. "Adam?"

He gives a weak smile. "Hey."

"W-What are you doing here?" Remembering I'm only wearing an oversized shirt and boy shorts, I grab a pillow and put it on my lap.

Crap, how's my hair like? It has to resemble a bird's nest from lying in my bed for hours. I haven't even had time to put on any makeup yet.

But then I remember.

Derek Matthis. The picture circulating on Facebook and Twitter... Adam breaking up with me.

My face darkens. "Get out!" I shout, clenching my fist.

Before Adam can respond, a knock sounds on the door. Then Mom's muffled voice comes out. "Honey, is everything okay?"

"Yes, Mom," I call out, quickly thinking of an alibi. "I just accidentally tripped on something."

"Okay, honey, good night."

"'Night!"

"Maddy—"

“You should go. Mom isn’t your greatest fan at the moment. She won’t be happy to see you.”

He winces. “I don’t blame her.”

"Then all the more reason for you to leave. You dumped me, remember? Or did you already forget that?" I bite out bitterly.

"I-It was a mistake. I know the truth now. Sean told me."

“What truth?”

He adjusts his glasses nervously. "That you didn't cheat on me. That it was Erin who had been hooking up with Derek all along."

"What?" I stare numbly.

"Sean and Kenzie saw her with him at Jason’s party. I confronted her about it and she confessed to the whole thing. She said she was there when Derek kissed you. She heard how he mistook you for being her. When somebody took pictures of it and uploaded them online, she decided to use it as a cover to keep secretly hooking up with Derek. To make sure that Sean wouldn’t know about it.” Adam rakes a hand through his hair, remorse plain in his eyes. "God, Maddy, I'm sorry. I'd been so damn stupid." He looks so miserable, I have to keep myself from walking over to comfort him.

Because he doesn't deserve to get any comfort from me. This boy ripped my heart out and stomped on it like it was nothing. Like I was nothing to him.

"So you're here to apologize? You want to take me back now that you found out I never cheated on you?" Tears form in the corner of my eyes, threatening to spill.

He hangs his head. "I was hoping you'd at least give me a chance to make up for it."

He thinks he can just fix what he did, huh? Say he’s sorry and expect me to forgive him and forget everything? No. Hell no. I deserve better than that!

“Make up for what, Adam? You dumped me without giving me a chance to explain. You didn’t want to listen to what I had to say. Even when I freaking begged!” He opens his mouth, but I'm done letting him talk. "You said I didn't have to bother. You didn't want anything to do with me anymore. That we were over. That no amount of explanation would make you change your mind. Then you told me to get lost because you couldn't stand the sight of me." The tears are now falling freely down my cheeks, making my vision blurry. I swipe at them with the back of my hand and glare at him. "So, no, Adam, I'm not going to give you a chance to make up for it. You coming here doesn't change anything. You just learned the truth. But we're still done. We're very much done."

He flinches as if someone just punched him in the gut. "Maddy—"

"Please leave."

"Baby," he pleads.

"I said, leave!"

Slumping his shoulders in defeat, Adam scrambles out of my bedroom.

Scurrying out of bed, I run over to the window and shut it. Then I fall into the seat and sob, my heart ripped to pieces once again.

A tear runs down my cheek at the memory. Every time Adam tries to talk to me, I think about that night. So I wouldn't forget. So he wouldn't hurt me again.

I'll be hypocrite if I say I don't feel anything for him anymore. That will be a lie. Because even after what he did, I still love him. I haven't stopped. Despite the anger and the bitterness, it's still there.

And I hate myself for it.

My pity party is disrupted when my phone suddenly rings. I shake the bitter thoughts away, in case it's Lexi. My best friend has the uncanny ability to know what I really feel even when she can't see me.

But it's not Lexi. It's Adam's mom.

Wondering what Mrs. Hayes needs from me, I drop back on my bed and answer the call. "Hello?"

"Maddy, sweetie, is that you?"

"Um, yes, Mrs. Hayes." She called my number, didn't she?

"Oh, thank God."

"Is something wrong?" I sit up straight. Is Adam okay? Is he hurt? I was just thinking about him!

"No. Adam's fine, sweetie," Mrs. Hayes chuckles, making me realize I said it out loud. Ugh. Idiot. "But I need your help."

"Sure. What is it?"

Just because Adam and I broke up doesn't mean I'm shutting his mom out, too. We may not be close, but Mrs. Hayes has always been kind to me. Even after the breakup. Unlike Adam, she didn't believe the rumors about me cheating on her son. And that means a lot to me.

"Danny and I will be gone for a while," she explains, referring to her husband. "My sister is getting married so we have to fly to Seattle tomorrow. It’s only supposed to be a few days, but we’ll have to stay there for a week. You see, there’s a three-day business conference we also need to go to.”

The business conference has probably something to do with their real estate firm. But I don’t know what the conference and her sister’s wedding have anything to do with me.

"So, how many kids are you babysitting and tutoring these days?”

“Um, none.” Why is she asking?

“Great. Then you can accommodate Peaches.”

Peaches is Adam’s four-year old baby sister. She’s absolutely adorable. I’ve babysat and tutored her countless of times. And I miss her badly. But it’s not like I can just go over to the Hayes’ house and see her. Adam and I are no longer together. That will be all kinds of awkward.

Now Mrs. Hayes wants me to look after her daughter while she and her husband are gone? Did Adam put her up to it?

“I don’t know, Mrs. Hayes—”

"I know things are not okay between you and my son,” she interrupts with a deep sigh. Understatement of the year. "But I really need your help. We can’t take Peaches with us. The conference doesn’t allow kids. And we can’t leave her with my parents. They already have their hands full with my sister’s wedding.” She pauses. “And, Maddy, Peaches is asking for you. She specifically wants you there with her. I tried to explain the situation between you and Adam, but she keeps throwing a tantrum."

I wince, knowing full well how bad her temper tantrums can be. Several times I've personally witnessed the cutest kid I know turn into a monster. Peach can be scary when that happens.

But as much as I miss the little tyke, being in the same house as Adam is a bad idea. I tell Mrs. Hayes so.

"Please, Maddy. Peaches really needs you. I can’t rely on the twins alone. You know how Bianca is. She’s always out and about. She rarely comes home early. And Adam isn't any better these days. My son is beating himself up over what happened between you two.”

As he should be, I barely keep myself from blurting out.

“He's been spending a lot of time outside with his friends, probably to distract himself. Honestly, I don't think he's in a good shape to take care of his baby sister. So I really need your help, sweetie. Just during the nights. The twins can look after Peaches in the mornings. And you know that kid can get herself ready to daycare. She's an independent little thing sometimes."

"But—"

"And like I said, Adam is always with his friends. So there’s a possibility you won't see each other. It will be just you and Peaches.”

I bite my lip. How can I turn her down gently? Because I can’t afford to accept. If I do, I’ll be spending several nights a week at their house. No matter what she says, there’s no way I won’t be seeing Adam at all. I’ll probably even run into him often, and not by accident. I’m pretty sure he’s going to see it as an opportunity to get me to talk to him.

Mrs. Hayes needs to understand that it’s simply not going to happen. As much as I hate to disappoint her, I have to say no.

But when I open my mouth, I find myself saying, "I'll do it."

Great.

Three

How did I get here?

Here is the Hayes' family room where I’m currently watching a Disney movie with Peaches and Adam.

Not like I had any say on the matter.

We were having dinner—after Peach and I finished doing her homework—when the little girl announced that she wanted to watch TV.

I agreed eagerly, knowing Adam isn’t a fan of cheesy animated films, which exactly what Peach prefers to watch. I thought I’d finally be able to steer clear of him, after having to endure his presence at the table.

But luck apparently had no intention of siding with me. Because while I was loading the dishes in the dishwasher, and ignoring Adam's attempt to help, Peach invited him to come along.

He didn't even pretend to think twice about it. He was already saying yes even before his baby sister finished asking the question.

Ugh.

Now, here I am, feeling all kinds of awkward sitting on their comfy leather couch with Peach right next to me and Adam on her other side. It was her who insisted we sit this way. She said it would be less scary if we were all close together.

We're not even watching a scary movie!

If I didn't know any better, I'd think she planned it all along. But Peach isn't like that. She's a smart kid, but she’s not manipulative. Plus she’s too young to care about relationship dramas, even if it involves her own brother.

Maybe Adam put her up to it. After all, I still believe he made his mom talk me into this gig.

Not that I consider it as a paying gig or anything. More like a favor to a family close to me. There’s no way I’m charging Mrs. Hayes for my time here.

Anyway, back to the real issue.

Suspicion nags hard at me as I give my ex-boyfriend a serious side-eye.

But his eyes are trained on the television as if he's captivated by the animated movie.

Please. He couldn’t even stand Frozen.

But why should I care? I should be happy that he isn’t paying me any attention anymore. It shouldn’t piss me off, right? Right.

It’s all I want, really. For him to leave me alone. It’s the least he could do after breaking my heart. So I shouldn’t complain at all.

I sneak another glance at him.

He’s still not looking.

Gah, I'm going crazy!

"I'm going to prepare some snacks," I announce, rising from the couch abruptly, not waiting for any response.

Reaching the kitchen, I take a deep breath and make myself busy by preparing a sandwich for Peaches. She always gets hungry during movie time, even when it’s just right after dinner.

Besides, I want some space from Adam. Need it so bad.

It’s only a week. You can do this, I tell myself silently.

“Need any help?”

“Shit!” I almost drop the jar of peanut butter and jelly at the sound of his voice. “Don’t do that.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.” I hear him clear his throat behind me. Then he stands next to me, making me freeze.

What is he going to do?

As if to answer my question, he grabs two slices of bread and quietly spreads PB&J on it.

I wait.

And wait.

But nothing.

Ugh. Why isn’t he saying anything? Is he really hungry or did he just follow me here?

"What are you doing?" I blurt out, unable to keep quiet anymore.

His lips twitch. “Making a sandwich.”

“We just had dinner.”

He points at the plate in front of me. “You’re also having one.”

“It’s not for me. It’s for Peach,” I snap. “You know she gets hungry when she’s watching TV.”

“Yeah, she does,” he chuckles. “That little girl has some serious appetite on her.”

I don’t respond. We’re not supposed to be joking with each other. We’re not even supposed to be talking.

But there he is, acting like we’re still very much in speaking terms.

Fine. I can play his game.

"Your mom says you're barely home this early anymore." Last I checked, it’s only a few minutes past seven.

"They're out of town. Bianca’s out with her friends. I don't want to leave Peaches alone.”

I knew it. He’s going to torment me the whole week.

That makes me bristle. "So you don't trust me to look after her.”

He lets out a breath. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

“No, I—”

"I can't believe him!" We both jerk in surprise when Bianca suddenly storms into the kitchen, anger written all over her face. “Did he really think—” She stops short at the sight of us. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes," Adam says just as I blurt a loud, "No."

Bianca glances between us in amusement, her arms folded over her chest, no longer looking angry. “Uh-huh.”

"I'm just going to take this to Peach,” I say, instead of engaging her.

Taking the plate of PB&J sandwich with me, I walk out of the kitchen, leaving the twins behind.

“What’s that all about?” I hear Bianca ask just before they’re out of earshot.

I already knew it was a bad idea to babysit and tutor Peaches, didn’t I? I should have said no to Mrs. Hayes. Made up excuses to avoid coming here. And yet I still accepted.

Seriously, what was I thinking?

It still hurts to be around him, no matter how much I pretend that it doesn’t.

Seeing Adam at school is hard enough. Being in close proximity with him? Complete torture. I just hope I’ll be able to survive after this is over.

Two hours later, I step out of Peaches’s room, closing the door behind me quietly so as not to wake her. She fell asleep on me when I was reading her a bedtime story. She didn’t even make it halfway.

It’s quiet when I reach downstairs and the only section illuminated, aside from the porch outside, is the foyer. The Hayes house is pretty big, so the darkness and silence lend an eerie vibe to it.

Where is Adam? Is he already in his room? Or did he go out to party or something?

Again, why do you care?

Rubbing the goosebumps off my arms, I cross to the foyer and open the door.

“Is Peach already asleep?”

I scream. Then quickly catch myself and glare at the boy sitting on the porch swing. “What the hell, Adam? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“Sorry.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all.

“What are you doing out here, anyway? I thought you're already in your room.” Or went out to go to some party.

Why am I glad that he decided to stay?

“I was waiting for you.”

“Why?” I ask warily. Is he going to try and talk to me again?

“I’ll walk you home.” He rises from the swing and starts to approach.

“No, thanks.” I take a step back, not wanting to crane my neck to look up at him. Adam is a pretty tall guy, standing at six-three. “I can go home by myself.”

“Maddy, it’s already late. I can’t let you go alone. It’s not safe.”

“It’s not that late. And my house is just a couple blocks away.”

“Not near enough.”

I blow out a breath. “Adam.”

“Maddy.”

Damn it. What was I thinking not bringing my car with me? Was I hoping he would do this?

Idiot.

I fold my arms. “We’re not together anymore, you know. You don’t have to be all gentlemanly on me.”

“I’ll always try to be a gentleman when it comes to you,” he murmurs, the low rumble of his voice making me shiver involuntarily.

And that pisses me off.

Wanting to be finally rid of him, I grit out, “Fine! Suit yourself.”

He’s not going to give up, anyway.

I step down their porch and start to walk home, not even bothering to check if he’s following me. Just because I let him accompany me doesn’t mean I’m going to engage him in a conversation. He can walk me home without talking.

Thankfully, that’s exactly what he does. He keeps quiet as he walks beside me, maintaining enough distance between us.

Suddenly, I’m reminded of the nights I stayed a little late in his house. Instead of driving me home, we would walk. Even though what were supposed to be few-minute walks always ended up to almost thirty.

We were never in a hurry. It was as if we were strolling in a park—holding hands as we talked and laughed about anything and everything. We were seldom apart at school, but the time we spent together never seemed to be enough.

The memories brought an ache to my chest, making me walk faster, wanting to put more space between me and Adam. The last thing I need is for tears to start falling down my cheeks when he’s just right next to me. That would be mortifying.

Which is why I can’t help letting out a sigh of relief when we finally reach my house.

Adam must have heard it because he whips his head to me. He clears his throat. “So—”

“Thanks.” I quickly get inside, closing the door on him, not wanting to hear what he has to say.

But I don’t move from the door. Instead I drop my forehead against it, willing my racing heart to slow down. Is he still outside?

“Screw it.” I go over to the window and carefully peek through the curtain, just in time to see him walking away, his shoulders slumped.

Four

“You let him walk you home?” Lexi leans in her seat, her eyes wide.

We’re on our third period, and while waiting for our History teacher, I fill in my best friend on what happened last night.

I wasn’t really planning to. But I made the mistake of blurting out Mrs. Hayes’s request of babysitting and tutoring Peaches yesterday at lunch. She’s been all over it since then.

“He didn’t give me much of a choice,” I shrug, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

“What do you mean?” Lexi frowns in confusion. “Did he force you?”

“No. I mean he insisted on walking me home.”

“Hmm. Did you guys talk on the way there?”

“As if. I pretty much ignored him and pretended he wasn’t there.” Not that I’d been successful. “But I thanked him just before I went inside.”

The image of Adam walking away with his shoulders sagged flashes in my mind, making my chest ache. But I brush it off, not wanting to feel sorry for him. That's a dangerous feeling. At least for me.

“Do you think there’s a chance that…” Lexi trails off.

“A chance that what?”

“That you’ll get back together by the end of the week?”

I glare at her. Did she just seriously ask that?

Seeing the look on my face, she quickly adds, “I’m just saying, maybe there’s a possibility—”

“He really hurt me, Lex.”

Guilt sweeps over her features. “I know, sweetie, I’m sorry. Ugh. Ignore what I said. I wasn’t thinking.”

I give her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.” Still, I decide to change the subject. “So, how’s Josh?”

A dreamy look arrests her features. “He’s coming over this weekend.”

“That’s great, right?”

“Absolutely,” Lexi beams. “I can’t wait to see him again. We FaceTime almost every day, but it’s not the same, you know?”

Not really. I don’t even have a boyfriend at the moment, let alone a boyfriend who’s living a hundred miles away. But I don’t tell her that.

“So, it’s just going to be you and him the whole weekend, huh?”

She nods. “And I’m going to make the most out of it.”

Yeah. Lexi should really make every moment count. I know firsthand how a relationship can crumble overnight. Not that I’m saying that her and Josh’s will meet the same fate.

But you never know these days. One moment you’re happy with him, then the next, you’re being dumped in front of everyone…

God, when did I get so bitter?

I exhale a breath and force a happy smile for my best friend’s sake. I’m being selfish here. We’re talking about the state of her relationship, not mine. And just because my relationship went up in flames doesn’t mean hers will do the same.

Besides, I can’t be cynical about love at eighteen. I’m too young to be jaded. I’ll doom every future romantic relationship if I keep this on. I’ll see Adam in those guys, expecting them to break my heart the same way he did. And what will happen eventually? I’ll end up as a bitter old maid?

I shudder. A seriously, seriously depressing thought.

“What are we talking about here, ladies?” Sloan Collins pushes his face between me and Lexi, intruding into our conversation.

Lexi makes a face at him. “Get lost, Sloan.”

“No, seriously, what are you two beautiful babes talking about? Tell Daddy Sloan all about it.” He waggles his brows at us.

“Ew. Don’t be gross.” Lexi shudders, shoving him away.

I laugh just as a loud farting sound pierces the air, causing the whole room to fall into silence.

We all turn to the source of the sound and see Kenzie looking beet red.

“It’s not me!” she squeaks out as our classmates burst out laughing.

In the seat right next to her, Sean doubles over with laughter.

I watch as realization hits her, the look of embarrassment on her face morphing into rage. “You asshole! I’m going to kill you!”

“Oh, shit.” Sean scrambles from his seat as Kenzie runs after him, holding something in her hand.

“Holy shit! Is that a whoopie cushion?” Sloan howls.

So Sean pranked Kenzie. Again. We all thought that the two of them would stop pranking each other when they started dating, but obviously we were wrong. If anything, they become more creative with their pranks. It looks totally crazy to me, but it’s working for them. So who am I to judge?

“Truce, baby?” Sean is in front of the class now, his hands raised in surrender.

“Sure.” Kenzie smiles sweetly, then pauses dramatically before chucking the fart bag at him.

Only it doesn’t hit Sean. He manages to duck at the last second.

The victim? Our teacher, Mr. Fletcher, who chooses the moment to walk into the room. And, worse, he has a coffee cup in his hand.

We all watch in horror as the bag hits him square in the face, the impact making him spill his coffee on his shirt.

“Oh my God,” I gasp.

Mr. Fletcher blinks in shock.

Sean stares at him wide-eyed while Kenzie pales.

The rest of the class wait with bated breath. Then wait some more as our teacher slowly turns red in the face.

Wiping coffee spill from his face, he bends down to pick the whoopie cushion, then addresses the class in a dangerously calm voice. “Who threw this?”

Fingers quickly point to Kenzie who stays rooted at the spot, looking like she’s going to pass out.

But Sean is quick to come to his girlfriend’s defense. “No, it’s not her fault. It was me.”

Silence. Then, “Very well. The both of you can go to detention later.”

Sean and Kenzie groan while a few of our classmates snicker, enjoying hearing their punishment.

But Mr. Fletcher isn’t done yet. He addresses all of us again. “Now, get ready for a pop quiz.”

This time a collective groan is heard as we scramble to take out our pens and papers.

“Thanks a lot, man,” Nick Wilson glares at Sean.

I exchange a look with Lexi. “Did you even study?” Because I did not.

She shakes her head, pouting. “No. I’m so going to fail this.”

You and me both, Lex. You and me both.

I was right. The quiz was a bust.

I got a pitiful D plus and Lexi got a D minus. So when I got home after school, I dove in to study before going over to Adam’s house. I’m already doing bad these days as it is. I can’t afford to fail another pop quiz. Especially if Sean and Kenzie’s pranks take out another teacher and said teacher also decides to “get even.”

Mr. Fletcher wasn’t the first one to do that. I remember back in sophomore year, Kenzie waited for Sean by the classroom door to attack him with a party popper. But instead of Sean, it was Ms. Dickens—the English teacher—who walked in and got showered with the confetti. She gave us a pop quiz for laughing at her. And, of course, Kenzie landed in detention.

So in case another teacher gets caught in the crossfire, I need to be prepared.

Once I’m done with studying and homework, I change into a sleeveless denim dress and put my long hair up in a ponytail. Grabbing my purse, I swipe lip gloss over my lips and step into my comfy flip flops.

I run into Mom just before I made it outside the house. She’s heading to the laundry room, carrying a basket full of clothes.

“Going to the Hayes’ again?”

“I’m babysitting Peach, remember? See you later.” I kiss her cheek and turn to leave.

“Honey, are you really sure it’s a good idea to spend a lot of time there?”

That stops me on my tracks and makes me turn around.

“I’m worried about you.” Concern flashes in her emerald eyes, which are identical to mine.

Just like everyone else, Mom is aware of what happened between me and Adam. I didn’t keep it from her. She knows everything.

So even though she’s always adored Adam and approved of him as my boyfriend, she stopped being a fan the day he dumped me.

“I’m Team Maddy. Always,” she told me then as I cried on her shoulder.

Yet another reason why I love her. Mom has been nothing but supportive while I was drowning in misery. Despite the fact that she’s already had a lot on her plate, courtesy of Dad ditching us for his secretary a year ago. She had to transition from being a stay at home mom to a working one in a matter of days to keep the two of us afloat. Good thing her online graphic design business is doing pretty well now.

I give her a reassuring smile. “There’s nothing to be worried about, Mom. I promise.”

“Are you sure? You know I can always talk to Linda,” she says with a frown, referring to Mrs. Hayes. “She shouldn’t have asked you in the first place.”

“Really, Mom, there’s no need for that. I’ve got it under control.”

She studies me for a moment before letting out a sigh. “If you say so. Be careful when you get home, okay?”

I nod, biting my lip to keep from blurting out that I already got it covered. Adam will probably walk me home again. I’m not sure Mom will be too thrilled to hear that.

Although something tells me she’ll be secretly relieved to know that someone is accompanying me home. Even if that someone is Adam.

Five

“Hey, how’s the win-back-Maddy op coming along?”

“What do you think?”

I freeze at the mention of my name. The voices are coming from the family room, where I know Adam, Sean and Brandt are currently holed up in.

I stare at Peach’s dirty shirt on my hand. The little one spilled her chocolate drink on it, so I was on my way to the laundry room when the boys’ conversation caught my attention.

I know I shouldn’t eavesdrop. I should turn around and go back to where I came from. I can just go to the laundry room later, anyway. But they’re talking about me. I so need to hear this.

Why am I even the topic of their conversation in the first place? Whoever said that women are the only ones who gossip is a big fat liar.

“Just grovel, man. Chicks dig it.”

I raise a brow at that. What did Sean Murphy know about groveling? He spent several years getting into his girlfriend’s last nerve. Heck, he still does.

“Is that what you did to get Kenzie to finally date you?”

“Nah. It was all because of my charming personality.”

“Did she still think you’re charming after you landed her in detention?”

I have to cover my mouth to muffle my laughter. Brandt has the best comebacks.

“Dude, I was right there with her. And she didn’t seem to mind much. She didn’t even put the blame on me. She was so calm when we got there.” There’s a short pause, then I hear a groan. “She was plotting her revenge, wasn’t she?”

“That’s Kenzie we’re talking about. Since when did she ever not get back at you?”

There’s amusement in Adam’s voice when he finally chimes in. “Looks like you’re the one who needs to grovel, man.”

Brandt lets out a chuckle. “If you’re lucky, she’ll feel sorry for you. Just show her you’ve got it bad for her. It should be easy, considering you’re a hundred percent Kenzie-whipped.”

“And I’m not ashamed to admit it. Kenzie’s it for me, man.”

I can’t help but smile at Sean’s declaration. Who would’ve thought the boy who once dated someone like Erin Taylor had it in him to be a romantic boyfriend?

Crazy pranks aside, Kenzie is lucky to have found someone so devoted to her. If only I had the same luck. A pang of envy hits me with that sentiment.

“Maybe I should pull off a grand gesture like in those cheesy teen movies. You know, make an ass out of myself in front of the whole school? That’s what I deserve anyway, after what I put her through. Maybe then she’ll forgive me and take me back.”

He’s really serious about winning me back? My heart picks up pace and I take a step back. I don’t want to listen anymore. I’m done eavesdropping.

I walk backwards some more, careful not to alert them of my presence. But then my foot connects with something. And it makes a loud squeaking sound.

“Oh, crap,” I whisper.

“What was that?”

Panicking, I kick the toy away. Should I make a run for it? But before I can do just that, Adam sticks his head out the door, his eyes finding mine.

“Maddy?”

“Hey.” I give him a lame wave, forcing my feet to move forward. Pretend you didn’t hear anything!

He fully steps out of the room, frowning. “What are you doing there?”

“I’m just, um, going to drop this off to the laundry room.” I motion to the shirt in my hand. “Peach made a little mess.”

He eyes the stain. “It doesn’t look little to me.”

I shrug. “Nothing the washer wouldn’t fix.”

“Want me to go with you?”

“No, it’s okay. I already know the way. I’ve been there several times, remember? Unless the room has been moved elsewhere.”

Wait. Did I just make a joke?

Adam chuckles. “Last I checked, it’s still there. But I haven’t been there in days, so don’t take me at my word.”

Before I can stop it, a smile is already making its way across my face.

Catching myself, I clear my throat and gesture to the direction of the laundry room. “So yeah, um, I’ll be on my way.”

“Right.” He gives me a small wave. Then realizing what he just did, his cheeks heats up.

I can’t help but giggle at that. Then stop, my eyes widening.

Ugh. What am I doing?

Before I can bury myself even deeper, I walk away, trying hard not to do a facepalm.

I can’t believe I just had a friendly conversation with Adam. No, it wasn’t just a friendly conversation. It was borderline flirty!

God, what was I thinking? It’s only been my second night and I’m already letting my guard down around him. Just because I overheard his intent on winning me back. Haven’t I learned my lesson? What will become of me when this is all over?

I’m so screwed.

A couple hours later and I’m still berating myself, even as I help Peach get comfortable in her bed.

“Maddy?” she asks softly.

“Yes, sweetie?” I respond absentmindedly, tucking her favorite teddy next to her.

“Don’t you love Adam anymore?”

I freeze, my eyes snapping back to her cute, chubby face. “Why did you say that, Peach?”

“Because you don’t come here anymore.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

“Only because Mom asked you to.” The sadness in her big blue eyes breaks my heart. “You don’t visit anymore. Bianca said you and Adam broke up. But why? Don’t you love my brother anymore?”

“Umm.” How am I going to answer the question of an innocent four year old? Why is she even asking me this?

“I hope Ben won’t break up with me.”

“Who’s Ben?”

“My boyfwend,” she declares happily.

Her enunciation of “boyfriend” makes me smile.

Wait. Break up? Boyfriend?

“Uh, sweetie, you mean you have a friend who happens to be a boy, right?”

“No. A real boyfwend, silly. And soon he’s going to be my husband. Like Daddy to Mommy!”

“Oh,” is all I can say. Really, she just rendered me speechless.

Thankfully, Peach managed to fall asleep without asking any more questions about me and Adam. But she kept gushing about Ben, her “one two wove.” Apparently, he’s a sweet “boyfwend.” One time, he gave her his extra lollipop and even let her drink on his sippy cup.

Aaaww. So adorable.

But also unsanitary.

So trying not to smile, I told Peach not to borrow his sippy cup again.

When I finally head downstairs, I’m not even surprised to see Adam waiting for me in their porch.

“You really don’t have to do this,” I tell him as I step out of the front door.

He adjusts his glasses and smiles, his annoyingly cute dimples showing. “I really do.”

Sigh.

Stop! You’re not allowed to do swoony sighs in front of him anymore.

“Did you know Peach has a boyfriend?” I blurt out without thinking.

His eyes widen. “What?”

Crap. Why did I say that? I just tattled on Peach.

I bite my lip. “Don’t be mad at her, okay? It’s not like it’s serious or anything.”

“Please. I will never be angry at my baby sister.” He folds his arms. “Now tell me who the little punk is.”

I give him a get real look. “Adam, they’re practically babies. I doubt Peach even understands what boyfriend means.”

“Exactly. He shouldn’t make a move on Peach.”

“Hmm. Didn’t you use to steal kisses from girls in the playground when you were a kid?”

“What? I think you mistook me for Sean.” But the light pink blush on his cheeks betrays him.

“No. I’m pretty sure it was you. Your Mom even showed me a picture of you trying to kiss a girl. She even looked like she was about to cry,” I chuckle.

I can’t remember the number of times Mrs. Hayes whipped up albums containing the childhood pictures of her kids whenever I was at their house. For some reason, she always liked showing them to me, especially Adam’s. And the one that particularly stuck with me was a shot of Adam kissing a girl who had a horrified look on her face. I definitely got a good laugh out of it.

“I don’t remember that.” He’s still denying it.

“Yeah, ri—”

The sound of a car door being slammed interrupts our conversation. “You know what, Dylan? Get lost!”

We both turn to see Bianca angrily storming away from Dylan McCafferty’s truck.

He sticks out his head and yells, “Bianca, wait, dammit!”

But Bianca simply ignores him and makes her way inside the house without a backward glance, not even bothering to greet us.

Adam and I look at each other as Dylan pulls away from the driveway with a loud curse.

“What was that?” I ask, my eyes wide like saucers.

Adam shrugs. “I don’t know, but Bianca’s been acting weird lately. I’m sure they’ll sort it out tomorrow. She never gets angry at him for long.”

Probably because she’s secretly in love with Dylan. It’s plain as day. But I don’t tell Adam that. He can figure it out on his own.

“I should get going. It’s getting late,” I say instead.

“Yeah, of course, let’s head out.”

I sigh. “You’re going to do this until my last night here, aren’t you?”

“Yes. And nothing’s going to change my mind.”

“Fine. Let’s go.” I turn my back and start to walk, rolling my eyes, but also fighting back the smile threatening to overcome my face.

Yep. So screwed.

Six

“Damn it,” I mutter as my books clatter to the floor in a heap, missing my feet by only a few inches.

Sighing, I crouch down to pick them up. This is turning out to be one of those days. And it just barely started.

First, I woke up fifteen minutes late. I’d spent the last night tossing and turning in my bed, replaying what happened. And by what happened I mean the conversations I’d had with Adam. The easy, teasing conversations we had. They kept playing in my head over and over. I was practically obsessing about them, analyzing every word. As a result, I only managed a few hours of sleep.

Secondly, because I woke up late, I didn’t have the time to blow-dry my hair. I had to pull it into a messy knot on top of my head just so it wouldn’t go every which way. Talk about bad hair day. I’m pretty sure my eyes are bloodshot, too.

And now this. Is the world out to get me today or what?

Huffing out a breath, I move to grab the last book when a hand beats me to it.

It’s official. The universe really hates me. Because I know without looking up who it belongs to.

I still do, anyway. “Adam.”

He straightens up and gives me a dimpled smile. “Did you have a good night sleep?”

Seriously? He had to ask that question today of all days?

“Yes,” I snap, taking the book out of his hand with added force.

“So, that’s a no then?” The slight hurt in his voice makes me feel guilty.

To be honest, I don’t want to be angry at Adam anymore. Harboring resentment toward him didn’t make me feel better in the first place. It didn’t do me any good. The past month has been a glaring testament to that. I’m just so damn tired of being bitter.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not taking him back or anything. Not this early, if at all. I may no longer be angry, but the breakup still stings.

I don’t know if I’m ready for friendship. But at least I can be civil.

“Sorry. I’m just having a bad day.”

He rewards me with a smile. “It’s okay. We all have that sometimes. Come on, let me walk you to class.”

“We have the same class.”

“Exactly,” he winks.

I roll my eyes, smiling.

Curious glances and whispered conversations follow us as we make our way to first period. We both ignore them, but something tells me Adam and I just stirred the gossip pot once again.

Get real. The two of you have been stirring the pot since you broke up.

I won’t be surprised if rumors about us getting back together is already starting to circulate around school.

Whatever. I don’t care.

I know the truth. And that’s what counts.

“Madison.”

I stop walking and turn around—with Adam doing the same—to see Mrs. Mayberry walking toward us.

“Uh-oh,” I mutter. Adam raises a brow at me, but I ignore him. Instead, I paste on a smile at the approaching teacher. “Mrs. Mayberry.”

Mrs. Mayberry happens to be the advisor for the Community Service club. And I’ve been studiously avoiding her. Well, until now.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” Busted!

“Of course not,” I lie, my smile unwavering. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Mayberry. I’ve just been busy. Like really, really busy.” Busy moping around, if we’re being specific, but she doesn’t have to know that.

“Hmm.” She gives Adam a pointed look from behind her black rimmed glasses.

Adam clears his throat and fidgets on his feet, looking uncomfortable.

I bite back a smile. If there was a faculty member who never believed the cheating rumors, it was Mrs. Mayberry. She expressed her support while everyone else was quick to judge me. She also made it clear that she disapproved of the way Adam handled the whole thing.

Which is why I’m feeling guilty that I’ve deliberately steered clear of her the last few weeks. You know, when I couldn’t find the energy and enthusiasm to work on anything. She can blame the boy right next to me for that.

“Well, I don’t want to add to your burden, but the donation boxes need to be sorted before the week ends. A moving truck will come here on Monday to pick them up. Do you think you can give it some time?”

Right. Our club’s latest community project is collecting stuff like clothing, personal care items and toys for homeless shelters in nearby cities. But before they reach the shelters, they need to be sorted out first. Meaning, we have to separate the useless crap.

“Yes, of course,” I nod in earnest. I’m done wallowing in self-pity so I’m now ready to get back to work. “So, um, where are the boxes?”

“It’s in the storage room.” Mrs. Mayberry glances at the watch on her wrist. “Do you have a few minutes? I can show you.”

“Yeah, sure.” I follow after her as she makes her way down the hall, giving a double take when I see Adam doing the same.

He only smiles when I lift a brow at him.

“Don’t you have a class to go to?” I whisper.

“I told you I’d walk you—”

I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Here we are,” Mrs. Mayberry says, opening the door to the storage room.

I didn’t even notice we already reached it.

“Do you think you can gather enough people to get all these sorted out until tomorrow?”

I peek inside the room. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make—” The words die on my lips when I get a good look at the boxes.

The thing is, I expected to see eight or ten maybe fifteen boxes tops. But no. I’m looking at a room filled with boxes everywhere. Like dozens of large boxes.

Behind us, Adam whistles.

“How many are these boxes again?” I ask faintly.

“Around sixty, maybe? Give or take a few more.”

My eyes widen. Sixty? And she expects me to finish sorting them tomorrow? I’m already swamped with other responsibilities as it is.

“Um, Mrs. Mayberry—”

But Adam cuts me off. “Maddy will be on top of it. But is it possible for us to come over on the weekend to get them all sorted? I don’t think we’ll be able to finish them by tomorrow.”

I glare at the annoying meddler. What is he doing?

“Great.” Closing the door, Mrs. Mayberry gives us a warm smile. Suddenly, she’s a fan of Adam again. “Let me see what I can do about that. Now, both of you get to class before you get tardy slips.”

I wait for her to walk away and disappear out of earshot before rounding on Adam. “What were you thinking? You know I won’t be able to finish sorting all those boxes this weekend. I’ll probably need more than a week to get through them all. And why did you say we?” I fold my arms over my chest, shooting daggers at him.

“Because I’m going to help out. You’re not going to do it alone. You have me, your friends—and what about the other club members?”

“There are no other club members. It’s just me. And I can’t expect my friends to bail out on their weekend plans just to help me.” I sigh, remembering Lexi telling me about Josh coming home on Saturday.

I haven’t talked to Amanda yet. But she probably already has plans, too.

I groan in frustration. What a disaster.

“What do you mean there are no other members? What happened to Julia, Kara and Will?” Adam frowns, confusion lacing his tone.

He’s referring to the most active members of the club. They’re the ones I can count on to rally other members when we’re working on projects.

Well, I used to.

Until they decided to believe the rumors like the rest of the school. They already apologized when the truth came out, but I still haven’t forgiven them for turning their backs on me. They were not just members of my club, I treated them as friends, too. So their misjudgment stung.

So, no, I’m not going to ask for their help on this project.

“They’re busy,” I say simply.

“Huh. Well, okay, we can—”

“Adam, no, we can’t. What I need to do is talk to Mrs. Mayberry and ask her to give me another week.”

“No.” He blocks my way when I take a step. “I’ll find other people to help. We can do this.”

Ugh. He’s really being stubborn about this. “What about Peaches? Who’s going to look after her then? Did you even stop to consider that? There’s no day care on Saturdays.”

“Bianca will take care of her.”

“You’re joking, right?” I scoff. “You know Bianca is always out during the weekends—”

“I’ll talk to Dylan. If he’s willing to help babysit Peach, Bianca will stay in the house. Trust me on that.”

My brows go up to my hairline. Is he telling me that he knows about his sister’s unrequited love on Dylan? But that’s not my concern right now.

I shake my head. “You know what? Fine. But if this blows up in our faces, I’m blaming you.”

He just gives me a dimpled grin. “It won’t. I promise.”

Seven

The last period teacher didn’t show up, so Lexi and Amanda roped me into going to the mall with them. Amanda wanted to buy the skinny jeans she’s been eyeing for a while now. And Lexi decided it’s time to add another pair to her shoe collection.

I wasn’t in the mood to shop, contented in perusing the racks while I waited for my friends, until I laid eyes on a cute romper. Since I haven’t splurged on anything in over a month, I went ahead and bought one for myself.

An hour later, we end up in our favorite ice cream shop. Amanda orders strawberry banana ice cream while Lexi settles with the dairy-free pistachio ice cream, saying she can’t afford to gain more pounds.

I only roll my eyes and ask for the raspberry chocolate chip yogurt, happy that my appetite is finally back. Mom even commented about it this morning when I managed to finish the breakfast she prepared for me.

I guess I’m really done wallowing.

“I saw you and Adam walking together to first period,” Amanda says casually as we claim our usual spot at the back.

Or at least she’s trying to be casual. As if I didn’t catch the knowing look she exchanged with Lexi.

“Just out with it.”

Amanda lets out a sheepish smile. “Well, I was just wondering if the two of you are finally back together.”

“No, we’re not. I just let him walk with me since we had the same class.” I give her a pointed look. “You know what he did to me. I’m not going to take him back just like that.”

“So you’re just, what, friends?” Lexi interjects, raising a brow.

“Of course not. We’re just being civil toward each other.” I take a spoonful of my ice cream, loving the burst of flavor on my tongue. “God, I missed this place.”

Lexi points her spoon at me. “Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m not changing the subject. Honestly, I don’t see the big deal about it.”

“It’s a big deal because you were still crying over him a week ago,” Amanda says. “Remember at the drive-in?”

That’s true. I did bawl my eyes out when we went to the town drive-in. Definitely not my finest moment.

“We were watching A Walk to Remember,” I argue, hiding a cringe. “You can’t not cry when watching a Nicholas Sparks film.”

Lexi nods. “True. Liam Hemsworth made me cry in The Last Song.”

“Are you kidding?” Amanda scoffs. “That’s the least cry-worthy Sparks movie. But we can agree that Liam was so cute there.”

“And now he’s a full-on hottie,” I smirk, secretly relieved that we’re no longer talking about Adam.

“Yes and yes,” Lexi says in a somber voice. “But enough about Liam Hemsworth. I’m more interested to talk about Adam Hayes.”

“He’s a hottie, too,” Amanda giggles.

“Oh, come on,” I groan. “Enough already.”

Seriously, why are they pushing the subject? Adam and I are still broken up. It’s not going to change any time soon. So the status of our non-relationship is not worth discussing.

Lexi shakes her head. “Nope. Not gonna drop it.”

I stare at her. “We already talked about this.”

“I know.” Lexi looks a little apologetic. “But I think we should discuss it more.”

“Why?” I practically whine.

“Because…” Once again, she trades looks with Amanda.

I put my ice cream spoon down. “Okay, what are you two not telling me?”

“Don’t get mad, but everybody at school thinks you and Adam are back together.”

Is that supposed to be news? "I don’t care. They can think whatever they want.”

And that’s the truth. I’m done caring what people think about me. They can talk about me and Adam all they want, I refuse to be affected anymore. I’ve already dealt with worse, anyway.

“What if we tell you that there’s also a betting pool?” Amanda says.

I almost choke on my ice cream. “A what?”

“There’s an ongoing bet on whether you and Adam are back to bumping uglies or not.”

“Bumping uglies? Gross,” I shudder. “How long has this been going on?”

“Since yesterday,” Lexi tells me. “Apparently, someone saw the two of you together Tuesday night.”

“He was just walking me home!”

She gives me a sympathetic look. “Well, obviously, whoever that person was jumped to the wrong conclusions. If there’s any consolation, I’ve been telling everyone that you and Adam are still very much broken up.”

“Me, too,” Amanda nods fervently, then winces. “But I don’t think it’s working.”

“Tell me about it,” Lexi scoffs around a spoonful of ice cream.

“You know what? I still don’t care,” I declare with a scowl. “Between school and Peaches, and now the donation boxes that I need to sort out before Monday, I literally have no time to obsess about a stupid rumor.”

“Wait,” Amanda frowns, “what donation boxes?”

Taking a deep breath, I explain the predicament that presented itself this morning, glossing over the fact that Adam insisted on helping. They’re already suspicious of the status of my relationship with him. I don’t want to add any more fuel to the fire.

But it’s a lost cause.

Because Lexi blurts, “But Adam offered a solution, right?”

Amanda nods. “Let’s do it. I’m free on Saturday.”

“Me, too. As it turned out,” Lexi muttered, looking suddenly deflated.

I’ll make a guess. “Josh wouldn’t be able to make it this weekend?”

“Yeah,” she sighs. “He told me last night that it wasn’t possible. He has a big test coming up on Monday that he needs to study for. And there’s football practice on top of that.”

“That sucks,” Amanda winces.

I offer a sympathetic smile. “Oh, sweetie. Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be.” Lexi forces a smile. “I know he’ll make up to me next weekend. So this Saturday, I’m yours. Use me in any way you want.”

Amanda wrinkles her nose. “Why does it sound so kinky?”

The three of us burst out laughing.

God, I love my girls.

When I get to the Hayes’ house hours later, Adam is nowhere to be found. Bianca, who’s surprisingly the one to stay at home, said that he’s out with some friends to play basketball. After the conversation I had with Lexi and Amanda, I feel a little relieved of his absence. I can definitely use the space.

“Great work, Peach,” I gush at the little girl after checking her work.

We’re in their family room, sitting on the floor. I’m helping Peach with her homework assignments, while Bianca is sprawled on the couch behind us. She just got off the phone with her mom, who calls every night to check in on them.

Peach beams at me. “Teacher said I’m one of her best students. What does it mean?”

“It means you’re doing great, sweetie.” I comb my hand through her hair, feeling proud of her.

“Are we done? Can I go play with my toys now?”

“Sure. Go have fun.”

Squealing, she runs from the family room to go up to her room.

I glance at the wall clock. I’ll give her an hour to play before I tuck her to bed.

“You can go home now, if you want,” Bianca suddenly speaks up.

“Why would I?” I start to pick up Peaches’s things, putting them into her bag. “It’s still early.”

“That’s the thing. Adam told me to let you go early because he won’t be around to walk you home.”

My heart flutters. Why is he being thoughtful when he’s not even here?

Although, yes, I’m planning to head out early than usual. I don’t want to walk home late by myself. I guess Adam’s words from before has rubbed off on me.

“Don’t worry, I won’t stay late.”

“So, you and my brother,” Bianca starts, “are you officially back together or what?”

Great. She’s listening to the school rumor mill, too. “No. It’s just a stupid rumor.”

“Really? It doesn’t look that way from where I’m sitting.”

I stop what I’m doing and turn to stare at my ex-boyfriend’s twin sister.

Although it’s a little hard to see the similarities between them, after Bianca dyed her blonde hair chocolate brown and started using dark contacts. Not that the new look doesn’t suit her. She’s totally rocking it.

But it’s not just their appearances that make the twins distinct from each other. Their personalities are polar opposites, too. While Adam is friendly and approachable, Bianca is more aloof and standoffish. To be honest, I sometimes find her intimidating.

“Well?” Her brows are raised, waiting for my response.

“It’s… complicated.”

“Ugh. Tell me about it,” she mutters.

“What?”

“What?” She blinks back, looking a little confused.

I stare at her, curiosity getting the better of me. “What’s the deal between you and Dylan?”

“What do you mean?” Her eyes go all shifty.

“Um, you were fighting with him last night.”

“Oh, that.” She picks up her phone, as if the conversation is starting to bore her. “That was nothing. It wasn’t even a fight. Just a misunderstanding. And it’s all sorted out now.” She mumbles something about needing to sleep early, then suddenly rises from the couch and leaves the room.

I stare after Bianca. So she can’t stay mad at Dylan, just like I can’t manage to resent her twin for long. Who knew we’d have something in common?

Eight

I stare at the letters and numbers on the page but they’re not making any sense. Not to me, anyway.

But then I’ve never been great at Math in the first place. The highest grade I ever got on it was a B plus. And it was only because Adam patiently tutored me for weeks.

You’d think I have no business tutoring kids, but seriously, high school Math is very different compared to preschool and grade school Math. It’s way difficult, too. The kids definitely don’t have to worry about derivatives and quadratic functions at their young age.

Damn Calculus.

Reaching for the water bottle on the table, I glance around me. Instead of being inside the cafeteria enjoying my lunch, I’m out in the quad studying for a test later. The library is the most suitable place for studying, I know.

But I like it here. I love sitting under the shade of the tree and feel fresh air on my face. It’s relaxing.

Besides, only a few students come out here during lunch. So I’m still able to focus on what needs to be done without getting distracted by unnecessary noise. Well, Math is clearly the exception—but you get the point.

My only gripe is that I didn’t have the time to grab something from the cafeteria. Good thing Lexi gave me her crackers, since she always has an extra pack. But no doubt I’ll still be starved by the end of last period.

Sighing, I stare at my Calculus book. And stare at it some more.

“Hey. Lexi said I’d find you here.”

I look up to see Adam sitting across the table.

“Of course she—” I blink at the tray of food he slides toward me. “You brought me lunch?”

He shrugs. “I figured you haven’t had time to grab one.”

My stomach growls, as if to respond. “You’re a lifesaver.” Giving him a sheepish smile, I grab the burger and devour it like it came from the best diner in town. He even included soda and chips. Sweet!

But why are there two burgers and two sodas? Even the chips seem to be a double serving. Did he think one meal is not enough for me?

Adam clears his throat to hide an amused smile. “So, Lexi also told me you’re struggling with Calculus.”

I swallow the food in my mouth before answering. “It’s Math.”

He pushes his glasses up his nose. “Then I’m your guy.”

“Aren’t you going to eat lunch?”

“That’s why I bought two burgers.” He winks.

“Right.”

Here I thought he brought them all for me. This is what Math does to me. It makes me dumb.

“Now what do you need help with?”

Am I really doing this? Am I really going to ask for his help on this? I’m supposed to keep a little distance between us. As it is, I’m already in danger of getting sucked back by him.

Oh, who am I kidding? I’m struggling, of course I’ll ask for his help. I have to take what I can get.

“Well, for starters, I need help with this equation.” I point to the said equation in the book.

“And I can help with that. But mind if I sit beside you? You, know, just so I can explain better. But it’s okay if—”

“No, it’s totally fine.” I scoot back on the bench to give him some room.

Adam moves to sit beside me and I’m instantly surrounded by the fresh and clean scent of his cologne, the one I used to love smelling on him. I almost forgot about it. This is the first time I’ve been this close to him since the breakup.

I take a deep breath and his scent fills my nostrils once again. Oh God, this is bad. Real bad. Why did I let him sit with me? Now, I can’t focus on what he’s saying.

What’s the equation I need to find again? Oh right, the quadratic function.

“Since the graph has x intercepts at one and zero and negative two and zero, this is how you write the equation…”

I nod, pretending to be wrapped up in his explanation, when all I can do is stare at his face.

What am I going to do with this boy? He’s doing all these nice things for me, making it hard to remember why it’s a bad idea to take him back. No matter how much I resist, he keeps breaking down my defenses. Worse, I’m starting to feel things again. Things I thought I already buried. Like the past month never happened. And that scares me.

“Everything clear now?” Adam’s voice pulls me from my thoughts.

I smile weakly. “Yeah. Pretty clear.”

I don’t think I’ll be able to get over you. Also, if I flunk the test later, I’m blaming you.

But as it turned out, I didn’t need to blame him for anything. The Calculus teacher graded our papers as soon as we passed them and I ended up getting a—surprise, surprise—B plus. Unbelievable, right? Here I thought Adam was no help. And who knew I could multitask?

I’m still riding the high of my little success when I get off last period, a huge smile plastered on my face, that I almost don’t notice Adam coming toward me.

He’s smiling warmly. “Hey, how did the test go?”

“I passed!” I squeal, launching myself at him for a hug. Then I go ahead and dig myself a bigger hole: I plant a big, fat one on his lips.

I realize my error the moment he freezes and gives me a wide-eyed look.

What have I done? What have I done? What have I done? I silently chant, my cheeks growing hot as I wordlessly take a step back and make a stiff about-face, leaving him frozen to the spot.

I just kissed Adam Hayes. No, I hugged him then I kissed him. Right in front of everyone. Is it too much to wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole?

What the hell was I thinking? You weren’t thinking, you idiot!

So much for him on being the one to break down all my defenses. I just obliterated every last wall I put up and handed it to him on a silver platter. Ugh!

“Oh my God. Did I just... Did you just...” Amanda is gaping at me when I reach her locker, clearly witnessing my dumbest move to date.

She’s not the only one. One quick glance around tells me everyone within eyesight managed to catch that little display. Because of what I did, tongues are wagging once again.

“Shut up and let’s go,” I whisper furiously at Amanda and hook my arm through hers, practically dragging her out of there.

Sneaking a look behind me, I see Adam still standing there with a dazed grin on his face.

The look on his face and the kiss that caused it haunt me the whole drive home. I can’t help it. I can’t get it out of my head. Neither can I stop the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

It was only a brief kiss yet it feels like his lips is still pressed up against mine. Just like old times.

No.

Stop.

What am I doing? I’m supposed to be ashamed of my actions, not daydream about what we used to be. God, I’m such a hopeless case.

Reaching our driveway, I park my car next to Mom’s. But instead of climbing out and heading inside, I grab my Hello Kitty pillow from the backseat and bury my face in it to scream out my frustration.

When I’m finally calm, I slide out from the car and enter the house through the kitchen, making sure I have my poker face on. Mom will see through me otherwise and I can’t have that. She’s already concerned about the whole babysitting Peaches thing.

The sight of her pulling a tray from the oven greets me. She’s baking something. She has her checkered apron on, her platinum blonde hair pulled up in a loose bun.

When Mom wants to take a break from working, she either bakes or gardens the front yard. It helps with the boredom, she always says.

A beat later, I catch a whiff of the delicious aroma, which makes me frown. “Is that apple pecan pie?”

“Hey, honey. You’re home.” Mom smiles as she sets the large tray of pie—a.k.a. the one I scented correctly—on the table.

Placing my bag on an empty chair, I stare at the pie. “Why did you bake apple pecan, Mom?”

“I just feel like baking, honey. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Uh-huh.” I cross my arms.

Mom knows full well my favorite pie is cranberry pie, not apple pecan pie. Apple pecan is Adam’s favorite, which she also knows, since he spent countless afternoons in our kitchen helping himself to it.

“What’s this about, Mom? I thought you hate Adam.”

Mom lets out a surprised laugh. “You know I can never hate that sweet boy.”

I scowl. “What happened to Team Maddy?”

“I’m always Team Maddy. Just call it a “thank you” gift for making my baby smile again.” She winks and starts to slice the pie.

“What are you talking about?”

“Honey, when was the last time you moped in your room and listened to your breakup playlist?”

My eyes bulge in their sockets. “How did you know about that?”

It’s not like I ever played the songs so loud. Did Lexi tell her? I’m going to kill that girl.

Mom shoots me a duh look. “I’m your mother, of course I know about that. Just like I know Adam is walking you home every night.”

I stare at her, stunned. And here I thought I was being sneaky about it.

“We’re not doing anything. He’s just walking me home,” I explain, sounding defensive even to my ears.

If Mom notices, she doesn’t call me out on it. “So I figured the boy has to be doing something good.”

He is. He’s doing so good I ended up kissing him in public. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth to keep from blurting it out.

Not knowing what else to say, I pick up my bag. “I have to get to the Hayes in twenty. I’ll go change now.”

I’m walking out of the kitchen when she calls out, with a teasing lilt to her voice. “Don’t forget to bring the pie to Adam.”

Nine

“When are Mommy and Daddy coming home?” Peaches looks up at me with her big, sad eyes from the foam-filled tub.

She’s having a bubble bath and surrounded by her bath toys, which consist of a mermaid doll, a plastic shark and two rubber ducks.

The little girl loves her bubble baths. And although she already knows how to bathe on her own, I’m sitting on the bench right next to her tub to supervise.

“They’ll be here before the week is over, Peach.”

A pout appears on her adorably cute face. “But that’s far away. I want them here now.”

“No, sweetie. Just two more sleeps,” I explain in a gentle voice.

“I miss them.” She frowns at the mermaid toy she’s been washing with a shower sponge.

The sad look on Peach’s face breaks my heart, making me want to pick her up and hug her. While she talks to Mr. and Mrs. Hayes every day on the phone, it’s not enough. She keeps asking when they will come back. Then she ends up looking disappointed when she hears the answer.

I’m always trying to cheer her up. But unfortunately, I can’t distract her long enough.

I glance at the open door of the bathroom, wondering if Adam is already home. He was out running an errand for Mrs. Hayes when I got here.

If he doesn’t come back in the next hour, I’ll miss his reaction when he sees the pie Mom baked for him.

Because it’s such a big deal for you.

It’s really not. Only because I know Mom will ask if he likes the pie or not. She always does.

Yeah, that’s it. No other reason.

Clearing my head of Adam-related thoughts, I reach for the pink fluffy towel on the rack. “Come on, Peach. Bath time’s over.”

“‘Kay.” She grins up at me then lets out a yawn. Which tells me I made the right call.

Swooping her out of the bathtub, I rub her down with her towel until she’s dry. Then I take her back to her room to change her into her jammies.

Luckily, I didn’t have to work on distracting her any longer. She zonked out not even five minutes after I tucked her into bed. Not surprising, considering we spent the late afternoon into the night playing and goofing around. Peach has worn herself out.

Closing the light, I carefully close her room and make my way down the very quiet hall.

I hate it when the house gets so silent at night. It’s like no one is home. But I know Bianca is already in her room.

What about Adam though?

I get my answer when I hear sounds coming from the kitchen. Should I check if it’s really him?

Chewing on my lip, I glance at the front door which is just a few feet away. Go home, Maddy.

Another moment passes and I jerk out a defeated breath. I’m just going to say goodbye. As a courtesy, I tell myself as I approach the kitchen.

And to say no if he offers to walk me home. I was smart enough to bring my car this time.

Sure enough, Adam is there. And he’s staring at the apple pecan pie on the table with a wistful look on his face.

“Did your mom bake this for me?” He doesn’t even look up when he asks, a hint of sadness in his voice.

“Yes.”

Glancing up, he flashes a faint smile. “Does it mean she doesn’t hate me anymore?”

“She never hated you,” I echo Mom’s words.

“She should,” he mutters so softly I almost miss it.

But I pretend not to hear that. “So, um, I better get going. Peach is already asleep in her room.” I start to turn.

“No.”

I whirl back. “No?”

“I mean,” he pushes his glasses up his nose, looking a little nervous, “eat some pie with me first. You used to do that, remember?”

I give him a wary look. “Is it because of the kiss this afternoon? It didn’t change anything, Adam.”

It’s the truth. I may have kissed him. I may have thought about it nonstop since this afternoon. And I may be having all these conflicted feelings inside me. But there’s one thing I’m sure of: we’re still broken up.

“I know that,” he says softly. “I just don’t want to eat alone. But it’s okay if you don’t want to stick around. I understand.”

The vulnerability in his voice propels my feet to move forward and sit on the empty chair beside him. Just this once.

Giving me a grateful smile, he goes to fetch plates and forks and sets them down on the table. He puts a generous slice of the pie on one plate and slides it toward me.

“Thanks.” I pop a forkful of it into my mouth and almost moan.

Apple pecan may not be my favorite, but I’m not averse to it. Like Adam said, I used to eat it with him. Mom simply bakes the best pies. I can’t resist them no matter the flavor.

“Damn, I missed this. Your mom really knows how to bake.”

I smile. “I’ll make sure to let her know that you loved her pie.”

He just grunts, shoveling a large chunk into his mouth.

I have to stifle a laugh. “So, Bianca said you were out running an errand?”

“Yeah,” he nods. “Mom made me deliver some files to Mrs. Bennett.”

My brows shoot up. “Mrs. Bennett? You mean Carla and Tara’s mom?”

“None other. She’s a realtor now and works for Mom.”

“Did you help her with something? That’s why it took you so long to come back?” I ask in a casual voice, when what I really want to say is, Tell me Carla wasn’t there.

I know for a fact that that girl wants Adam. Heck, she wanted him even before we broke up. I haven’t talked to her since the day she “asked” my permission to go after him. Did she already get started?

“She wasn’t home when I got there so I had to wait for her. Carla was there, though.”

I narrow my eyes. “She was?”

“Yeah. She kept me company.”

“Really?” So she’s already making her move. My fingers clench the fork in a death grip. “How was she?”

“Carla? She—”

“I bet she’d been a good host. All accommodating and stuff.”

“Well—”

I stab hard at my pie. “Was she uber-friendly? Like maybe she’s bordering on being flirty? I definitely wouldn’t put it past her.”

From the corner of my eyes, I see him put his fork down and face me fully.

What? Why is he looking at me like that? There’s nothing wrong with what I asked, right? I’m just curious, that’s all. I don’t mean anything by it.

“Maddy,” he says in that dangerously soft voice.

“Hmm?” I take a bite of my pie, refusing to look at him.

“Are you jealous?”

“No! Of course not!” My voice gets a little high-pitched, sounding a tad too defensive for my liking. I glare at him to cover it up.

But it fails. A smile is already creeping onto his face. “If you say so.”

“It’s the truth!”

“You don’t have to convince me, Maddy,” he chuckles.

I scowl. “You’re being annoying right now.”

He grins. “And you’re being jealous.”

“I told you I’m not.”

“Okay, okay. I believe you.” He raises in hand in surrender, still chuckling. Then he turns serious, his eyes raking over my features tenderly. “God, I miss you.”

I swallow hard, my heart starting to pound harder. “I’m right here.”

“Not in the way I want.”

A strong ache of longing blooms in my chest as I stare back into the sad depths of his eyes.

“I miss you, too,” I admit, unable to help myself, a lone tear trickling down my cheek to my absolute horror.

Groaning, he leans forward and kisses it off.

Then it’s like a dam breaks, and all the hurt and the pain I felt in the past month come crashing over me once again.

Hot tears spill out of my eyes as Adam scrambles to wipe them away with his lips. “Oh God, baby. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he murmurs over and over, his words pained and filled with so much regret. “Please don’t cry. You’re breaking my heart.”

But his words just make me cry harder.

Then, suddenly, his lips are on mine. Kissing me gently, tentatively, as if he’s trying to undo all the hurt he caused. As if he’s pouring all the love and remorse he feels for me into the kiss.

Time stops as I part my lips and kiss him back, my tongue following his lead like it always did. I get lost in the kiss, responding to the way his lips move against mine with everything I have.

And I let my lips reveal every bit of the emotions inside me. To tell him I forgive him. To say that I still love him despite what he did.

We kiss and kiss and kiss, our lips making up for lost time. Like they finally found their way home.

It’s all I can do not to burst into tears once again. I don’t want this moment to end.

“I love you,” he whispers against my lips.

That’s when it hits me. Like a bucket of cold water being dumped over my head, bringing me back to my senses.

What have I done?

Pulling away from Adam, I stand abruptly.

He does the same, still looking dazed from the kiss. “Maddy?”

“I have to go,” I simply say. Then I walk out of the kitchen and out of their house, leaving him stunned for the second time today.

Ten

“Hey, Maddy, where should we put these?”

I look up from the box I just placed on the table to start organizing, and see Chris Coleman and his boyfriend Mark Johnson carrying two large ones.

“We already got them sorted out. All kids’ stuff,” Chris explains.

“Thanks. You can bring them to Sean and Kenzie over there,” I say, pointing to the couple’s table near the bleachers.

We’re at the school gym, organizing the donation boxes, which turned out to be more than sixty. Probably even nearing a hundred.

Serves me right for ignoring Mrs. Mayberry for weeks. Good thing she managed to get the school to agree and let us come here during the weekend and use the gym. It’s not like we can all fit in the storage room.

I’m also thankful Adam came through. True to his promise, he talked Bianca and Dylan into babysitting Peaches and rallied people to help. Aside from Chris, Mark, Sean and Kenzie, there are a few more other people here too. Not to mention my girls Lexi and Amanda.

Unfortunately, Carla and her twin sister Tara also showed up. And they’re currently flanking Adam’s table.

What are they even doing here?

“You know they’re not really here to help, right?” Ashley White, Kenzie’s best friend sidles next to me.

“Oh, I didn’t invite them,” I tell her, already knowing exactly who she means.

“They invited themselves? Figures.”

Adam probably mentioned it in passing when he came over to the Bennetts’ house last night. Carla simply saw an opportunity to make her move.

Annoyance perks up inside me as I give them the stink eye. Then as if to mock me, Adam’s teasing voice flashes in my mind. Are you jealous?

Am I jealous? Yes, I am.

It’s pointless to deny it. The kiss in his kitchen last night just proved that I still have feelings for him. That I never stopped loving him. Not even for a second.

Now, Adam knows it.

But despite that, he hasn’t done anything about it. He hasn’t approached me since he got here with his friends. He just smiled at me from a distance and got down to work. Worse, he didn’t even call me last night after I basically ran out of his house.

Is he trying to give me space? Knowing that I was probably freaking out about the kiss? Because I totally am. And since last night, too.

I don’t even know how I managed to get some sleep. All I did was check my messages every hour.

I mean it wasn’t just a simple kiss. It was a full-blown, lasted for more than a minute one. Not to mention there was crying involved. On my part, at least. Of course I’d obsess about that.

Should I be the one to initiate the talk this time? Did he put the ball in my court without me knowing it? But what am I going to tell him? Gah, I’m going crazy!

“Are you just going to stand here and let that two-faced bitch steal your man?”

Lexi’s voice makes me almost drop the picture frame I’m holding, which I’ve been contemplating whether to include in the useful pile or not, before I got lost in Adamland once again. Who knows who might find it, well, useful?

“He’s not my man.”

She rolls her eyes. “Let’s be real here, Mads. We know it’s just a matter of time. Amanda told me what happened yesterday.”

I sigh. “Of course she did.”

“Um, are you guys talking about the kiss in the hallway?” Ashley interjects.

Lexi’s eyes light up. “Did you see it? How was it?”

“Lexi!”

Did she really have to sound excited? Ugh. I haven’t even told her about the kitchen kiss, which was so much worse than the school hallway peck. She’ll probably hyperventilate then.

“I didn’t,” Ashley says. “Everyone’s pretty much talking about it.”

“Don’t people have anything better to do?” I mutter.

Gleeful laughter erupts from the other side of the gym, interrupting our conversation. Yeah, that side. What are they even laughing about?

I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from sneaking a look. I don’t want them to think I’m spying.

“Look at them. They’re like a pair of man-eaters.” I can hear the disgust lacing Ashley’s tone.

I can’t blame her for that. Over a month ago, Ashley caught her ex-boyfriend, Jason Everly, cheating on her with Tara Bennett. It led to the infamous “Jason has a small dick” scandal. It’s not clear if Ashley and her friends were really behind it. They didn’t admit to anything, after all. But there are still rumors going around school that they were the ones responsible. Regardless if they’re true or not, I say Jason deserved what happened to him.

“All the more reason you can’t let Carla get her claws on Adam,” Lexi presses on.

“I already told her I didn’t care. Besides, what if Adam likes her back?” He didn’t exactly reassure me last night, did he?

“Don’t be silly, Madison,” Ashley laughs, as if I said something ridiculous. “Adam will never go for her. Not when he’s still very much in love with you. It’s so very obvious, everyone can see that. I even heard Principal Mitchell commenting that Adam always has this look like someone kicked his puppy. I think he really regrets breaking up with you.”

“Yeah.” I look down. “He already apologized a thousand times.”

“Please. He didn’t just apologize, he groveled,” Lexi scoffs as she helps me put the items in the useful pile into an empty box, while Ashley goes to get another box that needs organizing.

I arch a brow. “So, what, you’re on his side now?”

She hip-checks me. “You know I’m always on your side. But I think you should give him a second chance. So, yeah, he messed up. But what teenage boy doesn’t? Josh seriously does on a regular basis. I can’t tell you how often he screws up.”

Actually, I’ve been privy to all those screw-ups. Lexi can’t keep a secret when it comes to her boyfriend.

And she isn’t done yet. “And just consider the fact that he put a stop to your persecution even before the truth came out. When he still thought you cheated on him. He could have let you suffer and pay for what you “did.” Instead he defended you. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is. And just look around. He organized this whole thing for you. I really believe Adam is trying so hard to make up for what he did. In my book, that warrants a second chance.”

Is she seriously guilt-tripping me into taking Adam back? I’m already aware of the things he did for me. But what does she want me to do? He isn’t even talking to me right now.

I have to tell her about the kiss. I can’t keep it to myself anymore.

“We kissed,” I blurt out.

“Yeah, I know. Amanda told me, remember?”

I turn to face her fully. “No. We kissed. Not a peck. A real kiss. Last night in their house.”

“Like with tongue?”

“Um, yeah.”

Her eyes widen. “So you’re already back together and keeping it a secret? Mads!” She squeals in delight.

“Don’t get too excited. And keep your voice down,” I shush her. Then in a near-whisper, I tell her, “We’re not back together yet. I kind of walked out on him.”

“Oh.” Lexi blinks. Then demands, “Tell me everything.”

And I do. I start at the part where Adam asked me to join him in the kitchen, then to him teasing me about being jealous of Carla and admitting he missed me. I tell her I admitted I missed him too and that when I started to cry he kissed my tears away.

Lexi makes an “aww” sound and clutches her chest. “Mads, that was so sweet.”

I let out a small smile. “It really was. Then he kissed me—”

“And you kissed him back.”

I nod. “Then he told me he loves me.”

“And that was when you walked away,” she concludes.

I nod again.

“Did he confront you about it?”

“No. I think he’s giving me space.” I look over at Adam again, only to see him alone and staring back at me.

My heart starts to race as his eyes hold mine, memories of last night playing in my head. I can suddenly remember the feel of his lips against mine. His gentle, reverent kisses...

I feel my cheeks heat.

As if knowing the direction of my thoughts, he smiles. Then mouths, Are you okay?

I can’t help but smile back. Yeah. Now that you gave me your attention. Of course I don’t mouth the last part.

Lexi leans in to tease me. “You are so getting back together today.”

“Shut up.” I roll my eyes, but still smiling.

Are we really getting back together? A week ago, I would have said, “hell no.” But now, I’m not sure anymore. A lot of things have happened this week. Old memories came crashing back. Old feelings went back to the surface like they never left at all. I don’t even know how to address them.

I’m spared from obsessing about it even more when Amanda comes rushing to our table. “Uh, Maddy, your club members are here.”

“Who?”

She motions to the entrance with her head.

Sure enough, there they are—Julia, Kara and Will. Did Mrs. Mayberry inform them about what we were going to do today? Or did Adam convince them to come?

Lexi folds her arms. “What are they doing here?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” I watch as the trio approach our table sheepishly.

“Do you want me to kick them out?” Amanda whispers.

“No,” I choke out a laugh. Then put on a serious expression when Julia, Kara and Will finally reach us. “If you’re only here because of Adam—”

“I didn’t invite them.” Adam stands next to me, scowling at the newcomers.

I blink at him. Did he know?

“No. We really came here to help. We thought maybe you could use some extra hands,” Will speaks up.

“And to apologize again,” Julia chimes in quickly, pushing her large framed glasses up her nose.

Kara nods fervently. “We’re really really sorry for—”

“Being shitty friends?” Amanda cuts her off, lifting an eyebrow.

Kara blushes and looks down. “Yeah. We shouldn’t have believed the rumors.”

“We shouldn’t have doubted you,” Will adds. “We’re really, really sorry, Maddy.”

“You’re right. You shouldn’t have.” I watch as they shift on their feet, looking nervous and uncomfortable, probably dreading I’m going to reject their apologies again.

Adam steps closer, as if to guard me from them. Then I feel his hand brush against mine.

A measure of comfort washes over me at that gesture. And it only intensifies when I glance at his and my friends’ faces and see the look of protectiveness there.

These people right here, they’re my tribe. As long as they’re by my side, I know I’ll be fine.

I swallow the lump of emotion clogging my throat. “But that’s all in the past now. And we do need some extra hands. There are still dozens of boxes that need to be sorted out. So if you really want to help—”

“We do!” they eagerly say in unison.

Well, okay then.

“And we brought more help, too,” Julia says.

“Where?” Amanda makes a show of glancing around and looking past their shoulders.

Will lifts up a finger before running back to the gym doors and opening them.

We all watch in wonder as several people trickle in, making a beeline to the unopened boxes in the corner, as if already knowing what to do.

When some walk past our tables, they even nod and smile at me.

I exchange amazed glances with Lexi.

Wow, she mouths.

“This is awesome.” Amanda claps her hands together. “We’ll be finished in no time.”

As she and Lexi go off to oversee the new arrivals, I turn to Adam who’s been quietly watching me. “Thank you.”

He tilts his head. “For what?”

“For organizing this whole thing. For trying to protect me.” I use air quotes on the last words. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

And I mean it. Without his help, I’d probably be floundering right now.

His dimples pop out as he flashes one of his cute smiles. “You’re giving me too much credit. We both know they all came here because of you. They wanted to make up for being assholes.” His smile fades, his eyes showing shame and remorse. “Especially me.”

I reach out and take his hand, relishing how natural it feels against mine. “You may be a lot of things, Adam Hayes. But you’re not an asshole. Didn’t you land yourself in detention for defending my honor even when you believed I cheated on you? And didn’t you come rushing to my side just now when you thought I needed protection?”

His gaze becomes intense. “Together or not, I’ll always come to your side.”

Ugh. Is it any wonder why I’m still in love with this guy?

Eleven

We finished sorting all the boxes faster than expected, thanks to the arrival of Julia, Kara and Will, and the people they brought along with them. Now the boxes are all ready for pick-up on Monday.

Mrs. Mayberry was happy when I called for an update, although I could hear the relief in her voice. I bet she’d been nervous we wouldn’t make it on time.

Heck, I’ve been nervous.

It’s still early so I have a few hours left to rest before I go over to Adam’s house. I’m fairly certain Bianca and Dylan are already bored out of their minds right now and can’t wait to get on with their weekend plans. They’ll probably get out of there the moment Adam walks through the front door.

I thank everyone as we filter out of the school, overwhelmed with gratitude for all the help and support. I couldn’t have finished on time without these many people. Whether they came because of Adam or because they simply wanted to lend a hand, they helped get all the work done. And that’s what matters.

Julia, Kara and Will almost burst into tears when I hug each of them, genuine remorse shining in their eyes. And I know right then that I no longer resent them. Besides, I managed to forgive Adam, didn’t I? So why can’t I do the same to them? Although I know building back the trust in our friendship will take time.

Carla and Tara bailed even before we finished. I guess they decided it wasn’t worth it when Adam kept rejecting Carla’s advances. I can’t say I wasn’t pleased.

“Thanks, girls. I’m really glad you came,” I tell Lexi and Amanda, the three of us walking arm in arm in the parking lot toward Lexi’s car. She’s our designated driver since Amanda and I didn’t bring our own cars.

Amanda squeezes my arm. “You needed help. Of course we’d come.”

“What she said,” Lexi sing-songs. “God, I’m so tired. I can hear my bed calling.”

“Tell me about it,” Amanda yawns. Then glances over her shoulder. “Uh-oh. Here comes McDreamy.”

“McDreamy?” Frowning, I pull away from them and turn around to see Adam jogging toward us. I give Amanda a dry look. “Seriously? McDreamy?”

She shrugs. “I did a Grey’s Anatomy marathon last night.”

Before I can respond to that, Adam reaches us. “Hey. I was hoping I could catch you.”

I blink. “Did you forget something?”

“Nothing. It’s just that,” He runs his fingers through his short hair, messing it up a bit. Is he nervous? “I don’t see your car anywhere. So I’m thinking, maybe, I can give you a ride?”

“She’d love to,” Lexi answers for me, giving me a little shove toward him.

“What are you doing?” I whisper harshly.

“You have to put that boy out of his misery. It’s time.”

Adam clears his throat, obviously hearing my best friend’s words clearly.

God, this is so mortifying.

“Adam, you’re a lifesaver. See, Mads is pretty beat. She needs to rest.” Amanda even gives me a pitying look to be more convincing. “But Lexi and I are planning to hit the mall. And, well, her house is out of the way. So we’re really glad you’re taking her home.” She smiles at him sweetly.

Oh, she’s good. And Lexi, too. Gone were the looks of exhaustion on their faces. Now, they appear to be full of energy. Like they’re really heading to the mall instead of going straight home.

I can’t believe they’re conspiring against me. No, they’re pimping me out. Which is way worse. And did they really have to be so obvious about it?

“I hate you both,” I mutter under my breath.

“No, you don’t. You love us.” Lexi squeezes my arm. “Now, make sure to call tomorrow. I want all the details!” Then looking dead serious, she turns to Adam. “This is the only chance I’m going to give you, Hayes. Hurt my bestie again and I’m going to introduce you to a world of pain. So bad you’ll be screaming for weeks.” She pointedly stares down there, then back up to his face. “Understand?”

Adam nods, swallowing a little. “Duly noted.”

“Good.” Lexi smiles like she didn’t just threaten his manhood. Then she and Amanda give me a hug before skipping away.

I watch as the two of them get into her car and drive off.

Then it’s just me and Adam.

“I don’t remember Lexi being so scary.” There’s amusement with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“She’s just really protective.”

He chuckles. “I can see that.”

“So, um, should we go?” I glance around the suddenly very empty parking lot, save for Adam’s car.

Works for me. I prefer no spectators, anyway.

We walk over to his car parked a few spots away, and Adam goes to the passenger side and pulls open the door for me. He waits for me to get inside before shutting the door and rounding to the driver side.

I stare at the interior of his car. Nothing’s changed. It still looks and smells the same as the last time I was in here. A book on the dashboard. A pack of gum in the console. The cool blast of air-freshener.

Adam smiles at me before starting the car and pulling out of the parking lot. He used to always do that, too.

Sitting here in his car feels like I’m being thrust back in time. But unlike before, this one doesn’t bring me immeasurable pain. There’s still a hint of sadness sure, but not as overwhelming as it once was. More importantly, there’s no bitterness anymore.

Guess I’ve officially put all the ugly in the past.

We’re quiet the whole ride home, both of us lost in our own thoughts. But the silence isn’t stifling or uncomfortable. It’s companionable. Just like old times.

A few minutes later and Adam is pulling up into my driveway. Instead of climbing out, I wait for him to kill the engine.

“So.”

“So.”

I stare at my lap. “Lexi told me it’s time to put you out of your misery.”

“I heard,” he says quietly.

“You really hurt me, Adam.”

“I know.”

“And I still need answers. You never gave me that.”

“What do you want to know?”

“When you believed those pictures instead of me, you really, really broke my heart.” He hangs his head, but I soldier on. I’m getting those answers. “Why didn’t you trust me? At the very least, why didn’t you let me explain my side? You know I never doubted you whenever some girl flirts with you. I trusted you. So why?”

“Because…”

“Because what?” I snap.

“Because I was jealous, okay?” He peels his gaze from me and stares straight ahead. “I’ve been so goddamn jealous. I see all those boys talking and laughing with you all the time, and I couldn’t help but feel jealous.”

“Are you saying I was a flirt?” I glare. Unbelievable.

“What? No. No!” He looks a little panicked. “Jesus, Maddy. I would never call you that.”

“Didn’t it occur to you that I was just being nice to those boys? That those laughing and talking were nothing but friendly conversations on my part? I mean what did you want me to do? Snub every boy who talks to me except you?”

“I know that! Of course not!”

“Then how could you put malice on it?” We’re both shouting now, and I can feel the tears pricking at the back of my eyes.

“I don’t know. Maybe because I wasn’t thinking straight when I saw those pictures. Maybe because deep down I was afraid I’d lose you to one of those guys. But mostly likely because I was a damn bastard.”

“I don’t know how you could think that way. I didn’t care about any of those guys. I never once looked at them the way I looked at you. You were the only guy for me.” I shake my head, two droplets of tears falling from my eyes. “Funny thing was I’ve also witnessed a lot of girls flirt with you. And I’ve been jealous. But you know what’s the difference between you and me? I never let it get to me and cloud my judgement. Because I trusted you. And if the situation had been reversed, I would have given you the chance to explain yourself. Because you deserve that. And you know what? I deserve that, too. Too bad you didn’t give me that courtesy.” Wiping my cheeks, I reach for the handle and push the car door open.

But then Adam grabs my arm to stop me. “No, wait. Don’t go. We’re not done talking yet.”

I stare at his hand on my arm. Then at his face.

“Please.” His eyes are wild, desperate.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” Pulling my arm from his grip, I quietly climb out of his car.

I think, this time, I’m the one who broke his heart.

Twelve

I’m lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, listening to Louis Tomlinson croon about missing someone.

No, the song is not a part of my breakup playlist. The playlist isn’t even the one playing right now. Just some random top hits list I stumbled across when I browsed through Spotify.

Because I’m not moping. I’m not even feeling miserable. Honestly, I don’t even know what to feel right now. Numb, maybe?

The crushed look on Adam’s face is the only thing playing in my head like a loop. I was supposed to put him out of his misery. That’s what Lexi said, anyway. But all I did was bury him deeper.

I didn’t even know that there’s still lingering resentment inside me until we talked. Well, tried to. I ran away before he could fully explain himself.

But I couldn’t help it. My emotions got the better of me. They always do whenever things get intense between me and him.

Should I be the one to reach out? Should I apologize for walking out on him earlier? What will I even tell him?

That I want him back but I don’t know how to get past all the hurt he caused me? That I’m afraid to trust him again and have my heart broken the second time around?

Because that’s exactly what I’m afraid of. That Adam will hurt me again if I give him another chance. I don’t think I’ll be able to live with myself if that happens.

Now I can’t help wondering if he’s mad at me. If he’s going to try to talk to me again or give up altogether and decide that I’m not worth the trouble, after all.

That stings. But what can I do? It’s not like I can force myself to be okay with everything when I’m still not. I feel like I need more from him. Maybe an assurance? To prove that he won’t hurt me again? Gah, I don’t know!

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I sit up and reach for my phone. No texts. No calls.

And, oh look, I’m already late to babysitting Peaches. I don’t know yet how I’ll face Adam but I’m not going to bail on my responsibility.

Thump!

“Guys!”

“Oh my God, you’re screwing things up already!”

“Everyone shut it or she’ll hear us before we even get started.”

What the hell? Is there something going on outside?

Getting out of my bed, I walk over to the window to inspect. Only to let out a gasp at the sight before me.

There, on our front yard, are Adam, Sean and Brandt. Sean and Brandt are strapping on guitars while Adam is holding a mic.

“What are you guys doing?” I call out to them.

Adam just grins up at me.

Sean and Brandt give me head nods.

And it’s not just the three of them. Off to the side are Lexi and Kenzie. Lexi is holding up her phone—is she recording the whole thing? And Kenzie has a light stand next to her, with the light directed on the boys. It’s not even that dark yet.

Both of them wave cheerfully at me, with Lexi being careful not to move her phone.

Faintly, I wave back.

Seriously, what are they up to? My question is answered when Sean and Brandt start to strum on their guitars. I didn’t even know they can play.

Wait. Is that a phone hooked up to a speaker behind Sean?

But before I can look further, Adam already starts to belt out the lyrics of Too Good To Say Goodbye by Bruno Mars.

Oh, God. He’s serenading me!

And he’s totally butchering the lyrics to one of my favorite songs.

See, here’s the thing. Adam Hayes is no singer. Frankly, he can’t hit a note to save his life. Bianca is the musically talented in the family, not him. Which is only proven true when he reaches a high note and his voice cracks.

Any other time I know he’d be embarrassed about it. I know for a fact he won’t be caught dead singing in public. But not right now. There’s not a hint of embarrassment on his face. Only hope and firm determination as he stares up at me and continues to mess up the lyrics.

He’s doing this for me. My heart starts to beat fast as I remain frozen by the window, not knowing what to do.

Should I head outside and let him in? Or should I tell him to stop?

A hand suddenly rests on my shoulder, making me jump. “As much as I find the whole thing romantic, I think you’ll do the neighborhood a favor by telling the boys to keep it down.”

I whirl around. “Mom, he’s serenading me!”

“I know, honey.” She smiles, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I give her a helpless look. “What am I going to do?”

Surely, she has some wisdom to offer. Because I’m struggling here. Maybe she can help me come up with a decision. She’s done it a million times. Moms know best, right?

“Well, what is your heart telling you to do?”

“To take him back,” I say honestly. Then swallow hard. “But what if he hurts me again?”

“Then ask yourself if he’s worth the risk.”

He is! He so is! My mind shouts not even a second later, propelling me to move.

Without answering my mom, I dash out of the room—barely hearing her “go get him, honey”—and fly down the stairs.

But instead of throwing myself straight into his arms, I stop a few feet away, letting my eyes take it all in while reining in a goofy smile threatening to spread across my face.

Seeing me, Adam lowers the mic and finally stops singing.

Thank God.

“Seriously? Of all the stunts to pull?” My voice is calm, hiding the fact that my heart is practically racing a mile a minute.

“I don’t know what else to do. I thought you’d appreciate the grand gesture,” he says sheepishly.

God, this boy.

“I did,” I admit. Then glance around us. “But I don’t think the neighbors feels the same.”

As if to prove my point, Mrs. Perkins, our sixty-something next door neighbor, is glaring daggers at us from her front porch. Then the door from the house across the street slams hard as Mr. Robinson storms back inside.

“Sorry,” Adam calls out apologetically at Mrs. Perkins.

The old woman just makes a “hmp” sound before going back inside her house.

Adam winces. “So much for the perfect grand gesture.”

I stifle a smile. “You know how cliché this is, right?”

Brandt groans, then glares at Sean. “You said girls love this.”

Sean shrugs. “Well, my girl does.”

“No, I don’t,” Kenzie chirps from the side.

Sean shoots her a smirk. “Don’t worry, babe. I still love you, cheesiness and all.”

“Uh, guys,” Adam interjects, “we’re having a moment here.”

“Right. Sorry.”

I clear my throat to bite back a laugh.

Adam gives me an apologetic look. “I know it’s not original. But like I said, I don’t know what else to do. I wanted—no, needed—to show you how sorry I am. But it seems like all I ever did was screw up.”

“We should probably give them some privacy.”

“Why? This is fun.”

Right. Four pairs of eyes are still staring intently at us, listening to every word.

“Everyone, shush! I’m not getting their words clearly.”

Wait. Is Lexi still recording?

“It better not be live on Facebook,” I warn.

My so-called bestie smiles sweetly at me. “Too late.”

“You’re dead to me.”

“Love you, too.” She blows me a kiss then raises her phone even more. “Now, kiss him already.”

That’s it.

“Can you guys give us a moment please?” I practically growl.

They all grumble out their protests, obviously wanting to continue eavesdropping. But thankfully, they listen. Taking all the “props” with them, they move toward the two cars parked across the street.

“Thanks for the help, guys!” Adam calls out after them.

Brandt and Sean, who has his arm wrapped around Kenzie’s waist, wave a hand but don’t look back.

“Don’t screw it up again!” Lexi calls back.

“I really hope so,” Adam mutters under his breath.

I clear my throat, suddenly feeling shy that it’s just the two of us. Although our friends didn’t go too far, just out of earshot, but they still can see us. “I didn’t know Sean and Brandt could play guitar.”

Adam rubs the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “They don’t. I asked Bianca to ask Nick Wilson to come over to our house to play guitar and record it for us”

That makes me laugh. “I knew it.”

“We were kind of pressed for time. I had no choice.”

Something clicks in my brain when he mentions “time.” “Oh my God, Peaches. I totally forgot.”

“Don’t worry about it. Bianca’s at home.”

“But she already stayed home the whole day. She probably hates us both now.”

“I don’t think so,” he chuckles. “She practically shoved me out of the house and demanded that I go get my girl.”

My girl. Why does he have to say that? Now I’m feeling butterflies in my stomach on top of my racing heart.

"You silly boy,” I whisper and to my horror, tears prick my eyes and fall down my cheeks.

“Oh, baby.” He reaches out and pulls me to him, putting his arms around me.

“I so hate you right now for making me cry in front of them,” I sniffle against his chest, making it rumble with laughter. “Not funny.”

Gently, Adam tips my chin up and wipes at the tears on my cheek. “Not as much as I hate myself for always making you cry.” Sadness and regret fill his eyes.

“Adam, I’m scared,” I admit, swallowing hard. “I’m scared that you’ll hurt me again.”

“Me, too.”

That makes me frown. “What?”

“I’m scared that I’ll hurt you again and lose you permanently.”

Narrowing my eyes, I pull away from him. “Isn’t that a little presumptuous? You haven’t even won me over yet.” Liar.

“Uh-huh,” he hums, a knowing smirk curving his lips, as if to see through me.

I swat at his chest. “Since when did you get so cocky?”

A lopsided grin tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I think Sean has rubbed off on me.”

“Then you need to find better friends. Probably someone who genuinely knows how to play guitar.”

It sends him laughing once again, his head thrown back.

I stare at him, mesmerized at the happiness shining in his face, realizing that look has been missing since our breakup. And I know that look is currently mirrored in mine.

I don’t want to lose it again.

When his laughter tapers down, Adam turns serious. “I promise I won’t cause you pain again.”

I shake my head. “Don’t make any promises. You can’t guarantee the future.” He’s about to respond, but I put a finger against his lips. “Maybe you’ll break my heart again. Or maybe I will break yours. We can’t know for sure. We’ll just have to make the most out of the present.”

He kisses my finger before I take it away. “I’m cool with that.”

“And if we want this to work, we need to put our faith in each other. We can’t jump into conclusions without knowing the facts. If there’s an issue, we’ll talk it out.” I give him a pointed look. “I mean it.”

He nods somberly. “No more jumping into the wrong conclusions. If I’m feeling any doubts, I’ll seek you out first and not listen to the rumors. I don’t think I can survive another month without you. It’s been a complete torture,” he says in a soft voice, resting his forehead against mine.

“Good.”

“No. Not good,” he pouts.

I pinch his nose. “You big baby.”

“But you love me, anyway.”

A wide smile spreads across my face, my cheeks almost hurting. “Yeah, I do. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

A chorus of “awwws” hit our ears, and that’s when we notice that our friends have moved closely, listening in to the conversation. Thankfully, Lexi is no longer recording.

When I look up to my room, I see Mom watching us from my window, a happy smile on her face.

I smile at her and mouth, Thank you.

You’re welcome, she mouths back before moving away from the window.

Biting my lip, I turn back to Adam, who’s just lovingly staring at me the whole time. “I think this is the part where you should kiss me since, you know, the making-up part is—”

He doesn’t even let me finish. His head dips, silencing me with a kiss, just as our friends cheer on us.

Totally cliché, right?

But, really, who cares?

Pushing up on my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around my boyfriend’s neck and kiss him back.

The End

Thank you for reading! Did you like this book? Please don’t forget to leave a review. It’s never demanded, but always appreciated. If you want to get the latest updates on the Bayfield High gang and upcoming releases, you can like my Facebook page and join my mailing list.

Turn the page for a sneak peak of Perfectly Clueless, the third book in the Bayfield High series.

Sneak Peak: Perfectly Clueless

“McCafferty, where are you?” I growl, kicking at the stray rocks on the ground, shivering as the cold seeps through my jacket.

Fifteen minutes. That’s how long I’ve been sitting on my porch steps, braving the chilly night air while impatiently waiting for Dylan to arrive. He’s supposed to be here already. Hell, we should be on our way to the party by now. It’s an open field party and our friends, Nick Wilson and Sloan Collins, are already there waiting for us.

If I knew he was going to keep me waiting, I would have hitched a ride with Nick or asked my twin brother to drive me there.

Only Adam isn’t home. He’s at his girlfriend Madison Cooper’s house right now. Ever since the two of them got back together they haven’t spent a single time apart. Like they’re attached to the hip or something.

Blowing out an annoyed breath, I stare ahead. Still no sign of Dylan’s red pickup truck.

Seriously, where is that boy?

The front door suddenly opens, making me look over my shoulder to see who stepped outside.

It’s Dad. He’s wearing a robe over his pajamas, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. “Going somewhere, princess?”

Princess is Dad’s term of endearment for me, sport for Adam, and pumpkin for my little sister Peach. Whenever I complain about him calling me princess—because it seriously makes me feel like I’m five—he only smiles and tells me I’ll always be his princess no matter the age.

Corny, ugh. But also kinda sweet.

“Yes, Dad. I’m waiting for Dylan to pick me up. We’re going to meet a friend.”

He narrows his eyes. “Is that a code for party?”

Damn. The man knows me so well.

I flash him a sheepish smile. “I won’t stay up late. I promise.”

He shakes his head, fighting back a smile, then frowns when he stares out into the empty street. “You really need to have your own car.”

I bite back a groan. My dad has been itching to buy me a car ever since I got my license, but I say no every time. Because I find it completely unnecessary. All three of them—Mom, Dad and Adam—have cars that I can borrow whenever I need one, anyway. And that need rarely arises.

For one, Adam and I go to the same school so I can easily catch a ride with him if I want. Then there’s Dylan whose front passenger seat is always reserved for me. He’s my ride most days. And he’s usually never late.

Admonishing me to return before midnight, Dad goes back inside, leaving me alone in the porch again.

Come on, D. I’m already freezing here! I fire up the text, hoping it will make Dylan turn up in the next second.

Sorry, B. Look up.

I comply and sure enough, headlights assault my eyes. Finally. Pocketing my phone, I wait for him to pull over before I approach. “Did you really have to make me wait that long?”

I make sure to keep my expression stern, ignoring the familiar sucker-punch effect of his dark intense eyes and sheepish smile on me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, B. I had to pick up Kristen first.”

Kristen who?

That’s when I see her. The girl sitting in the front passenger seat—my seat—beside Dylan.

“Hi, Bianca.” A shy smile grazes her lips as she lifts a hand to wave at me.

“Hey,” I blink and wordlessly climb into the backseat of the truck. Then stare hard at the back of her head.

I know this girl. She’s Kristen Stevenson, a senior like us. But what the ever-loving hell is she doing in Dylan’s truck? And in my seat? Why did he even pick her up?

It’s not like they run in the same circle. Kristen belongs to the popular crowd, although she’s not as popular as say, Madison or that backstabbing bitch Erin Taylor. But she’s one of them and she doesn’t socialize with other kids beneath her status.

Not that my friends and I are school outcasts. But we’re not exactly popular either. At best, we have notorious reputations. Dylan and Nick are known for being the resident “bad boys” while Sloan, in his desperate attempts to be like them, has earned the moniker “Sleazy Sloan.” Although I don’t think girls find him that repulsive. Not every girl, at least.

Me? I’m the “rocker chick” or the “goth bitch.” And, oh, “Adam’s emo twin.” Depends who you’re asking, really.

All because I decided to dye my blonde hair into dark brown, wear dark contacts to cover my baby blue eyes, and dress myself in dark clothes. Like right now, I’m rocking a black Nirvana shirt under my blazer and ripped blue jeans, paired with my favorite ankle boots.

People and their stupid stereotypes.

It’s not like I wear eyeliner or mascara. Or going around killing puppies and plotting mass murder.

Please. I scream like a little girl just at the sight of a flying cockroach. I mean, have you seen that thing up close? Nasty.

And newsflash: I’m not that different than the average teenage girls. I don’t do a lot of girly stuff anymore, but I’m just as obsessed with chick flicks and rom coms, fangirling over Ryan Reynolds even before he became Deadpool. I even took that stupid “Who’s your Hollywood Celebrity boyfriend?” quiz one time, hoping it would give me him.

I got Ryan Gosling. Close enough.

Girly giggles penetrate my wandering thoughts and I clear my head just enough to see Kristen kissing Dylan’s cheek.

My stomach churns. They’re hooking up. Of course. Why did I even think that he’s merely giving her a ride? How dumb.

Still, it begs the question: What’s a goody-goody girl like Kristen doing with Dylan?

What, is she suddenly tired of messing around with a fellow square and now looking to slum with a drape?

Well, spoiler alert. Dylan doesn’t own a motorcycle and he has a terrible singing voice. Plus he can’t shed a single tear.

I should know.

He tried.

The only similarity he has with Cry-Baby is that he sports black hair—not slicked back—and wears a jacket—not even leather. That’s it.

Besides, Kristen doesn’t do casual hookups. She’s a relationship kind of girl. And I know the type of guys she dates—jocks and preppy guys. Two weeks ago, I saw her making out with a guy from the baseball team in front of her locker. And a month before that, she was dating a soccer player.

Should I warn her? Because it’s not going to last long. I’ll give it a day or two before Dylan is done with her. She’ll be yesterday’s news then. That’s what always happens. Different day, different girl.

As for me, I’ll just try to ignore the pain of seeing him with another girl. I’m used to it.

Kristen glances at me over her shoulder. “Um, aren’t we going to tell her?”

I give her a blank stare. “Tell me what?”

“Dylan and I”—She slants Dylan a shy smile, biting her lip as if that shit is sexy. It’s not. She actually looks a little constipated—“We’re together now.”

“You mean you’re hooking up?” I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I can see that clearly. You don’t have to spell it out, Kristen.” Did she feel the need to rub it in my face?

My snide comment makes her cheeks flush. It’s clear I’ve annoyed her. Good. Because the feeling is mutual.

She huffs out a breath. “No, Bianca. Dylan and I are not hooking up. We’re together.”

I just blink at her, like she’s speaking a foreign language.

“As in I’m his girlfriend?”

She’s Dylan’s girlfriend? Well, guess what, the earth is flat. Nice try.

If there’s one thing everybody knows about Dylan is that he doesn’t do girlfriends. He hooks up with a lot of girls, yes. But be an actual boyfriend? No way in hell. Dude is totally allergic to commitment. It’s literally one of his life rules: “Thou shall not commit to anyone.”

And now this chick is telling me she’s his girlfriend? She has to be out of her damn mind if she thinks I’d believe that for a second.

“Yeah, right,” I snort. “Keep dreaming.”

But Dylan shatters that with his next words. “Kristen’s telling the truth, B. We’re not just hooking up. She’s my girlfriend.” He punctuates that declaration by giving Kristen a quick kiss on the lips.

What? My mouth falls open, deafening silence ringing through my ears.

Dylan, the boy who’s never been a fan of dating and committed relationships, has a girlfriend.

Dylan, my best friend who has absolutely no idea that I’m completely, madly head-over-boots in love with him, is now someone else’s boyfriend.

Until now I’ve never known how it feels to have my heart ripped out of my chest and broken in pieces. I thought it was just a dramatic metaphor people use freely. Boy, was I wrong.

Swallowing the sudden bile in my throat, I force out a smile. “Cool.”

But inside? I’m dying.

Now available!!!

About the Author

Madeleine Labitan lives and breathes for three things: books, coffee and Netflix. Deny her of one and you'll make an enemy for life.

A freelance writer and virtual assistant, she pretends to be a dedicated hard worker most days, while secretly preferring to instead spend hours falling in lust with hot book boyfriends and hating on their heroines (lucky bitches!).

She's been writing most of her life, and after nearly a decade of procrastinating, finally decided to try her luck on being an author.

Truth or Dare is her first foray into publishing world and hopefully not the last...

And, oh, she’s in social media. Not that active, but she tries:

Facebook: Madeleine Labitan

Twitter: @myinkonpaper

Instagram: myinkonpaper

Blog: Madeleine’s Books

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Bayfield High Series

Truth or Dare

Kiss and Make Up

Perfectly Clueless (coming soon)

Truth or Dare

Book 1 in the Bayfield High series

What's a girl to do when she's forced to spend time with her childhood nemesis?

There are only three things Mackenzie Brown looks forward to on a Friday night: cheesy rom coms, mani pedi and a quiet sleepover with her friends.

Crashing a party and getting payback on her best friend's cheating ex-boyfriend are definitely NOT part of the plan. Especially the possibility of getting caught!

But worst of all? Getting dared into taking a dip in freezing lake water with the cocky Sean Murphy.

Can’t she catch a break?

But when truths are revealed and secrets come out, Mackenzie starts to realize that maybe, just maybe, missing out on a quiet sleepover isn't so bad after all…

Now available!!!