Suddenly everything clicked into place. Of course.
Emma grabbed Ethan’s hand. “This is a prank. We’re the prank. Sutton’s friends are messing with us.” Confusion settled across Ethan’s fingers. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Ethan’s shoulders dropped with relief. He stepped closer to Emma and slipped his hands along Emma’s dress onto the smooth skin of her back. He pulled her close. “Well, then this is the best prank ever. I wouldn’t mind spending all night locked up alone with you in here.” Emma felt her nerves spike for an entirely new reason.
Her body was so close to Ethan’s she wondered if he could feel her heart beating through the thin silk of her dress. She looked up into Ethan’s face just as he tilted his chin to kiss her. She felt herself come alive as his lips met hers. She wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck and returned his kiss, wishing the moment never had to end.
The door flew open with a creak and a swell of cool night air pushed against Emma’s back. Madeline stomped into the house, flanked by Charlotte, Laurel, and the Twitter Twins, who were dressed in head-to-toe black and snapping pictures rapid-fire on their iPhones.
“Gotcha!” Madeline cried.
Charlotte clapped her hands together and the Twitter Twins let out excited squeals. “You were so scared!” Gabby cried.
“I was not,” Emma said quickly.
“Were too.” Laurel smirked. “Your new guy didn’t make you feel safe?” Her eyes flickered to Ethan.
“At least this explains why you didn’t want to pull a prank on him,” Madeline said, shaking her head. “Are you going to introduce us, Sutton?”
Emma looked at Sutton’s friends. They didn’t look particularly annoyed or disgusted that they’d just caught her kissing Ethan—just left out of the loop. She grabbed Ethan’s hand. “This is Ethan Landry. My… boyfriend. ” Her voice rose at the end, a tiny question mark. She glanced at Ethan to make sure this title was okay. Ethan nodded as a slow grin spread across his face.
“So, are you two, like, in love?” Lili asked. Her raccoon-ish eyeliner was even more dramatic than usual, making the whites of her eyes glow bright. Gabby made kissing noises with her pouty lips and Laurel and Charlotte giggled.
Emma laughed despite herself. “How long have you guys been planning this?” she asked.
“Ever since Laurel explained a few days ago why you weren’t totally up for the Ethan prank.” Charlotte curled a red tendril around her finger. “We’ve been teasing you all week. As soon as you left dinner, we flew into action. Lili and Gabby stood at the base of the road to make sure no one got here early. We wanted you to get here when the house was empty—and super-scary.”
“And we disconnected Ethan’s car cables so you’d have to give him a ride,” Lili said proudly.
“You did what?” Ethan gaped.
Gabby waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. You just need to reconnect the cables. I saw a YouTube video on it.”
Ethan shook his head but laughed.
“So the real party is still here?” Emma asked.
“Yep!” Laurel chirped. She pointed to two plastic bags hidden in the corner of the dining room Emma hadn’t noticed before. And then, as if on cue, the door swung open, and a bunch of kids spilled inside. The entire boys’
baseball team. Nisha and her tennis cronies. A bunch of kids who always said hello to Emma in the halls, and a lot of people Emma didn’t recognize. Last but not least, Garrett stepped through the door, carrying a massive keg.
When he set eyes on Ethan and Emma, who were still holding hands, his expression soured.
“Hi, Garrett,” Emma tried, knowing just how futile her attempt at friendliness was.
Garrett’s muscled arms tensed as he adjusted his grip on the keg. “So now you’re with Ethan?” he growled.
“I am,” Emma answered proudly, ignoring Garrett’s hateful gaze. She wasn’t going to let anything bother her tonight. Things suddenly felt perfect.
A techno song suddenly blared over a portable stereo someone had brought. Plastic cups were passed around, and drinks were poured. “Whoooo!” Charlotte cried, waving her hands over her head to dance. Emma pulled Ethan into the circle and started to dance, too.
The party had begun.
27
ONE FLEW THE COOP
The mansion filled to capacity in no time. Warm bodies mingled and flirted, red plastic cups in hand. Emma snaked through the crowd with Ethan on her arm, feeling happier than she had in ages.
“I’m going to get a beer,” Ethan said, glancing at his phone before shoving it into his pocket. “Want one?” Emma shot him a smile. “I still have to drive us home, remember? Unless you want to camp out tonight in the middle of nowhere …” She gestured outside to the rocky cliffs surrounding the mansion.
Ethan grinned and leaned forward. His lips brushed her cheek as he whispered, “What exactly are you suggesting?”
Her cheeks flushed at what she’d implied—a sleepover with Ethan. “Some of us have a curfew,” she whispered.
“Too bad,” Ethan whispered back. His lips touched hers. A bunch of kids whistled. Emma sensed a flash of a phone camera. That Sutton Mercer was dating Ethan Landry was a huge deal. But no one was laughing at them
—instead everyone was staring at Ethan, like they’d suddenly realized just how cute he was.
As a bunch of boys did shots in the corner and a crowd of kids danced to vintage Michael Jackson on the makeshift dance floor, Emma felt Sutton’s clutch vibrate.