His eyes narrowed. “What did she say?”
“Why she’s pissed at me.” I flipped the book to the first chapter I needed to review. “She and Maria didn’t know I was in there.” Usually, I’d defend Sharon. I’d felt bad for her.
Kind of didn’t anymore.
“She didn’t do my car, or at least, that was what she said to Maria. Wish she’d done it because apparently, me seeing it was hilarious to her, and she’s not even as mad that Ian asked me to Homecoming. She’s pissed I came back after finally going away.”
“Yeah well, fuck her.” Vehemence punched up the last word.
“I’ll pass.”
He gawked for a moment, then a grin split his face as he laughed. “There she is—there’s my baby girl.”
I pressed a finger to his lips and shook my head. “Not at school, remember?”
Snorting, he stood and dragged his desk closer so he could sit next to me. “Yeah, yeah. I even know why for the rule, just not a fan, especially when you’re hurting.”
“I’m mad.”
“What else did she say?”
I filled him in on the rest, including the mysterious whatever Maria might say to him that would change his mind. A part of me was testing him. I recognized it. I trusted Jake.
“I have no idea what she’s talking about,” he said. “And before you ask, no it has nothing to do with the news I don’t want to jinx yet.”
“Sorry,” I said with a wince. “Trying to not ask is actually harder than you might think.”
“Considering I’m sitting here not opening that letter because I want to know what it is, I totally get it.” He put his hand over mine. “I mean it, Frankie. I don’t know what they were talking about. More, I don’t care. I’m right where I want to be. So, maybe they did get one thing right. I’m the ass that probably wouldn’t have tried the dating thing with her if you’d still been there. But I was… I was pissed off that you just blew all of us off. Then wondering why I was still so hung up on someone who didn’t see me.”
That wasn’t unfair.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I really didn’t know.”
“We know,” he said. “And we were not exactly the best about showing it either. But we’re here now, we’re making it work.”
We were.
“And Sharon hates my guts.”
“Not defending her anymore?”
I touched my tongue to my upper lip before I shook my head. “No.”
Then because he kept glancing at it, I slit the letter open.
Not even surewhere to begin this note. The last few days have been terrible for you. I did leave a note on the car yesterday, but I don’t think anything in it can be used against you. If someone does, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.
I’d liketo try and meet you again if you’re up for it. I know last Saturday was bad, and this week hasn’t improved much. If you want to, just wear a red shirt tomorrow. Cheesy, I know, but I think you could use a friend, and I’d like to be that friend.
“He wants to be your friend,”Jake said slowly, the words grinding out between his teeth.
“So it seems… and in the interests of being honest, I’d had half an idea to write my own note and leave it on the car for him. To see if we could take a step back from these anonymous missives and meet.”
“You did?” Wariness crept into his expression.
“I was going to, but I didn’t, and I’m kind of glad I didn’t since that would have been yesterday with my car.” In all of it… “I forgot to tell you about Laura.” I put the note down. Maybe I should tell Coop first.
“What about Laura?”