“He’s going…” Crap. “Do you know where he planned to do it?”
“By the library, I think. He knows she hangs out there a lot. She is such a loser. Anyway, I didn’t find you so we could talk about—”
“I gotta go.” I shoved past her and started jogging toward the library.
Harleigh couldn’t go out with Peter Fairn. He was too… too tall, and boring, and he… he smelled funny.
She deserved someone far better than Peter Fairn.
By the time I reached the library, my heart was crashing against my chest. But it instantly calmed down when I spotted her.
“Wren—” I swallowed my words, watching as Peter appeared, smiling at her. He got closer—too close for my liking—but Harleigh stumbled back, keeping a safe distance between them.
Atta girl.
I couldn’t watch any longer, so I marched over to them and said, “There you are.”
“Nix.” She flashed me a nervous smile, her gaze flicking between me and Peter and back again. She nibbled the pad of her thumb as she asked, “W-what are you doing here?”
“We were supposed to meet after third period, remember?”
“I’m sorry. Mrs. Diver gave us this homework and I needed to check a book out. But I was going to come and find you afterward.”
“Um, Wilder.” Peter said. “We’re actually in the middle of something.”
“You are?” I kept my eyes on Harleigh.
“It’s fine. Peter was uh, he was just asking if I wanted to hang out after school, but I told him we already have plans.”
Damn right we did. It was Wednesday and we always went over to Mrs. Feeley’s house for cookies and ice cream. She was like a grandma to Harleigh and me. She let us watch silly cartoons on cable and eat candy until we were on the verge of puking. It was the one place we didn’t have to worry about our parents.
It was our thing.
“We could do tomorrow,” Peter said, and I glared at him, a low growl rumbling in my chest.
Back off, asshole, I silently said to him.
He was brave enough to stare right back. “Didn’t I see you making out with Holly Mansfield on the weekend?”
“So?” My spine went rigid.
He let out a bitter laugh. “Forget it. I’ll see you around, Harleigh.” He stalked off and I felt like I could breathe again.
“He’s such a dork.”
“Nix…” Harleigh sighed, and I frowned.
“What? Don’t tell me you actually wanted to go out with the guy?”
“No, but he’s the first person to ever… it doesn’t matter.” She walked over to the bench outside the library and sat down.
“Why do I feel like I screwed up?” I said, sitting next to her, a strange weight settling in my chest.
“It’s easy for you,” she whispered, looking at her feet instead of me. “You’re popular and funny and gorgeous…”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I teased, nudging her shoulder with mine.
“Maybe I should have said yes to Peter.”