“Aren’t you guys getting dressed? There are at least a hundred parties going on tonight. More. Ethan’s on his way over. Colin volunteered to be the DD.”
“Carsen’s ditched me to go out with his friends tonight,” Katie says.
Hannah smiles deviously. “Do you know where?”
Katie shakes her head. “No. This is probably a good thing. We’ve been hanging out a ton. I know it’s good for him to have a social life. I’m just salty that he canceled on me last minute rather than plan something later with them.”
“We could still go out and have a good time. Nothing says you have to stay home and wait for him, right?”
The look in Katie’s eyes reminds me of Lanie when Geoff challenges her. “You’re right.” She closes the textbook. “I still have that devil costume from last year. The one with the red sequin dress.”
“Yes!” Hannah says. “Go get changed.” She turns to me. “Do you still have any of your costumes from last year? Do you want to borrow one?”
Guilt and betrayal eclipse the desire that made it impossible for me to focus on a single damn thing today. “I might pass tonight and go out with you this weekend.”
“Are you sure?” Hannah asks. “We don’t mind waiting.”
“Or I can stay in with you,” Katie says, pausing. “We can order dinner and binge theHalloweentownseries like we’ve been talking about.”
“Not without me,” Hannah objects.
The truth, that I’m going to spend tonight with Nolan, is on my lips. I don’t want to lie to them or sneak around behind their backs. I also don’t want to jeopardize my friendship with either of them.
Katie’s phone begins ringing and their inquiring glances shift to her phone. “It’s Carsen,” she says.
Hannah grins. “Looks like someone misses you.”
“I’ll be right back,” she tells us before ascending the stairs.
“Are you okay?” Hannah asks.
I start to nod and then shake my head. “Can I ask you for some advice?”
Hannah nods, moving closer to me. “Of course.”
“What do you think Katie’s reaction would be if I told her I like Nolan?”
She grins. “I’ve been dying to talk to you about him. I didn’t want you to feel obligated to tell me, but I have literally had to bite my tongue probably a hundred times. The way he looks at you…”
“The way he looks at me?”
“He can’t take his eyes off you. Tell me you’ve noticed.”
My heart prods my doubt, looking for validation because I have noticed. But doubt holds the line. “That’s because he’s plotting devious intentions for his next prank.”
Hannah shakes her head. “Like he wants to toss you over his shoulder and ride away into the sunset with you.”
I sputter. “I don’t think those are his intentions.”
“Have you talked to him?”
I nod, my heart beating even faster with equal measures of excitement and giddiness. It feels like a relief to finally talk to someone about this crush I’ve been trying to avoid for so long. I want to tell her about our first kiss, the way he’d carried me after the cookie run, the pool last night.
“Are you guys going to date?”
“Not in the traditional sense…”
Hannah’s eyebrows soar over the rim of her glasses and then she grins, wide and enthusiastically. “Go, Hadley.”