“Where are we going?” she asked, but it didn’t sound like a protest. More like curiosity.
“I need some air, don’t you?”
She nodded.
What I didn’t say was, she clearly needed some time to ease in. The girl looked overwhelmed. She’d obviously been stressed in the car, her hand a tense ball of clammy underneath mine as she’d tried to keep herself from fidgeting.
I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing here, but one thing about me—probably because of a lifetime of working my butt off at baseball—I saw through my commitments. And for better or worse I’d offered to help this girl so…
She was stuck with me.
I came to a stop near the middle of the yard. Some small clusters of people were standing around here and there talking. Judging by the loudness of their voices, they’d started this party a while ago.
I just hoped no one had come out here to hurl. No one needed that right now.
“So,” I said, turning to face her. “Where’s this crush of yours?”
“Um, I don’t—”
We both heard Rose’s laugh. She and Jax had stayed up on the deck and were mingling with the crowd up there. Simone looked up and… She ducked behind me.
A few moments passed in silence before I addressed the girl hiding behind me. “Hey, Simone?”
“Yes?”
I didn’t turn around but I could feel her curled up against my back. “What are you doing?”
I heard her swallow. “Nothing.”
I looked back up and saw Rose and Jax talking to a few guys our age. Guys I recognized from Jax’s band.
Ah.
“I take it your crush is up there,” I said.
She stayed silent.
We both stayed still for long enough that I could make out the faint sound of crickets even through the music on the deck and the talking around us. The yard was bordered by a line of trees behind us, and beyond that…
I wanted to find out.
I glanced over my shoulder to see a statue.
I sighed. It wasn’t like we had anything better to do, right? This girl wasn’t going to be flirting with anyone anytime soon.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
I didn’t answer. I figured if I kept walking, she’d—
“Where are we going?” she asked as she scrambled along beside me, this time in an irritated whisper like she might be overheard.
“What’s back this way?” I asked.
She looked from the trees to me and back again. “A playground. My old elementary school.”
I glanced over in surprise. I’d transferred in sophomore year and unless someone told me otherwise, I just assumed they’d gone to Lakeview their whole life.
“What are we doing?” she asked again as I pushed through some branches and held them back for her to pass. “The party is back that way.”
“Yeah, well…” I shot her a sidelong look. “It didn’t seem like you were about to go flirting with your dude anytime soon, and I don’t like crowds.”
She stopped suddenly at the edge of the woods. “But you’re always going to parties.”
I laughed at her shocked tone. “Yeah, well, I like being bored even less.” I turned to face her. “What’s your excuse?”
She started moving again but she gave me a blank look. “What’s my excuse for what?”
“Why do you go to parties if you don’t like them?”
“How do you know I don’t like them?”
I laughed under my breath. So defensive, this one. “Because I’ve seen you,” I said. “I’ve watched you.”
“You have?” Her voice went crazy high on that last word and I arched my brows in response.
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“Yes.”
I laughed again and shook my head. This girl.
“Why have you watched me?” She sounded so defensive, so wary… I led us over to the swingset that was way too low to the ground for either of us, but I took a seat anyway and patted the one next to me. “I told you,” I said. “I don’t like to be bored.”
“So you watch people,” she said. Her nose twitched and her gaze shot over to mine. “And listen.”
“Well, when you put it like that…” I drew out the words.
“It sounds creepy,” she finished. But she was wearing a hint of a smile and that made me grin.
“It does, doesn’t it?”
She gave a short little huff of a laugh before looking down at her feet. She was short enough that she could actually swing a bit, pushing into the dirt so she was rocking back and forth.
I just stretched my legs out in front of me and rested against the chains.
“It beats being bored,” I finally said.
She arched a brow in my direction. “So you’re like a voyeur?”
“No need to make it sound dirty.” I kept my voice mild and she snickered in response. “But you didn’t answer my question. I’ve seen you at parties and you look bored, at best. Usually you look miserable unless some of those girls you hang out with are there to keep you company.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, well, I guess it’s better than being bored at home.”
I gave that lie a moment to settle and waited.
Sure enough, she twisted in her seat to face me. “That’s not true. Watching movies at home is way more entertaining. I guess…” She shrugged, her lips pursed as she considered. “I guess it’s a fear of missing out on things.”
I nodded and the silence stretched between us. I didn’t mind silence but it was obvious that Simone did. She got restless again after three seconds. “Should we go back?”
I shot her a sidelong look. “Not until you practice, young lady.”
She wrinkled her nose at the ‘young lady’ part and my teacherly tone. “Seriously?”
I threw my hands out wide. “That’s what I’m here for, right?”
She didn’t look convinced.
“Come on,” I said. “I’ll make it painless, I promise. What did Rose tell you to do?”
She turned in my direction and...grimaced. Her eyes did this squinting thing as she leered at me.
I jerked back. “What are you doing?”
Her face fell. “Smizing.”
I held back a laugh but just barely. “Excuse me?”
She sighed, her head
