"What were you doing, anyway? Why weren't you paying attention to the lecture?" she pries in between bites of her sandwich when I ask over lunch.
I'm not ready to tell her and Brayden about this new thing with Parker just yet, so I blurt the only other alibi I can think of. "Liam and I had a talk yesterday."
Brayden arches a brow. "Do tell."
I push around the mac and cheese on my plate with my fork. "It was nothing major, but I think I finally had my closure."
"Elaborate," Quinn demands.
I blow out a long breath. "I went to the coffeeshop and he saw me there. He said he wasn't angry at me for punching him."
Quinn snorts. "Please. He totally deserved that punch."
Brayden nods his agreement.
I give them a pointed look. "But I still apologized."
Quinn rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything else.
"Anyway, he was sorry about what he did. He knew he shouldn't have taunted Parker." I pause, remembering something. "Did you guys know that he was hooking up with Peyton before we got together?"
Quinn's eyes flare wide. "What? No way."
Brayden has the opposite reaction. He remains quiet.
"Brayden?" I prod. "Did you know?"
He squirms in his seat.
"Stevenson, I swear to God," Quinn growls.
"Christ, Peters, settle down." Brayden rolls his eyes before giving me a sheepish look and admitting, "I did."
Quinn gasps dramatically.
I shoot her a look, then frown at him. "How did you find out?"
"It was by accident. I walked in on them making out in her house. But I left before they could see me. I never even told Peyton. She never knew that I caught them."
Quinn glowers at him. "And you didn't think to tell us?"
"First of all, that was like months before Liam and Sawyer even started dating. And I didn't think more of it, considering Peyton was also hooking up with other boys during that time. I thought it wasn't serious." He grimaces at me. "Sorry, S."
"It's okay. You're right, anyway. It wasn't serious. Liam told me Peyton wasn't ready to be in a relationship. They were really just hooking up."
Then I proceed to tell them that soon after, Peyton realized how much she liked Liam. But he'd already set his sights on me by then. So she got together with Parker to make him jealous, but it didn't work.
"You believed what he said?" Quinn's tone is skeptical. "What makes you think he wasn't fucking her on the side the whole time you were together?"
Because I'd only noticed the change in Liam's demeanor in the last few weeks of our relationship. He and Peyton managed to fool around on us, but I'd like to think Parker and I weren't so stupid not to notice that they'd been cheating on us the entire time.
But then, what do I really know?
"Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. But honestly, does it even matter at this point? We're over and I've already moved on."
"But does Liam even know that?" Brayden says.
I nod. "I made myself clear about that. He tried to ask for another chance, but I told him I was done and there was no way I'd change my mind. He accepted it. I mean, he wasn't happy about it, but he respected my decision."
I leave out the part where Liam brought up Parker. Which had me driving over to Parker's house like a woman on a mission. Which led to the kiss…
No. That's a story for another day.
Thankfully, Quinn and Brayden seem satisfied by my answer. They change the subject soon after—specifically, about the next party—and I use their distraction to shift my gaze to Parker.
He's engaged in a conversation with Giovanni. But then it's like he senses my attention on him. His eyes drift to mine, a small smile curving his lips, making my heart flutter.
This thing between us is so new, but I'm willing to explore it. I'm willing to see where it will take us.
I just hope Parker and I are on the same page.
*******
Parker is leaning against his car when I step out into the parking lot after the final period ended.
I don't know if he's waiting for someone—hopefully me—but he looks to be deep in thought. Worry gnaws at me. Did something happen to Dianne again?
The thought compels me to walk faster. "Is everything okay?" I ask when I reach him, my voice startling him a little.
"Hey." A smile brightens his beautiful features as if he wasn't just seriously contemplating something.
"Hey yourself." I'm suddenly feeling shy, my stomach filling with dancing butterflies.
Should I hug him? Kiss him? Should I even make the first move?
Parker solves my conundrum when he draws his arms around me, bringing my body flush with his. "Peaches."
There's so much tenderness in that one word I want to weep. Instead, I lift my head and settle with a dazed smile. "Hmm?"
Chuckling softly, he dips his head and slants his mouth over mine.
It starts as an easy kiss, a gentle probing of his lips. But soon, it becomes harder, more insistent that it steals my breath. It makes me dizzy and hot at the same time, all I can do is hold on.
That pretty much explains my feelings for this boy.
By the time he pulls back, I'm practically a panting, dazed mess. "What was that for?" I ask, breathless.
His eyes are hooded as his thumb brushes my bottom lip which, I'm pretty sure, is swollen. "Been waiting to do that all day."
I let out a goofy smile. "Honestly, the feeling is mutual."
The sound of female voices and giggles penetrates my euphoric bubble. Without thinking, I step away from his hold and warily glance over my shoulder.
It's a group of passing sophomore girls. But thankfully, their attention isn't on us.
With a relieved sigh, I
