Something changes in the air between us, and I’m struck by howhotJay is, how magnetic his energy is, how my pulse speeds up every time he looks at me.
I don’t know what’s happening or why I suddenly feel like I want to step closer to him, but my voice comes out in a breathy whisper when I ask, “Then why not let me suffer?”
His gaze turns heated as it lingers on my face. “Apparently, I’ve got a thing for pretty girls who annoy the hell out of me and still manage to live rent-free in my head.”
My heart stops for a whole three seconds as I process his words, and he apparently doesn’t feel the need to fill the silence either. We gaze at each other, somehow suddenly only a foot apart, with the space between us closing inch by precious inch as we’re drawn toward each other like magnets. He uncrosses his arms and reaches out as if to put his hand on my hip when the door to the bathroom bangs open behind him.
We jump apart, released from whatever spell has taken hold of us, and Jay turns to the bathroom. Five girls come out, each of them sporting fresh French braids and gushing about how good the style looks on them.
Jay clears his throat and doesn’t wait for me before entering the bathroom. I shake my head to clear it.
Get. It. Together. Carina!
When I enter the bathroom, Jay is pulling two fluffy pool towels from a white cabinet. He hands me a colorful red and purple one with hues so different it almost hurts my eyes; his is neon blue and orange with competing undertones that make it way too bright. I laugh to myself as I wrap it around my shoulders, because there’s no mistaking who these towels belong to.
Jay dries himself off, and now we’re both silently standing in a small bathroom. It suddenly feels weird to not speak to him, especially after what he said, so I force myself to make conversation like everything is normal and I wasn’t being magnetically drawn to him and thinking about how good his arms would feel wrapped around me.
“So you’re okay with all these Oakwoods students being at a precious Northbrook party?”
Jay shrugs. “From what I can tell, no Preston Whitmore wannabes are here, and I guess everyone is pretty cool so far.”
“Even that kid who threw pie in my face?”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Was he from Oakwoods?”
I shake my head. “I may not know everyone who goes to my school, but I feel like I’d recognize a kid with a mohawk.”
“He wasn’t from my school either.”
I use the towel to squeeze the water from my hair. “I can’t believe he pied me in the face and just walked away.”
Jay tilts his head at me. “I can see if there’s any pie left untouched and bash him right in the face with it?” He might be joking, but the visual of Jay marching through the backyard with a plate full of pie hell-bent on getting revenge for me makes me swoon. I push the confusing feelings away.
“No, it’s all right. But thank you for being willing to defend my honor.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’m pretty sure I saw him puking his guts up in Ralph’s potted plants on our way inside.”
I consider it. Hedidthrow a pie in my face like a classic prank show and potentially humiliate me in front of kids from Oakwoods, Northbrook, and whoever else is here, but then again, Ididhave a really great time.
“Would you think I was weird if I said I’m not actually mad about it?”
Jay’s eyebrows draw together. “Do you want me to hit you in the face with more pie?”
“No!” I laugh. “But I had a good time. It was kind of horrible, and I was pretty mortified, yet I still ended up having a lot of fun.”
Jay’s smile is slow and devastating, the kind that makes it hard to breathe. “Because of me.”
Jay is supposed to be the worst, but he’s actually pretty cool. Up is down and left is right. Everything I thought I knew is being flipped on its head, and I don’t know how to feel about it. I’m not supposed to like Jay. My face heats as I sputter, “There’s also that—it’s just—notnotbecause of you . . .”
He raises his voice to a comically high pitch in what is supposed to be an imitation of me. “Thank you, Jay, for being so awesome and handsome and being the only reason I had any fun tonight. And did I mention how handsome you are?” He switches to his regular voice. “You’re welcome, Princess. And yes, Iamvery handsome. I don’t blame you for daydreaming about me as much as you do.”
I laugh. “You are ridiculous and completely full of yourself. Do you really think girls go around daydreaming about how handsome you are all day?”
He nods. “And about how funny I am. And how charming I am. And how smart I am. And how great at backflipping off the cliff and into the water I am. And how ta—”
“All right, all right, I get it.” I cut him off with an amused laugh. “You’re so great and incredible in so many ways.”
He ignores my clear sarcasm. “I really am. It’s about time you recognized that, Princess.”