I gasp, losing my footing and landing back on the ground.
“How did you know? You peeked!”
He chuckles. “I didn’t have to. Remember, I’m well-versed in your panty habits. Plus, you just confirmed it.” He ignores my glowering at him, since he has a point, and gestures to the fence. “Come on, Princess, we don’t have all night.”
“Fine.” I turn to the fence and hoist myself up again. “But it would help if you could be less . . . you.”
He laughs, scaling the fence in two seconds and landing gracefully on the other side.
“Show-off,” I mutter, still clutching the fence in the same spot.
“Any time now, Princess.”
“I’m coming!” I hiss, climbing as best I can and throwing my leg over the top. I hop off the fence once I’m close enough to the ground and steady myself, looking at Jay expectantly. “Well, we’re over the fence. Now what?”
“Come on,” he says, turning and heading toward the building at a quick pace.
It’s dark and windy and eerily silent—I don’t even hear any traffic. We’re in a creepy back alley going toward the deserted back entrance of a sketchy building. I wrap Jay’s jacket around me tighter and jog to catch up to him.
“Are you nervous?” Jay asks when I speed up to keep pace with him.
“No.” But I answer too fast, and Jay’s lips pull up in amusement. He knows the truth. He always sees right through me somehow.
“Fine. Only a little—not because I’m alone with you,” I add quickly. I don’t want his ego to get any bigger than it already is, thinking I’m nervous to be around him because he’s all hot and smart and funny. “But because this place is a little creepy.”
Jay looks around. “You think it’s creepy?”
We’re in the middle of nowhere. The building looks old and decaying, and the ones around it aren’t faring any better. This is the exact setting a movie location scout would choose for a horror movie, or the place a real-life serial killer would choose to set up his lair. I resist the urge to stand closer to Jay and ignore the fact that I feel safe with him.
“If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck . . .” I trail off before finishing the idiom.
Jay knocks on the heavy-looking back door with its peeling paint and then takes a step back. “Then there’s a good chance it’s just a very confused swan.”
The door opens, and a boy is standing there. I recognize him as Jay’s redheaded friend, Caleb. He’s in a security uniform.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking between the two friends, who greet each other with a bro handshake-hug.
“Still a surprise,” Jay answers before addressing his friend. “Thanks again for doing this.”
Caleb nods. “No problem. Sorry you had to hop the fence. It’s sold out, and it would’ve looked bad if I let you in from the front.”
“No worries,” Jay answers breezily. “We appreciate it.”
Caleb eyes me suspiciously, like I’m scheming to steal the walkie-talkie right off his belt. To Jay, he says, “It’s really boring in there. Hope Oakwoods is worth it.” He gives a sharp little nod in my direction, like the nickname is an insult. Apparently, I’mPrincessto Jay andOakwoodsto Caleb.
“I don’t know what terrible experiences you’ve all had with kids from Oakwoods, but we’re not all stuck-up snobs,” I say, pushing past him to follow Jay inside the building.
“Right,” Caleb says, though his tone is disbelieving. He closes the door behind me, shutting us in a dim little hallway, the walls cement and the air chilly.
“Well, enjoy. Dad left for the night, so it’s just me and Ross. You’ve got an hour before we close,” Caleb says before heading left down the hallway, leaving me and Jay alone.
“Did Preston Whitmore ruin my entire school for everyone?” I ask Jay.
“Him and assholes like him,” he answers honestly. “But let’s not talk about him right now. You heard the man, Princess. We’ve only got an hour.” Jay grabs my arm and leads me toward what looks like the main door.
“Are you really not going to tell me what we’re doi—” I cross the threshold and freeze. “Are we . . . Jay . . . ?” I’m unable to form words because my thoughts are all over the place.
He joins my side. “Boscoe’s pop-up art exhibit. Yup.”