“Yeah. According to Lincoln.”
Sabrina sits up abruptly. “You think he’s lying?”
“I think…” I shake my head and sigh. “I honestly don’t know what to think.”
“You don’t have to think. You just have to act,” Morgan insists. “If you wait any longer, Laura will pounce on your boy.”
“She already tried over and over and failed, remember?” Bree reminds her.
“Well, maybe she will succeed this time. Who knows?”
They look at me at the same time, as if waiting for an answer.
I give them an exasperated look. “Why are you guys pressuring me on this?”
Morgan shoots me a “duh” look in return. “How else are you going to take action?”
“Why do I have to be the one to make the first move? Why can’t it be Noah? He’s the guy.”
It’s not that I’m old-fashioned. It’s just that I don’t have the courage to do it. I certainly didn’t have it with Lincoln.
“Honestly, Ri, I don’t think Noah has a clue that you like him,” Bree says. “He probably thinks you’re still into Lincoln.”
“Which means”—Morgan interjects—“you need to set him straight.”
“I’ll think about it.” When they look like they’re about to protest, I add, “I’ll think really hard about it, okay?” Because what else will I do? I turn to Bree. “So how’s it going with you and Julian?”
“We’re going on a date on Saturday,” she gamely responds, surprising me a little.
I didn’t know there’s really something going on between them. I was just teasing her and, well, I wanted to change the subject.
Morgan lifts an eyebrow. “Seriously? You finally gave the poor guy a chance?”
She bites her lip and a blush steals across her cheeks. “Well, he’s not a bad kisser.”
Morgan smiles with glee at that. “Tell me everything.”
As my best friends discuss this new development between Sabrina and Julian, my mind goes back to my own dilemma.
What will I do?
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The next morning comes and I’m still at a loss. While I really did think the whole thing over last night, I’m still not a hundred percent sure on what my next move would be.
Should I confess my feelings to Noah or not?
On the bright side, I have another day to obsess over my predicament. Because, really, what’s the rush?
Okay, fine, I’m stalling. But can anyone blame me? This is uncharted territory for me.
“Okay, tell me what’s wrong.”
Mom’s stern voice makes me lift my head from my bowl of Froot Loops. “Huh?”
“Sweetie, you’re not eating. You’re just playing with your food.” She pulls a chair and sits across the table. “What’s going on?”
Should I tell her? This woman would marry me off to Noah in a heartbeat if I was of legal age. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to acquaint her with my problem. But on the other hand, she’d probably been through the same thing when she was a teenager. Who knows? Maybe she has some wisdom to share.
Oh, screw it.
I put the spoon down. “Mom, have you ever admitted your feelings to a guy before? Like made the first move?”
Unsurprisingly, her expression turns giddy. “Is this about Noah?”
I blow out a breath. “Just answer my question, please.”
Her smile becomes knowing, but answers anyway. “Yes, I have. Before your dad and I got together.”
“What happened? Did you get rejected?”
“No. We went on a date. We went on a few dates, in fact.”
“Really? The guy didn’t laugh in your face?”
My question earns a light laugh. “Why would he laugh in my face?”
“Because he didn’t like you back?” Well, obviously, he did. He wouldn’t care to date her otherwise. I shake my head. “Never mind. That was a dumb question.”
“Is that what’s going on right now? You’re scared to tell Noah you like him?”
“No,” I quickly deny, then roll my eyes. Ugh. Why am I even lying? “Yes,” I finally admit, though still a little reluctant.
She gives me a reassuring smile. “Honey, I don’t think there’s any need for you to be worried. Noah is a nice boy.”
Nice? This is the same boy who practically calls me boring and loves to tease me. Although in his defense, I don’t believe he would ridicule me and laugh in my face. He’s not like that. He’s not a cruel person.
But I wouldn’t put it past him to play it off as a joke and pretend nothing happened. That would be as humiliating as him laughing at me.
So, what should I do?
“Why don’t you give it a try and see how it goes?” Mom pats my hand before rising from the table.
“Is that what you did with Mike, Mom? You decided to give it a try when you asked him out?”
She raises a brow. “Who said I was the one who did the asking?”
I smile. Of course.
******
“Give it a try and see how it goes,” I mumble to myself, taking a deep breath as I walk to the front door.
I decided to follow Mom’s—and my best friends’—advice. I’m going to talk to Noah. I’m still a little scared that my confession wouldn’t get a positive reaction, but I’ll try anyway.
I don’t want to look back to this moment and regret the fact that I chickened out when I could have tried.
Now, I just need to find a way to corner Noah at school without getting any attention. It’s not going to be a grand gesture. I don’t need an audience for that.
Blowing out another breath, I pull open the door—only to see Noah standing right in my front porch, already poised to hit the buzzer.
My heart skips a beat when his startled dark gaze meets mine.
Discreetly, my eyes take him in.
His hair is slightly damp and unruly. Like he was too in a hurry to comb it. But he still looks good despite it. As always, he’s wearing his letter jacket, his red shirt tucked underneath.
I take a deep breath and the familiar scent of his cologne hits my nose. I can barely stop myself from leaning closer and taking another whiff.
I’m so screwed.
I clear my throat. “Hey.”
I can’t be certain. But I think a look of nervousness flickers over his face. “Can I give you a ride to school?”
“Sure.” I try to sound casual while I’m panicking inwardly.
Is this my big chance? But oh, God. How will I start? What will I say? Why didn’t I think of asking Bree to write me a script? I could have just memorized some lines instead of worrying what to say.
“Wait.” He grabs my arm to stop me. “It’s still a little early. Can we, uh, talk first?”
My eyes widen. Does he already know what I’m planning to say?
No. That’s ridiculous. My best friends wouldn’t tattle on me. They’re not like that.
And it’s not like he can read my mind. Or am I being too obvious? Or worse—what if—Lincoln told him?
Shoot.
“Um, what do you want to talk about?”
He shoves a hand into his jean pocket, the other rubbing the back of his neck. “Are you still in love with Lincoln?”
“I’m sorry, what?” I gape. Of all the things to say...
His cheeks turn red. “I just want to know if you’re still in love with him or something.”
I choke out a laugh. “Noah, I’m not in love with Lincoln. I was never in love with him.”
“But you like had a huge crush on him.”
“You said it yourself. Crush, not love. And had. Past tense.”
“Oh.” He blinks. “So you don’t like him anymore?”
“Well, I do like him. Just not in that way anymore, you know?”
“Okay, okay.” He nods distractedly. “So, uh, is there a new guy?” he asks, his voice sounding a little hoarse.
What is going on? Why is he asking me all
these questions?
“That boy has got it bad for you.”
Hope blossoms in my chest. “Noah, why are you being weird right now?”
He steps closer.
My heart begins to race.
He licks his lips. “Riley—”
“Do you like me?”
His lips part, eyes going round. I just surprised him.
To be honest, I surprised myself, too. I didn’t mean to say it just like that.
But I can’t stop now. Scared to see the look on his face, I close my eyes and blurt out, “Because I like you. Like a whole lot.”
That’s it. I just admitted my feelings to Noah Pritchett. Oh my God. I really did.
Now, I’m feeling nauseous. Don’t you dare faint. You have to see his reaction first.
Ugh. Do I have to? Can’t the ground just open up and swallow me whole?
And why is he quiet? He should be saying something, anything!
Warily, I crack an eye open—and see the wide goofy smile on his face. I open the other eye and stare at him. Why is he smiling like that?
He moves closer again, the smile never leaving his face. “You like me?” Then his eyes search mine, as if looking for telltale signs of lying.
I just nod, cheeks burning, embarrassed to say the words again.
“Riley Ellison likes me.” His smile widens even more, his voice full of self-satisfaction.
I can’t help it anymore. I cover my face with my hands. Why did I even say anything? Now, he’s gloating.
“Hey, hey.” He gently pulls my hands away from my face and hold them in his. The smile is now gone, replaced by a serious expression. “Why are you hiding?”
“Because it’s embarrassing!”
Now, he looks a little hurt. “Telling me about your feelings is embarrassing? You’re ashamed of liking me?”
“What? No,” I quickly amend. Then roll my eyes. “I mean, I’m embarrassed to tell you because, obviously, you don’t feel the same way. And of course, there’s Laura—”
“Who’s not my girlfriend anymore.” His lips quirk up. “I already told you that.”
My eyes widen a fraction. Bree was right. They’re not together anymore.
“Um—”
“Now, who says I don’t feel the same way?” he asks softly.
My heart is racing hard in my chest once again, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
“What are you saying?”
His gaze turns intense. “What do you think?”
I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my ears now. “Are you saying you like me?”
He smiles. But instead of responding, he cups my face and kisses me—softly, briefly, sending delicious tingles down my spine. “Did that answer your question?” he whispers against my lips.
Oh my God, it’s true. Noah really likes me back!
Biting back my own goofy smile, I shake my head. “It wasn’t clear enough.”
He chuckles but leans in for another kiss, this one deeper from the last, making me snake my arms around his neck.
“So I take it he didn’t laugh in your face?” An amused voice says, causing us to startle and jump apart.
The two of us were so into the kiss that we didn’t even notice the door opening behind us. Mom is standing in the doorway with a mug of coffee and a pleased smile on her face.
I nod, blushing. I can’t believe my mom just caught us kissing. Gah!
“Who didn’t laugh in your face?” Noah asks in confusion.
I let out a loud, happy laugh. “I’ll tell you everything later.”
EPILOGUE
“I heart Noah Pritchett, huh?” comes a pleased voice from behind me, making my heart skip a beat.
Putting down the pen on top of my brand new purple journal, I whirl around to face my boyfriend.
That’s right. Noah Pritchett is now my boyfriend. We’ve been dating for months, starting from that day I admitted my feelings for him and he admitted his.
At first, I was a little apprehensive that Laura would come after me, knowing she still hasn’t gotten over him. But Noah—being the awesome boyfriend he is—basically told her in no uncertain terms not to mess with his girlfriend “or else.” Long story short, Laura and her posse are now avoiding me like a plague. They definitely don’t sit with Noah and his friends at lunch anymore.
The boys didn’t see it as a loss though, since my best friends and I promptly replaced their seats—especially since Bree and Julian have also started going out.
I thought it was going to be awkward with Lincoln being there with us. But he was the first one to break the tension by congratulating me and Noah. He’s even dating a girl from East Shores these days. I’m not sure how that’s working out, but he looks happy and contented. And I’m glad that he is.
“Loving that new journal, I see,” Noah teases me, dragging me back to the present.
“Do I have a choice? There was this guy who bought me this journal and pestered me to use this one from now on. He even demanded that I only write his name in its pages.” I roll my eyes. “Geez, what an ego.”
Noah smirks unapologetically. “Sounds like a smart guy.” His arms go around my waist as he leans in to kiss me.
I sigh against his lips. He knows I love it when he does that.
“Ready to go?” he asks with his arms still around me.
Noah is taking me to the movies to watch Dylan O'Brien’s latest film. He knows my love for the actor because of Teen Wolf. He’s not into it, but he’s going to see it with me, anyway.
This boy’s a keeper, I know.
“I’ll just say bye to Mom,” I tell him, putting my purple journal into my bag.
I’m about to go find my mom—she’s somewhere between the shelves in the shop—when she appears. “Are you, kids, heading off?”
I nod, smiling. “We don’t want to miss the start of the movie.”
“You mean you don’t want to miss the start,” Noah corrects me, chuckling.
“Well, have fun, you two. But not too much. Remember, Kathy and I are still a little young to be grand—”
“Okay, we’re leaving now,” I cut her off before she can even finish her sentence, practically dragging a laughing Noah outside.
“I’d like that someday,” he says quietly after a moment, as we walk to his Jeep.
“Like what?”
“Give them grandkids.”
I arch a brow at him. “That’s rather presumptuous, don’t you think?”
And waaaaay too early to talk about.
He lets out a dramatic sigh. “Really, Ellison, do you think I’ll ever let you go?”
Honestly, how can I argue with that?
The End
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Turn the page for a sneak peak of Truth or Dare, the first book in the Bayfield High series.
SNEAK PEAK: TRUTH OR DARE
“Are you really sure about this, Ash?" I fidget nervously from the passenger seat as my best friend looks for an empty spot in a long line of parked cars on both sides of the street. "We can still go back to your house for the sleepover."
A quiet sleepover was what we were supposed to do in the first place. Not this crazy, stupid plan. I don't even know if we can pull it off.
But that's the thing about Ashley. When she sets her mind on something, there's no holding her back. It scares me sometimes, to be honest.
Like right now as I watch her knuckles turn white against the steering wheel. "No. That asshole needs to pay."
This is all Jason Everly’s fault. I never liked the boy since he's a douche canoe of the highest order, but right now I downright hate him. He turned Ash into a revenge-obsessed ex-girlfriend. She even dragged me and Holly to be her accomplices.
; As if she’s reading my thoughts, Holly leans forward from the backseat. "Don't be such a wuss, Kenzie. We've already planned this."
Let me correct that: Ash dragged me. Holly is a willing accomplice.
“Yeah. Only a couple hours ago," I point out. "I don't even remember participating in the planning."
“Hey, it was your suggestion."
“I was only kidding!" Leave it to me to stupidly crack a joke about helping Ash get even with her cheating ex while watching John Tucker Must Die.
Stupid Netflix recommendations. We should have picked The Notebook instead.
Well, to be fair, I didn't expect them to take the joke seriously. So it’s not entirely on me.
Holly narrows her eyes. "Are you suddenly feeling sorry for the douchebag?"
Ash whips her head in my direction, mirroring Holly’s expression.
“Of course not!"
I can’t believe they're doubting me. Did they forget? I cheered the loudest when Ash kicked the asshole in the balls after we caught him making out with Tara Bennett behind the bleachers in the soccer field. And again, when the incident spread throughout the school the next day, courtesy of the soccer players.
The humiliation should've been enough. But Ash isn't done yet. She wants more blood to spill. And because I just dumbly fueled that thirst, we're now on our way to spill said blood.
“Then why are you so against the plan?"
Um, probably because this can end in big trouble? This isn't just some silly prank. We're talking about destruction of property here. Because that's what Ash has in mind: crash Jason's party and trash his room while everyone's distracted.
She thought it was a brilliant idea since his bedroom is filled with state-of-the-art gadgets. Gadgets that Jason apparently loves more than anything. So by destroying them, she'll be breaking his heart. A payback for breaking hers, she said.
Cheesy, I know.
Anyway, Holly didn't even hesitate when Ash laid out the plan. She was onboard from the get-go. Convincing Ash to change her mind is one thing. The two of them banding together? I'd have better luck pacifying a toddler throwing a fit.
Don’t get me wrong. I'd love to see Jason get a visit from Lady Karma. But I don't want to be the one to deliver her to his doorstep.
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