“I was just chatting with her. We’re trying to get along.”
Shane laughed and shook his head. “Well, good luck with that.”
“Is it really so unbelievable that we could get along?”
“Anything’s possible. I mean, if Woody and Buzz Lightyear could manage to put aside their differences, I’m sure you guys can too.”
“You’re comparing us to Toy Story?”
“You’re right, maybe you guys aren’t quite capable of that friendship arc.”
I sighed, a sense of defeat washing through me. I hated that Shane didn’t believe Ally and I could change. He knew the two of us better than anyone, and if he didn’t think we could even make it as friends, did we have any chance at becoming more than that?
“Look, I’d like nothing more than for you two to get along,” Shane said. “You’ve both been bickering for years, and it sucks. I just don’t think I can believe it until I see it, if that makes sense.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
The bell rung, signaling the end of lunch and Shane, and I got up from our seats. “I just hope you’re not falling in love with her again,” Shane said as we walked toward the door.
My cheeks warmed, and I glanced around to make sure no one had heard what he’d said. Thankfully, everyone was making their way to class and uninterested in our conversation. “I wasn’t in love with her,” I growled. “And that was forever ago.”
Shane grinned. “It wasn’t that long, really.”
“Why would you even say that?”
“I just wouldn’t want you to be disappointed,” Shane replied. “You know Ally and I don’t date.”
I frowned at his comment. Shane had never bothered with a girlfriend because he was so focused on football, but that didn’t explain why Ally didn’t date. She certainly hadn’t mentioned it to me, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. I guess it made sense considering she’d never had a boyfriend that I knew about. I wanted to ask Shane for the reason, but I knew I couldn’t without inciting his suspicions.
“Well, clearly, that’s not a problem,” I said, trying my hardest to look like I didn’t care. The scary fact of the matter was, it was already too late, and I did care if Ally didn’t want to date me. Clearly, she wasn’t as committed to her no-dating rule as Shane as she’d asked me to hang out with her this weekend.
Shane chuckled. “If you say so, man.” Something in his eyes had me wondering if he suspected I was lying though.
“I do.”
One of the guys from the football team called Shane’s name, and he patted me on the shoulder as he went to walk away. “I’ll catch you at home later,” he said before jogging down the corridor.
I stared after him, still wondering why I hadn’t heard about Ally not dating before. If Ally didn’t date, then why was she making an exception for me?
23
Ally
The week had dragged on far too long. Between studying for my math test and stressing about Operation Pest Control, I was completely exhausted by the time the final bell rung on Friday afternoon.
I hauled myself to my locker after class, wanting nothing more than to go home and put myself to bed. My head actually hurt from the all the equations I’d just completed. Whoever thought it was a good idea to put a math test on a Friday afternoon had a sick sense of humor.
“Hey, Ally,” Luke said, falling in beside me as I opened my locker to grab my things before heading to the car.
I was so tired that I struggled to give him a polite smile. I really wasn’t in the mood for small talk. “Hey, Luke.” Even my voice sounded weary.
“How did you do on the math test?” he asked.
I pushed my locker shut and hugged the books I needed over the weekend to my chest as I turned to him. “Okay, I think. My brain feels like it’s been reduced to mush from all those figures though.”
“Tell me about it.” He grinned.
I didn’t know what else to say, and an awkward silence hung between us. There were still so many numbers floating through my mind that I couldn’t think of two words to string together.
“Well, I’ve got to get to my car,” I eventually said, nodding in the direction of the parking lot. “There’s always a risk Shane will leave without me if I rock up too late, but I’ll see you on Monday.”
“Oh, of course.” He moved back, giving me room to walk by him.
I’d barely taken a step forward when he started speaking again. “Do you want to go out some time?” The words blurted out of him in a tumbled rush causing me to freeze mid-stride.
It took me a moment to realize what he’d asked, and my face paled as I connected the hope in Luke’s eyes to the question he’d put to me. “Like on a date?”
He brushed a nervous hand across his chin. “Yeah, if you’d like…”
I stared at him silently as thoughts whirled through my mind. I’d once thought that Luke would be the perfect guy for me, but when faced with the chance to date him, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from thinking about Chase.
Chase was stubborn and irritated me constantly, but he also intensified my every emotion. He made me come alive in a way I’d never experienced with anyone else, and as I stared at Luke, I realized that I felt none of that when I was near him.
Luke was handsome and kind, but he filled me with the same warm feelings I got when I was around friends and nothing more. There was no electrifying attraction between us; there was barely a dull buzz. I wanted a guy who challenged me and who made my heart race and my soul soar.
I might have only been pretending with Chase, but some of my feelings toward him were very real and impossible to ignore. I couldn’t even contemplate dating the sweet guy standing before me. My heart clenched as I realized I was going to have to let him down. But I had no idea what to say. How did you reject someone you genuinely like?
I gave him a sad smile as I shook my head. “You’re such a great guy, Luke, but things are really complicated with me right now, and I think we’re better as friends.”
His shoulders slumped at my response. “Oh, okay.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“I know you are. I just hope the guy who is complicating things for you realizes how lucky he is.”
I wanted to correct him and say it wasn’t because of a guy, but that would have been a lie.
“I should let you get to your car. Have a good weekend, Ally.” Even when rejected, the guy was a sweetheart.
I watched him walk away with a heaviness settling on my heart. Letting him down didn’t feel good, but what troubled me the most was how his question had shaken me, how quickly Chase had popped up in my mind, and how easily I had rejected the thought of dating Luke. I might have been committed to getting Chase to leave, but my heart kept reminding me it didn’t share that same dedication.
* * *
When Shane and I got home from school, Dad’s car was already parked in the driveway. I frowned and glanced at my brother, who had a similar look on his face.
“That’s weird,” he muttered.
I nodded. “Why do you think he’s home early?”
“Maybe he ran out of work?”
I laughed and shook my head. “Couldn’t be that. I’m pretty sure Dad took on pro bono work on the side of his normal work just so that never happened.”
“True,” Shane agreed.
We made our way inside, but things only became stranger once we stepped through the door. Dad was actually cooking in the kitchen and it took me several moments to believe my eyes when I saw him.
“Please don’t tell me you lost your job?” Shane groaned.
Dad smiled and shook his head. “A little hard when I’m the boss,” he said with a chuckle. “No, we have some special guests coming over tonight.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Chase’s parents,” Dad explained.
“They’re back already?”
Dad nodded. “Yes, they were going to try and get home once a month. I thought I�
��d make dinner for us all to welcome them back.”
My brother’s expression grew dark at Dad’s explanation. “Does Chase know they’re coming?” He sounded really aggravated, and his reaction reminded me of how Chase had spoken about his dad with such contempt.
“I haven’t told him about the dinner, but I’m sure he knows they’re back,” Dad said.
Shane looked ready to say something else, but the front door opened as Chase arrived home. He was actually smiling as he walked into the kitchen and found us all standing there, but his expression quickly changed when he caught sight of my brother’s face. “What’s wrong?”
Shane walked over and gripped his arm, and I could almost sense the tension in the air prickling against my skin. “Your parents are back,” Shane said.
“And I’m cooking dinner for us all,” Dad added with a cheerful wave of his spatula. He really needed to learn to read a room better, because Chase didn’t look nearly as chipper as my dad at the thought.
“Oh, that’s great,” Chase muttered. He pushed a hand through his messy hair, his smile dropping from his lips and his eyes turning dark. In a heartbeat, he went from looking totally content to completely devoid of emotion.
“I’m going upstairs to change,” he added before quickly turning and stalking up the stairs.
My dad finally seemed to notice that something was wrong and glanced at my brother. “Is he okay?”
Shane hesitated to answer. “I’ll go see,” he finally said.
I wanted to go up to check on Chase too but knew I probably shouldn’t. Shane was the one who was friends with Chase, not me. I wasn’t even sure what the two of us were anymore.
Instead, I started helping Dad with dinner. It was a Friday night, so cooking seemed like a much better alternative to studying.
“How was school this week?” Dad asked, as I chopped up some onion for him.
Tears were springing up in my eyes, and I laughed despite them. “Not as bad as these tears make it look, I swear,” I replied, making him smile. “It’s been pretty tiring, but it’s going okay. I had a math test today, and I think I did pretty well on it.”
“That’s great, honey.”
I smiled, for once feeling like I’d earned Dad’s praise. I always did well in English, but subjects like math and science didn’t come easily to me. I was proud of the fact I was doing well in them this year and knew it was because I’d been putting in the hard work.
“Just make sure you keep it up,” he said. “This year is only going to get harder.”
“I know,” I agreed. “But I’m feeling really good about it.”
And once Chase was gone, I’d hopefully be feeling even better.
The front doorbell rang just as we were putting the finishing touches on dinner. Dad went straight to the door and smiled brightly as he showed Mr. and Mrs. Williams into the house.
Chase’s parents were nothing like their son. They were dressed in smart suits, and not a hair was out of place. Mrs. Williams wore hers in a slick bun while Mr. Williams had his gelled back. They were both extremely good-looking for adults, but their expressions lacked warmth, and the stiff manner with which they held themselves had too much formality for my liking.
“It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen you, Ally,” Mrs. Williams said as she entered the kitchen. “You’re so grown-up now; such a stunning-looking girl.”
I blushed at the compliment, not really sure how to respond. My hair was messy after a day at school, and I was still wearing a casual pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I hardly felt stunning.
“How’s Chase been?” Mr. Williams asked my dad.
“Very well behaved,” Dad replied.
Mr. Williams shook his head. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Well, believe it,” Dad said with a chuckle. “Trust me, one wrong move and I’d be shipping him back to you.”
I swallowed and tucked my hands into my pockets. Dad’s words might have been tinged with humor, but I knew beyond doubt he’d follow through on them. Dad never said anything he didn’t mean.
Mr. Williams nodded, like he was happy to hear it. “Good. So, where is the boy?”
“Up in his room,” Dad replied.
“I’ll go grab him,” I suggested. The adults were all smiles for each other, but there had been so much disapproval in Mr. William’s eyes when he’d spoken of his son. His voice had turned hard, and I didn’t like the way he assumed Chase had been making trouble.
I dashed up the stairs, happy to be free of the strange tension Chase’s parents brought to the house. They seemed friendly enough, but it was hard to tell when their faces showed so little expression.
Chase’s bedroom door was closed when I reached it, and I knocked. “Go away, Shane. I don’t want to talk about it.”
I frowned. “It’s not Shane.”
The door opened, and before I had a chance to look at Chase, he grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me into the room. As soon as the door shut behind me, we were kissing. The kiss was hot and desperate, like Chase couldn’t get enough of me, like I was the key to forgetting his problems.
Deep within me, I felt the urge to kiss him back with just as much passion, but it didn’t feel right, and I jerked away. “What are you doing, Chase?” I whispered.
His eyes were stormy, and his shoulders were tense. “I think it’s pretty obvious what I’m doing,” he replied. His voice held none of the kindness he’d shown me in the last few days, and I hated the distance that seemed to stretch between us.
“Well, I don’t really appreciate being used,” I replied, because that was exactly what it felt like.
He gave a humorless laugh. “You think I was using you?”
“Well, you certainly weren’t romancing me,” I replied, folding my arms over my chest. “What is up with you?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“What? You’d rather just make out and ignore your issues?”
He shrugged. “Seems like a much better plan to me.”
I huffed out a breath. “Like I said, I don’t want to be used. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong.”
His gaze darkened as he finally met my eyes. “Nothing’s wrong,” he growled. “And if you’re not going to be useful, you can get out.” He was lashing out at me, but I wasn’t sure what I’d done wrong. I felt sure it had something to do with his parents, but if he wouldn’t talk to me about it, then I could only make a guess. Still, he didn’t need to be so horrible to me. I was just trying to help.
“Whatever, Chase. I thought we were getting along, but I knew it wouldn’t last long. You just can’t help but be a jerk.” I shook my head, frustrated that we so easily reverted to our old ways.
I turned toward the door but paused and looked back at him as I opened it. “By the way, your parents are here and dinner’s being served.” I walked out without waiting for a response. He could be rude if he wanted, but I’d never taken it before and I wasn’t about to take it now.
* * *
Dinner was about the most awkward affair I’d ever attended. Shane, Chase, and I all sat totally silent at the table while Dad and Mr. Williams kept reminiscing about the good old days at school. If I had to listen to one more tale about their glory days on the football team, I was going to scream.
“Of course, Chase will never get a chance to experience the high of winning the state championship, seeing as he quit the team,” Mr. Williams said. His eyes were staring daggers at Chase across the table.
Chase refused to look up from his empty plate though. He kept slowly scraping his fork across its surface like he was searching for food that wasn’t there. His dad almost seemed to be baiting him, urging him to react. Chase remained remarkably calm though, which was totally unlike him. He never reigned in his broody temper around me.
“You’ll certainly be leading your team to victory though, won’t you Shane?” Mr. Williams turned his attention on my brother.
“We sure hope so,”
Shane replied, though he sent a nervous look in Chase’s direction.
Chase had told me his dad wasn’t happy he’d quit football last year, but I never would have guessed he felt this strongly about it. Judging by the tension in the room, it was an extremely sore spot for his dad.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I was relieved to have an excuse to look down at it rather than continue focusing on the train wreck of a dinner I was being forced to sit through.
Tessa: How’s your dinner?
I’d messaged her when I heard Chase’s parents were coming over. I thought tonight would be boring, but this dinner was even worse than I’d expected. I replied to her text with a grimacing face emoji.
Tessa: That bad, huh?
Me: Worse. This dinner is the most awkward thing ever!!!
Tessa: Worse than the time you dropped dinner on the floor and your dad’s friends had to order takeout?
Me: Waaaay worse.
Tessa: Maybe you should just kiss Chase now and get the plan over and done with. If things are already that bad it couldn’t hurt…
I almost dropped my phone as I read her message, and my fingers practically flew across the keyboard as I replied.
Me: I’m not kissing him in front of all of these people!
Tessa: It was worth a try.
Me: Please just save me?
Tessa: Can’t. I have my own awkward family dinner to get through. I’ll call you after.
Me: k
I slowly put my phone away, not quite ready to return my attention to dinner. Looking up at the rest of the table, I saw nothing had changed during my brief texting reprieve. Fake smiles did nothing to cover the tension in the room. It felt as though we were all seated on chairs covered in nails—you couldn’t afford to relax into your seat, so we all sat rigidly waiting for the torture to finally be over.
“We should probably get going, honey,” Mrs. Williams eventually said to her husband. “We have an early flight tomorrow.”
Chase’s fork clattered down against his plate. “You’re not staying the weekend?” His eyes narrowed as he looked between his parents.
I Hate You More Page 20