He shakes his head. “That’s not how this works. You’re my girl, so it’s automatically yours.”

“Then I’d be honored to wear it.”

He hands it to me with a smile on his face, and I slide it over my head. As he helps me pull my arms through the holes, I realize how much I like having something of his wrapped around me. It even smells like his cologne.

There’s no chance I’m blending in today. Today, the whole school will see I’m taken.

“WHAT ARE YOU wearing?”

I shove the last book I’ll need for the morning into my bag, and close my locker. Mandi’s standing next to me, looking as disgusted as ever. She was blessed with resting bitch face, making her even more intimidating than she already is. “What does it look like?”

I turn away from her, not caring what she has to say. It’s never nice anyway. She doesn’t let me get far before she’s by my side again, spewing more shit.

“That jersey was supposed to be mine this week. How’d you get it?”

“For someone who knows it all, you missed the memo. Rhett gave it to me this morning—in his car.”

“Why were you in his car?”

“Because he brought me to school.”

She laughs at me like I’m delusional. I try to walk around her, but she pulls on my arm, spinning me around. Poking me in the chest, she says, “Don’t get too comfortable, Kinsley. I’ll get it back next week, so don’t suddenly think you’re special. Rhett still loves me.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” I mumble.

“What did you say?”

“I said, Rhett is my boyfriend.”

This time, she jumps back like I set her on fire. “You have lost your mind, little girl.”

“Don’t you ever get tired, Mandi? Move on, let it go. Rhett has.” This time, I don’t give her a chance to respond. Instead, I leave her with her jaw hanging open, and hurry to my first period class before the bell rings. Today was the first time I ever stood up to her—and it feels amazing.

In fact, I’m still riding my high when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, hoping it’s Becca letting me know where she is. Of all the days for her to be late.

Of course, I’m not that lucky. Somehow, word has even reached my brother.

Wyatt: Rhett Taylor, really?

Kinsley: What?

Wyatt: Rhett took you to school today? What’s his deal?

Kinsley: No deal. My car is in the shop.

Wyatt: Is Becca’s car in the shop, too?

Kinsley: No, smartass.

Wyatt: That’s what I thought. I don’t like it, Kin. You need to end whatever you started.

Kinsley: I’m not happy with you, either. I can’t believe you told every guy in this school to stay away from me, Wyatt. I’m so embarrassed. I’m not giving up Rhett.

As I walk into my photography class, twenty pairs of eyes are on me, inspecting me from head to toe. I can thank Mandi and Wyatt for making me late.

“Phone away, Kinsley,” Mr. Jasper says, when the bell rings.

I shove my phone in my pocket, effectively shutting my brother up. For the time being, anyway. Carson promised me he wouldn’t tell, which only leaves two people—Kate or Mandi.

I’m deep in thought about it when Rhett tugs on my jersey as I sit down. “I like this on you.”

“I’m glad someone does.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Rhett picks up his bag and hops over his stool to sit in the empty one next to me. “Who was it?”

The last thing I want to do is complain. I’m happy—I really am. Even if Mandi made me feel it was only a matter of time before Rhett came to his senses and ran back to her. “It’s nothing, really. I’m okay.”

“I see it in your eyes, something’s wrong. Tell me what it is.”

“It was Mandi. She told me you’re still in love with her.”

Rhett squeezes the pencil in his hand so hard, it snaps in half. “I was never in love with Mandi.”

I believe him because the way he acts around her, definitely isn’t anything that can be confused with love. “Do you still have any feelings for her?”

He shakes his head while playing with the pieces of his broken pencil. “None. I’ll tell her to back off.”

“That will only make it worse.”

“She’ll get used to it,” he says, confidently.

I can’t help but think it’s only wishful thinking. She’s not the kind of girl to give up easily. Before I can say anything else, Mr. Jasper begins class.

“Rhett, you’re up first. Let’s see what inspires you,” Mr. Jasper announces to the room.

He winks at me before he pushes his stool under the table, walking confidently to the front of the room. He doesn’t stand nervously like I would. Instead, he hops on top of the work table with his perfectly framed picture in his hand. I haven’t seen the final version yet.

“My choice was Kinsley West,” he starts. “At first when we were asked to take a picture of something inspiring, I thought of the football field with my helmet sitting on the fifty yard line, but I’m sure that’s been done. It would have been a great shot, but the more I thought about it, I wanted something only I had—something special to me. And that would be Kinsley.”

There’s a collective round of sighs from the girls in the class, wishing it was them he was talking about. Some of them turn around to stare at me, no doubt wondering what it is he finds so appealing. Others actually look like they want to be me—and that’s never happened before either. I have no choice but to duck my head and stare at the doodles I have scribbled on the front of my folder. Anything to make myself less visible.

“I followed Kinsley while she took her picture for her own presentation. She didn’t know I was near her, and without her permission, I took this shot.”

“It’s a beautiful picture, Rhett. Can you tell us about one of the properties you focused on? Either lighting, composition, or scale.”

Rhett nods his head. “Honestly, I got lucky. Kinsley was standing in the perfect spot. The lighting is just the sun shining through the window behind her. It’s drawn to her the same way I am.” He pauses for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. “I can’t really explain it, but it makes perfect sense to me. She’s my sunny-girl—she makes me happy.”

Mr. Jasper nods his head. “I think we’re all following. I just have one more question.” He turns to face the entire class before continuing. “I’ll be asking each one of you why you picked your source of inspiration, so start thinking of your answers.” And then he faces Rhett again, and I know what’s coming. It’s a question I’m both scared and excited to hear the answer to. “Rhett, why did you choose Kinsley as your inspiration?”

“Look at her,” he says. The sweet timbre of his voice forces me to raise my eyes to find his. As soon as our gazes meet, he says, “She’s everything.”

Mr. Jasper clears his throat, not so subtly ending our moment. “Is there anything else you’d like to add before you take your seat?”

“Yeah, just one more thing. Will you go to homecoming with me, Sunny?”

I cover my face with my hands, shocked stupid for the second time today. He can’t keep doing this to me. My heart is thumping so wildly, I can’t focus. All I can do is watch as he hops off the table, hands his picture to Mr. Jasper, and takes his seat next to me—still waiting for an answer.

I blink slowly, my expression blank. “Is that a yes?” he questions.

“You are absolutely crazy, Rhett.”

“That’s a yes, isn’t it?”

I want to smack him, but I can’t. His presentation was intense, and I’m quickly learning that’s how he rolls with most everything he does. Rhett doesn’t do anything halfway—he’s all in, all the time.