“Seriously. If Max knew you had feelings for him, he’d be all over that.”

“I’m not Max’s type, Jameson,” I repeat, sitting up to face him. “I don’t hookup and bounce from one guy to the next.”

“According to Kendall you date guys you aren’t that interested in. Maybe you both need to try something new.”

“Look, I really don’t want to discuss this tonight. Any of it, Eric, Max, sex, none of it. I just want to go home. Can I borrow your phone?”

Jameson fishes his phone out of his pocket and keeps a firm grip on it as he places it in my hand until I meet his eyes.

“Just think about it.” I open my mouth to protest, and Jameson shakes his head. “Don’t just be logical about it.”

Thankfully of the ten numbers I actually have memorized, I’m able to get a hold of Jenny, who comes to get me with few questions. When we pull up to our parents’, she looks over at me and smiles warily before she offers me one piece of advice. “I’m not really sure why you’re holding on to this one, Ace. We both know you don’t need a man to be successful, or to define you, or for anything else. You’re a strong, smart, and beautiful woman, and I hate to tell you this, but he isn’t bringing out those qualities in you, babe.” She turns off the car and opens her door before I can respond or ask about her and Paul. It’s obvious things still aren’t going well since she’s staying here.

Feeling stubborn, I head to see Eric the next day. I plan to confront him about the girl, and the party, but when I get there he beats me to it. I listen as he profusely apologizes giving me the same excuse I’ve heard countless times over the last nine months—a printing error occurred and he had to leave. He continues, explaining he thought Kendall would be able to come get me since the bonfire was so close.

I know I should probe further, demand more of an explanation than the lame one resembling a colander with all the holes it bears, but I don’t. I sit beside him on his suede designer couch as he flips through the channels and try to banish Jameson’s words from my brain—where they’ve been replaying all night.

“What do you think they’re going to do? I don’t understand what they’re trying to accomplish,” I comment, turning from the news station he’d turned on.

Eric’s head is down, his thumb racing across the screen of his phone, completely distracted and obviously preoccupied. A fleeting thought passes through my mind as I wonder if it’s the girl Jenny had mentioned. What the hell am I doing?

“I’m pretty sure you’re the one that wanted to watch this.” I’m annoyed as I glance at the clock on the wall, which tells me I’ve only been here a little over two hours. It feels like it’s been days.

Apparently he doesn’t realize I’m talking to him and not the coffee table. My anger builds as the realization that even if I’d been speaking rhetorically, he should still be paying attention.

“Eric,” I snap, narrowing my eyes on him.

Eric’s fingers pause as he tilts his head up and raises his eyebrows without tearing his eyes from his phone. Even without fully looking at me, I can see the clueless expression on his face and I find myself picking at every detail of him. I hate this expression, and I know it well; he’s trying to look boyish and innocent, and instead I just find it unattractive and dense. I look at his cheekbones that seem almost hollow, and his eyes which look more like murky pond water rather than the soft, warm caramel I’d thought when we’d first met.

“What are you doing?” I demand, and for the first time I don’t really care that I sound impatient and rude.

“Just checking on things. Did you need something?”

“Checking on what things?”

“Things you’re too pretty to worry about,” he replies, trying to pacify me with a grin that I begin mentally critiquing as well.

I let out a sigh and stand up. “Alright, well I’m going to go.”

“Where are you going?”

“Home,” I answer almost vehemently as he stands up beside me.

“Why are you leaving?”

“Because you’re not even paying attention! You’ve said all of twenty words to me in the last two hours.”

“Harper, you’re being needy,” Eric says with an exasperated sigh.

“Needy?” The word feels foreign and uncomfortable leaving my mouth. “Needy!” This time I nearly spit it. “You think expecting you to pay attention to me is needy?” A laugh follows my words as I look to the ceiling in disbelief. “I’m going home.” I grab my purse and head toward the door.

He doesn’t object or follow as I wrench it open and head to my car.

When I arrive home I’m still seeing red and kick myself for not clearly ending things when it had been the perfect opportunity.

“What’s wrong?” I turn my head as a familiar voice infiltrates my angry thoughts. Kyle and Max stare at me from Max’s driveway. I hadn’t even seen them upon pulling up; come to think of it, I can’t recall a single detail about my trip home.

Max drops a grease rag and shiny tool on the piece of cardboard his motorcycle rests on. They land with a dull thud as he makes his way over to me, wiping his hands on his dark gray shorts, all the while keeping his eyes trained on my face.

“What happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Ace, what happened?” His eyes beseech mine as he closes the last couple of feet between us.

I let out a tired sigh and close my eyes in defeat. “I’m just realizing what an idiot I can be sometimes.” I smirk, waiting for him to make a jab after creating a perfect stage to do so.

“I’d be happy to break his legs. Or an arm. Maybe his nose?” Kyle calls from the driveway, making me laugh.

“Thanks, Guido.” I tease, shaking my head as I turn back to Max.

I feel the smile slip from my face as I see the concern in his eyes. “Look, I’m sorry I made things weird between us. I don’t want things to be weird—”

“I know, me too.” Max wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his chest. My entire body melts a bit as I’m enveloped in his warmth.

“Let me finish this, and then I’ll come over.” Max’s voice comes out slightly muffled from being buried in my hair, and I simply nod in response as I reluctantly extricate myself from his embrace.

“I love you too, Ace,” Kyle calls out as I reach the door.

I turn around with a grin. “I love you too!”

“Ace, will you pass the popcorn over here, please?” Kendall crosses her ankles as she extends her legs on the ottoman in our basement. I want to ask if her legs are broken, until I look up from her feet and realize she’s leaning into Jameson’s side. I work to cover my grin as I slide the popcorn over to her so she doesn’t have to move.

When Max had finished working on his motorcycle with Kyle, he’d texted me that he was going to shower and I’d asked if he and Jameson wanted to come watch a movie. The four of us are now comfortably sprawled on the sectional in our family room.

“Are you kidding me?” I cry as the menu screen for the movie Kendall put in reveals a horror film about a psychotic serial killer.

“It’s supposed to be really good!” Kendall tucks a strand of hair behind her ear exposing her lie. My eyes narrow at her as I shake my head.

“Not a fan of scary movies?” Max asks from his seat beside me.

“That’s an understatement,” I admit, already feeling my heart race in anticipation. “I hate them.”

“Max will keep you safe.” Kendall winks at me, and my glare makes her chuckle as she snuggles further into Jameson’s side.

Within the first ten minutes of the movie I have my hands covering my face. “What’s happening?” I whisper to Max.

“You want to know what’s going on?”