I know right now even though I’m in shock over her skipping out of her next semester of college and pissed that she couldn’t see past herself to know something else was going on with me and not happy about her getting married. Like everything Lora wants me to be sucked into, I’m going to get sucked into this.

“Yeah. I hear ya,” Dylan whispers almost next to me.

I jump and then swallow because I can’t find words with him so close. Why do the assholes have to be so hot? “Not jumping with joy for the happy couple?”

“Jumping in my car and getting the hell out here.” He flips his keys in his hand.

“Ditto.”

“Guess I’ll be seeing you around.” He shrugs and walks off.

Guess so.

Seven

~Dylan~

My brother is an ass.

First, he has me playing the part of some chump in a romantic comedy by declaring me one of his wedding planners. It pisses me off. He knows how I feel about the marriage, and now he wants me to play opposite the part of… whatever chick is playing in rom-coms these days. Oh, and of course he chose to spring it on me at the engagement dinner because he knew I couldn’t freak out too much.

And second, he’s been locked in the room with Lora for hours. Yep, he gets engaged and suddenly gets to play house and have his girl stay over. Guess where that leaves me? I get to be the one to go pick up my future sister-in-law who happens to be the angriest girl I’ve ever met. Or… at least she was last night. I have visions of her going home after the dinner sticking pins in her Derrick and Dylan voodoo dolls.

And it’s all so he can get laid. What other reason would there be for me to pick Ziah up, bring her home, and then all of us to leave and go play wedding planner? My brother has been back a day, and he already doesn’t feel like my brother anymore. It’s like he’s already forgotten about us and our pact.

I pull up in front of Ziah’s house. After glancing at my cell, I toss it on the seat. I’m right on time, so I honk the horn and wait for her to come out. She’s out the door about ten seconds later, scowl in place, but stops dead in her tracks about twenty feet from my Hummer.

I’m not going to roll down the window. I’m not going to roll down the window.

I roll down the window. “What?”

More scowling. “I’m not riding in that thing.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s ridiculous! It’s—” She’s gesturing and looks stunned or something.

“She’s cool as hell. Get in the car, Hanes, or I’m leaving.”

She humphs before crossing her arms and walking to the passenger’s side. I watch as she climbs up and in. Her feet automatically come up, and she rests them on the dash.

“What are you doing? Why would you put your feet on Mary?” What’s wrong with this girl? She’s a nutcase.

“You named your car?” She rolls her eyes. “Of course you named your car.”

But she puts her feet down, and I swipe my hand across the nonexistent foot-marks on the dash.

“What do you mean ‘of course I named my car’?” Five seconds with this girl, and I’m already a million times more annoyed than I was before.

“Nothing.”

She has her face practically plastered to the window so she doesn’t have to look at me as I drive. I turn up the music, hoping it’ll drown out her moodiness. Two can play at this game. Though for her, I’m pretty sure it’s not a game, and she actually hates me. What did I ever do to her? Nothing. Girls are just crazy, and my brother is getting himself tied up in the craziness. He’s screwed if Lora is as pissy as her sister.

I glance over at her. She’s still looking out the window. She has her hair tied up in a ponytail thing, which would not be hot if it weren’t for the one little strand of hair that fell down. The air from the heater makes it brush against her cheek, and something makes me want to reach out and slide the silky strands through my fingers before I tuck it behind her ear.

Apparently it’s not girls who are crazy. It’s me. There’s seriously something wrong with me. We’ve gotten along all of about two seconds of the times we’ve seen each other, yet I’m fantasizing about playing with her hair? It’s something Derrick would do with Lora.

As much as I try, I can’t seem to make myself focus on the road. The music isn’t distracting me like it should. I can’t even find it in myself to think about my dumb ass brother and how he’s doing a douche-bag thing getting married and dragging me along for the ride.

Against my better judgment, I turn down the radio. “Just curious, but is there a quota of hours you have to spend mad, and you’re behind? You don’t have to play catch up every time you’re with me, you know.”

Her head whips around, that little lock of hair flying with it. “What? I’m not mad, and you don’t have to be a jerk.”

She’s going to be pissed, but I can’t help it, I laugh.

“What’s so funny?” She turns sideways in the seat, and I swear I see a hint of a smile. She’s trying to hide it, but I see all.

“You… not mad. That’s got to be the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Maybe it’s just you, ever think of that? Maybe you bring it out in me?”

“Aww, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Her mad face is breaking, and the smile is peeking through more. “Don’t smile, you’ll ruin it. If you smile now, I’m going to know you don’t really hate me. That you’re madly in love with me but too scared to admit it.”

She freezes, and I know she’s about to blow. “I don’t do love, and if I did, it definitely wouldn’t be with you.”

She crosses her arms again and goes back to staring out the window and pretending to be interested in streets she sees every day.

I don’t try to talk to her anymore. It makes for a long ride back home, especially when I can’t stop myself from wondering why she’s anti-love all of a sudden. She looked pretty happy with that guy at the party. Are they together? Did they break up?

Why do I give a shit?

I jump out of Mary when we get home. Ziah is right behind me—her lips still glued shut as I let her in the house. “They’re in Derrick’s room. They’ve been in there since last night. If I know my brother, they’ll be in there for a while.”

“What?” She finally speaks. “Lora called and said we were going as soon as we got here.”

I shrug, but to my surprise, Derrick and Lora start walking down the stairs holding hands. Nice. Pushed to the side again. Derrick and Lora come out for Ziah, but I haven’t seen him since last night.

“You guys ready?” Derrick asks, a cheesy smile on his face.

“No,” Ziah and I say at the same time. I glance over at her and give her a nod. At least we agree on one thing.

“Ziah!” Lora hisses.

“I’m kidding, Lora.”

Lora smiles, but I’m confused as to why. Even I can tell Ziah’s lying, and I don’t know her very well.

“What’s the plan?” If she can pretend to care, I guess I should, too. Derrick starts babbling about how we’re just going to lunch today. Apparently Lora likes to make lists, and she needs all our help to write one for all the crap they’re going to make us do.

“How much is there to do? I mean, do we really need a specific lunch date just to make a list?” I don’t know about them, but that sounds ridiculous to me. “I mean, I can stay here, and you guys can just give me the list later. I’ll take one for the team like that.”

“Hey! That’s not fair! If I have to go, you have to go, too!” Ziah gives me the evil eye.

“Sorry, I thought of it first.”

“Which means you’re the only one who can do it?” She turns toward me, and her hands go to her hips. “I have a whole lot of stuff going on that—”

“Stop!” Lora yells. Both Ziah and I shut up. She’s not looking like the sweet, hot- chocolate-making sister right now, and I start to see where Ziah gets her attitude. “You guys are being ridiculous! Ziah,” she turns to her sister. “It’s not like I ask a lot of you. This is important to me, and I want to share it with you. If that’s too much to ask…”