“Maybe you should try dating someone else.”

“Have anyone in mind?” he murmured, reaching over and playing with a lock of my hair. I shivered when the tips of his fingers skimmed over my skin.

Yeah, me, please. Oh, how I wish it could be me.

“I don’t know. Jenna would be first in line, I think.” Jealousy stabbed me just uttering the words. I loved her like a sister, but I didn’t want him to go out with Jenna. I didn’t want him to go out with anyone, even though I knew it was an unfair expectation.

“Nah, I’m going to wait on this girl for a while. She’s worth the time, and I’m not ready to give up yet.”

I felt a pang of something. A stab of something in my gut. The green-eyed monster named Jealousy bombarded me. It stabbed organs and beat others hard enough that I wanted to curl into a ball right there on the merry-go-round. Whoever the girl was, I was jealous of her. I didn’t even know her, and I already hated her. She had Brody’s affection. Lucky bitch.

It was Thursday. We’d been meeting every night at midnight for three weeks. We were sitting in the Jeep on Brody’s aunt’s property, talking. It was raining and we watched the raindrops hit the windshield. Every so often, lightning lit the sky, giving me glimpses of him in the darkness.

“What are you going to do after graduation?” Brody asked me.

“Just a minute. There’s something I need to do.” I climbed over the center console and into the backseat.

“What are you doing?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Come back here,” I said.

He climbed into the back and fell onto the seat. I immediately scooted close to him until the sides of our bodies touched. He sat for a second, looking at me, his arm raised over me like he didn’t know what to do with it. I waited, holding my breath. He lowered his arm around me, pulling me closer to him, and I let out the breath I was holding. My body vibrated every time Brody touched me. I’d never felt that before.

“After graduation, I’m getting as far away from Middleton as I can. I’ve always wanted to go somewhere warm. I hate the winters in Michigan. I applied to UCLA.”

“Did you get in?”

“Yeah.”

He pulled back and looked at me. “That’s awesome, Willow! Congratulations.” He paused, and the skin between his eyebrows creased. “You don’t seem excited.”

“I’m not sure how I’ll pay for it,” I admitted.

“Your parents have money. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

I shook my head. “Ralph won’t give me anything for college. I’m not his daughter.”

“Oh. Didn’t your dad leave you anything before he died?”

“Um, he left me something. I have no idea what. My mom and Ralph control the estate, and they won’t tell me. So I’m not counting on that.” I shrugged. “But there’s always financial aid and scholarships. I might be able to swing it, especially if I find a job.”

“Why California?”

“It’s about as far from Michigan as I can get. Jaden is going to State on a football scholarship. He thinks that’s where I’m going since I’ve already been accepted. I haven’t told him that there’s no way I’ll be going there.”

Brody’s hand skimmed up and down my arm. “Ah. I guess he isn’t going to take the news well.”

“My plan has always been just to get to graduation and then get the hell out. I figured if I could just last with Jaden until then, I could get away from him when I left for college. It wasn’t that big a deal to date him until graduation. There wasn’t anyone else I was interested in, so that wasn’t an issue. But now…”

“But now what?” Brody murmured.

“Now, it’s an issue,” I answered, my voice soft.

“Why?” Brody shifted in the seat and pulled me around to face him. “I need to hear you say it.” He cupped my face, his thumb rubbing across my cheek.

“Because now, there’s someone else.” I watched his eyes darkened.

He leaned his face to mine. His lips were so close. They barely touched mine. I could feel them move when he spoke. “Then leave him. I want you, Willow.”

“I don’t… He’s gonna—”

He pulled back and dropped his hands. “Look…” He blew out a breath and rubbed his hand over face. “This… thing with you, it’s all new to me. I’m crazy about you. You’re in me. My day doesn’t start until I see you, and I want the last thing I hear at night to be the sound of your voice. I’ve never had anyone affect me like you. A million girls can come and go, but you’ll always be the one I look for, dream about, love. Only you. You’re my very heart.

“If you were dating some great guy, I’d be okay with being just your friend. I might not like it, I’d be jealous as hell, but as long as you were happy, I’d be okay with it. Problem is, you’re not dating a great guy. He’s a loser. A possessive, domineering, condescending jerk who takes you for granted—”

“Tell me how you really feel,” I muttered, scooting back on the seat.

“And I’m not okay with it, Willow. I’m not okay with just standing by and being your friend while you date an idiot like him. I don’t want to sneak around and see you just at midnight for a couple of hours. I’m greedy. I want all of you. I don’t share well.”

“What are you saying?” My heart beat doubled and my hands shook.

Is he going to make me choose between him and Jaden? Don’t make me choose. Please, please, don’t.

“Dump him and be with me. I’m not perfect, but I’m a lot closer than Jaden is, at least for you. You have to know that.”

“Or?” I whispered.

“There is no or. I won’t stand around and watch you self-destruct because of him.”

“You want me to choose between you?” I said slowly, looking in his eyes.

“I don’t want you to do anything tonight other than think. But tomorrow, yes, I want you to make a choice.” His eyes held me captive and his words fell like bricks between us.

I just stared at him. I’m not sure how long. Then I turned and opened the door and got out of the Jeep, leaning my back against the door. I didn’t even notice the rain hitting me. I just stood there, his words ringing in my ears.

He’s making me choose. My choice is him. Brody will always be my choice. But Jaden will tell. He’ll make our lives a living Hell. He’ll tell everyone what he knows. I can’t risk that…can I? Would Brody still want me if he knew?

“Willow,” Brody stood in front of me. “Get in the car. You’re freezing.”

I climbed into the Jeep when he opened the door. We drove to my house, neither of us speaking. It was the first time I felt uncomfortable with Brody. The first time I didn’t want to be with him. I just wanted to get home and climb into bed.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he said when he pulled up to my house.

I nodded and slipped out of the Jeep.

Friday. It was a home game. I used to sit with Jenna, Tim, and a handful of other friends. But that was before Jaden’s new rules. Under the new rules designed to keep me ‘in line,’ he expected me to sit behind the players’ bench. But I’d decided that it would end that night.

The night before Brody had asked me to make a choice. I’d been up most of the night thinking. When I got up that morning, I intended to ask Brody for more time, but he deserved an answer. So instead of asking, I texted him and asked him to meet me at the football game that night. I’d tell him my choice then.

That morning, I got up early and took extra time with my hair and makeup. I wore my black jeans and a red, scoop-neck sweater. I picked red for a reason, and I hoped Brody would catch the hint. Pulling on my black boots, I grabbed my keys. After a quick trip to Starbucks—I was going to need as much caffeine as I could get—I drove to school.