Wednesday morning, candy cane grams are being delivered to each class. Casey and I never send one to each other and Jacob has sent me one once. When a gram is placed on my desk, my heart flutters. It can't be from anyone else but Dylan. I open the small snowman-shaped card where it says, Meet me at my car at lunch time. -D
There's a giddy feeling in my stomach, but also a nervous one. Dylan knows we can't keep up a relationship with Xavier keeping tabs on us. Maybe he's found a way to make things okay again.
During second period I can hardly wait for the bell to ring for lunch. When it does, I practically sprint out of the classroom and toward the parking lot. I walk to Dylan's normal spot, but his car is nowhere to be found. The thought of him skipping out on me crosses my mind, but I know he wouldn't do that. He probably skipped second period and is going to pick me up. Right?
I'm one second away from texting him when a familiar red car pulls up fast next to me. Kay gets out of her car and stands in front of me with her arms crossed.
"Get in," she says.
Like hell I'll get into the same vehicle as her. "No?" What is she even doing here? She's the last person I want to see.
She lets out a laugh that is anything but sweet. "If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm the one who sent you that stupid candy gram. Now, get in my car. We're going to chat."
I look around frantically, trying to spot Dylan, Casey, any of the boys, or even Jacob. No one is around to get me out of this situation. Part of me is curious to hear what she has to say, and that drives me to walk to the passenger side of the car.
Her car smells like roses and is spotless. It's newer and way nicer than mine. She puts the car in reverse and zooms out of the parking lot.
"You're going to listen to me, and you're going to listen well, okay?" she asks me, keeping her eyes on the road.
Suddenly, getting in the car with her doesn't seem like it was the best idea.
"Dylan wants to be with me. I know it," she says, sitting up straight. "You're just a distraction."
Her words mirror the boys when I asked about Dylan and Kay. They said she's the distraction.
"What do you want from me?" I ask her.
"I want you to break Dylan's heart into a million pieces so I can swoop in and take care of him," she flashes me a nauseatingly sweet smile.
Her dark hair is straight again with hardly a strand of hair out of place. Her makeup is flawless and I hate myself for liking the sweater she has on.
"How do you know he'll want you after I break his heart? What if he moves on to someone else?" I ask, attempting to make her see the flaws in her plan. There is a flicker of hope that she might move on from him and leave us alone. If she leaves us alone, then maybe Xavier will back off too.
"Sweetie, I knew from the moment I saw him that we are meant to be together. And trust me, I've had to fight off a lot of girls to get to him," she says through her glossy lips. "I mean, come on, you think me and you are the only girls chasing after him? Think about it."
My mind flashes to the blonde girl at the football game. Dylan is hot, there's no doubt about it. Girls at school lust after him. I hear the conversations about him. And I know better than to listen to what Kay says about other girls. She is trying to drive us apart.
"I don't know, you're the only nuisance I've encountered," I tell her.
She smirks. "I'm only telling you because you've experienced this kind of thing before, right? Couldn't keep your last boyfriend on his leash."
I bite my tongue to stop myself from saying something horrible to her. She's only trying to rile me up, but how does she know about me and Jacob? Dylan didn't tell her, did he?
"Dylan is gorgeous and attracts almost every girl wherever he goes. It's a fact and you know it. You're always going to have girls fawning over him. You can't escape that. I'm just wondering if you can handle it. Your last boyfriend cheating on you couldn't have been easy. What if you lose Dylan the same way?" she asks, taking her eyes off the road for a split second to look at me.
Anger is rising inside me, but that's exactly what she wants. "What about you? Aren't you worried about someone stealing him from you?"
"I can handle it. What do you think I'm doing right now?"
"Right, and having your brother scare Dylan into a relationship is so romantic," I let the sarcasm drip from my tongue.
She smiles. "Xavier will do almost anything for me. I can't help it if I have a good brother."
"And if Dylan refuses you?"
Her smile falters. "He won't."
Having to deal with Kay every moment I'm with Dylan isn't ideal, but I don't want her or Xavier to dictate how I live my life.
"How are you going to keep him around? You can't count on Xavier to watch his every move."
"Where do you think Dylan is right now?" she asks, looking at me to see my reaction. "He's not at school obviously."
Of course she would have Xavier distract Dylan while she deals with me. "So what, you're having Xavier beat the shit out of him because he doesn't want to be with you? Sounds like a healthy relationship to me." I'm tempted to text Dylan to see where he is, but it will only amuse her. I'll check on him after I deal with her. I have to tick her off. Make sure she knows that I'm not scared of her. "And how do you know Casey again?"
Her face darkens. "Casey who?"
"Your old neighbor. I heard she got along well with Xavier," I taunt her. I'm not sure how smart this is, but it's my best bet at getting her off my back. "Actually, I heard that he's trying to work things out with Casey."
She rolls her eyes.
"Maybe that's the only reason Xavier is helping you? You'll get the guy, and he'll get the girl and you all will be one big happy family."
She slams on her brakes and pulls into the parking lot of an old car dealership that is no longer open. She puts the car in park and points at me. "Casey is not good enough for my brother. I don't know what he sees in her, but I can't stand it. She was a bitch to me when we lived next to her and I'm going to make sure he doesn't get her."
"Does Xavier know about this little plan of yours? I bet he won't be too happy to hear that you're trying to keep him from Casey."
"My brother can do much better than that bitch."
Hearing her call Casey a bitch makes the anger inside me boil over. "Don't you see Dylan doesn't want you? He won't choose you, Xavier will choose Casey over you, and you're going to be the pathetic one standing in the background wondering why no one wants you. It's because you're the bitch."
I have no time to react before the back of her hand slaps against my face. It starts stinging instantly and I realize she has a ring on that cut me.
"Get out of my car!" she screams at me. "And stay away from Dylan. He's mine."
Before she can say anything else, I grab my things and open the door. I slam the door behind me just as she peels out of the parking lot.
My face is warm from embarrassment, anger, and the impact of her hand. On my fingers is small trace of blood coming from the cut that she opened with her ring. My eyes sting from the tears that want to come out, but I don't let them.
I don't know what to do. Having Dylan in my life has been both a blessing and a curse. He came into my life and made me forget about all the crappy things that have happened to me. But he also comes with extra drama that I don't need. It isn't his fault, but I can't find a solution to it all.
I'm too far into town to walk back to school. I'll have to call someone. I don't want to call Casey and I can't call Dylan. I'm not sure if my third option will answer, but it's worth a shot.
After I hang up with him, I wait on the sidewalk and try to keep my face covered. I don't know if it's that bad, or just a scratch, but I don't want to draw attention.
Soon Anthony's car pulls up beside me and I rush to get in the passenger side. Once inside, I look at him.
He whistles. "Do I want to know what happened?"
I immediately pull down the visor to look in the mirror. There is a cut the size of a quarter on my face and the blood is already clotting. A faint hint of a bruise is forming around it.
"Great," I sink into the seat. What am I going to tell my aunt Jade?
"Dylan is going to flip once he sees that," Anthony says.
"I guess getting in the same car as Kay wasn't smart."
"Kay did that to you?"
I nod. "She slapped me when I called her a bitch. Lucky for me she had a ring on."
"Damn," he shakes his head. "This isn't going to end well."
"Can I get your advice on what to do? Kay clearly doesn't want me and Dylan together and Xavier doesn't want Carlos with Casey. What solution is going to make everyone happy?" I ask him, though I'm sure he doesn't know the answer either.
"You can't make everyone happy," he says slowly. "I don't even know what to tell Carlos."
"How is he dealing with all of this?"
"He doesn't want to piss off Xavier even more, so he's been staying away from Casey. I don't think she likes it."
"She's pretty upset," I sigh. "I have no idea what to do."
We are both quiet, not knowing what to say in that moment. No solution will please everyone. Someone is going to be hurt. Maybe I should have stayed away from Dylan from the beginning. Or maybe I should have stood my ground against Kay.
I pull out my phone and text Dylan to see if he's okay. Kay might've been bluffing, but knowing Dylan there has to be a good reason he's missing school. Anthony and I will make in time for the end of the lunch period.
He is still silent and I feel bad for not being around as much and then just expect him to pick me up after I get in trouble.
"I'm sorry I've been a bad friend. You didn't have to pick me up," I tell him. "But I do appreciate it."
"Don't worry about it, Lacey. I get it," he gives me a warm smile.
Dylan still hasn't texted me back and I'm slightly worried. My mind stays on him and I wonder if I should tell Anthony how I'm feeling. Things with Dylan are becoming more and more complicated and I don't know if it's worth it anymore. At a red light, I share my thoughts with him Anthony.
"I'm just starting to think things aren't meant to be with Dylan," I say to him.
He shakes his head immediately. "I don't think Dylan has ever liked someone as much as he likes you. Not to be a typical wingman, but he's different since you guys met. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I'm going to anyway," he smirks. "The night me and the guys met you, at Dylan's party, he couldn't take his eyes off you. You walked outside and then it is like we were talking to a wall. It took him a while to go over to you. Probably giving himself a pep talk on the inside. When he introduced you to us, we knew he was definitely into you."
The butterflies in my stomach are going crazy.
"I fucking can't stand Kay," he lets out a frustrated sigh. "I told Dylan not to get mixed up with her. We all knew Xavier was going to become a problem if he went after her. Of course, this happened before he met you. I don't see what he saw in her."
"Why were they only friends with benefits if he liked her?" I ask him.
He gives me a look like I should know. "He met you," he rolls his eyes, but smiles. "He definitely has a type though."
"Are you really grouping me with Kay?" I laugh at the absurdity.
"C'mon. You don't see it? You both have dark hair, brown eyes, about the same height. Her cheekbones are a little better..."
"Hey," I nudge his arm. "Watch it." But I think about it. Are Kay and I so similar looking that that's the reason why Dylan likes me? Because I look like her?
We get back onto the school campus and he heads toward the parking lot.
"Can you drop me off at my car? I don't think I want to go to class with my battle wound just yet." Jacob, Sophie, and Seth will definitely ask questions. Will would for sure be nosey about it.
My phone buzzes in my hand and I eagerly look at it. Dylan's name flashes on the screen.
"Hey," I answer.
"Are you in the cafeteria?" he asks instantly. "I'm actually by your car right now."
Oh no.
Anthony pulls his car in next to mine, which is now next to Dylan's. Dylan turns and sees me and Anthony drive up. He looks confused then puts his phone in his back pocket.
"Shit," I swear to Anthony.
"Better think fast," he says before putting his car in park and getting out.
I step out of the car and try to hide the cut behind my hair.
"What are you two up to?" Dylan asks, looking between me and Anthony.
"Just getting some lunch. I haven't seen this guy in forever," I lie. I turn by body toward Anthony so Dylan can't see my face. "I don't feel good, so I think I'm just going to head home." I dig into my backpack for my keys.
Dylan grabs my arm and twists me so I'm facing him head on. "What the hell is that?" His face darkens and he directs his attention to Anthony. "I swear, if you fucking did this to her—"
"He didn't do it," I say quickly before things get out of hand.
Anthony holds up his hands. "I just picked her up, dude."
"Jesus Christ, where were you?" Dylan demand while examining my face.
I bite my lip. No use in lying. "Um, Kay and I went for a drive."
"You were with Kay?" He runs a hand through his hair.
The bell rings for lunch to be over and Anthony, lingering, says "I'm gonna head to class."
"Thanks again, Anthony," I give him a smile. I don't want Dylan to be upset with him.
He waves and takes off, leaving me and Dylan to talk.
"I don't want to go to class like this," I say to him. "I just want to head home."
I still don't know where Dylan was while I was with Kay. A talk is in place.
"You wanna come to the apartment with me? So we can talk?" I ask hesitantly. "I'll make us some hot chocolate." Asking him to go over when I needed help with my tire was one thing. We were just friends back then. It's different now that there are clearly feelings between us.
"Sure," he nods.
My heart is ready to leap out of my chest when I open the door to the apartment and have Dylan follow me inside. We need to talk about our situation and how we want to go on. My hands are clammy and I try to discreetly wipe them on my pants.
"My aunt usually gets home around four, so we have until then to talk," I say to him as I toss my backpack into my room. "Do you want a snack or anything to drink?"
"I'm okay," he says, glancing around and not meeting my eyes. He seems distracted while I'm distracted by his choice of clothing. He has on a gray zip up over a plain olive green t-shirt and some black pants. It's the first sign of color from his closet and it makes his eyes stand out nicely.
I walk up to him. "You okay?" Maybe he doesn't want to talk.
"Yeah," he nods. He tilts my chin up. "You should probably clean that cut. Who knows where her hands have been."
With him, perhaps? I don't say it out loud, but I don't think he's forgotten that he's been with her for a little bit.
I make my way to the bathroom and pull out the bottle of peroxide from the cabinet. With a Q-tip I gently brush some over the wound, where it stings slightly.
Dylan leans against the door frame and watches me silently as I work. The bruise isn't as big as I thought it would be, but it is still obvious. I'll have to come up with a good lie for my aunt to believe.
"How did she cut you?" Dylan asks, crossing his arms.
"She had a ring on when she hit me."
"Why did she hit you again?"
I sigh. "She called Casey a bitch, so I called her a bitch too."
"What does she have against Casey?"
"She doesn't like that Xavier and Casey have history together. She also doesn't like that you're spending time with me."
"She's all drama," he rolls his eyes. "This whole thing is turning into a shitshow because apparently everything has to revolve around her."
I cap the peroxide and put it back in the cabinet. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know," he shakes his head. "I want Kay and Xavier to disappear so I can just be with you and have no issues." He stands behind me and stares at me through the mirror. "I thought your dickhead ex was going to be the only problem."
"Me too," I say. I wish Jacob was the only issue we had to deal with. That would've been over with a long time ago. "Let's talk in the living room."
Dylan sits in the middle of the couch and I sit against the couch's arm, ready to figure out how we are going to make everything work. Anthony doesn't think everyone will be happy in the end, but there's no harm in trying.
"Did Kay tell you anything that could help us out somehow?" he asks.
Two things stand out from that conversation. She knew where he was during lunch and I didn't. "Why weren't you in school earlier?"
He hesitates before answering. "I was with Xavier."
"Did you guys talk?" From the looks of him, they didn't fight. Or maybe they did and Xavier got the worst of it.
He scratches the back of his neck. "I don't trust Xavier around you, okay? He's got a loose screw in the head and he's not someone to hang around with freely."
"And that's why you were with him?"
"I told him I'm still with Kay..." he trails off, and in the process leans away from me.
"What? Why?" Why the hell would he do that?
The expression on his face is unreadable, but I know he's trying to choose his words carefully. "He'll leave you alone if he thinks we're not together. As long as he thinks I'm with Kay, we'll be okay."
I knit my brows together. "You convinced Kay that you still like her." It's more a statement than a question. That's why Kay was so confident that they are going to be together. "You really planned all of this behind my back."
"To prevent you from getting hurt. The less you know, the better. And the less Xavier knows, the better," he snaps. "He'll do anything for Kay, and if that's getting you out of the picture he'll do it. I don't know how much Casey can help you, but I don't think it'll be a lot." He stares off for a second. "I don't want to make things worse, but I think Casey should really stay away from him."
"What do you mean?" I sit upright.
"He doesn't like Carlos as it is and I don't know how far he'll go to keep him away from her."
If Casey is the slightest bit of danger, both her and Carlos need to know what they are getting themselves into. "I need to tell Casey."
"Don't make her panic or anything. I don't think he'll hurt her physically."
I put my head in my hands. "Why is this happening?"
He's silent.
After taking a deep breath, I look at him. "So, me and you still can't happen?"
"It can. We just have to be sneaky about it," he says. "The only thing...I still have to keep up appearances with Kay, but I've got it all planned out."
I urge him to go on.
"I already know what annoys the shit out of her, so hopefully if I play my cards right I can get her to dump me. I can't go too far otherwise Xavier will still come after me."
"This situation is so messed up," I shake my head.
"Hey, we can make it work," he nudges me. "Just trust me."
"I do," I nod. I've always trusted Dylan, which is why I've been so open with him since we first met. He doesn't seem like the double-crossing type. Which brings me to the second thing that I remember from my conversation with Kay. "I don't think Xavier knows that Kay doesn't like Casey. Maybe we can use that to our advantage."
He taps his chin. "I'll keep that in mind." He hesitates before speaking again. "I know you don't like the idea of me and Kay being together and I promise things won't go far. If I really have to kiss her, it'll be a peck on the cheek and that's it. Nothing beyond that. I gotta save my best kisses for you."
I can't stop a smile from spreading on my face. "Have our past kisses been your best kisses?"
"Not even close," he teases. "You'll have to wait for the best ones."
Unconsciously, I bite my lip before leaning into him and placing my lips on his. His hand rests on my waist as our mouths move together causing the same sparks in my head and heart as all the other times we've kissed. When he pulls away, he brushes some hair away from my face.
"I want you to come over to my house this Friday," he says, almost breathlessly.
The way he says it brings tingles to my whole body and my mind immediately goes to a dirty place, causing my face to go warm.
He chuckles. "That came out the wrong way. I mean for dinner. With my dad."
With his dad? "Really?" I ask, trying to stop my face from blushing further.
"Yeah," he nods. "It'll be the first time in a while that all the Parker boys will be home at the same time."
If Derrick and Ethan are going to be there, then it can't be that bad, can it? "I'd love to," I smile as I say it. My mind sticks to the word 'boys.' Dylan has never mentioned his mom and I wondered if it's a sore subject for him. I'll feel horrible if I've only been capable of talking about my own issues and not asking him about his. Did she leave them? Or something else?
I decide not to push it. He'll tell me when he's ready.
"Maybe I should get going," he says, glancing at our clock on the wall. "Not to be rude, but I don't want your aunt to see me and have her assume I'm trying to corrupt you or something."
"Okay," I chuckle.
As I walk him to the door, he says, "Any time I'm with Kay, I'll let you know."
"Don't stress too much," I tell him. "I trust you."
Sure, it bothers me that they are still going to see each other, but Dylan's actions from the get-go have been nothing but positive when it comes to me. I don't trust Kay, but I trust him more.
After Dylan leaves, I stay on the couch and watch TV, but I'm really only staring at it blankly. A million thoughts are running through my mind and I don't know what to do with all of them. Why does everything have to be a mess? I hate that this has become my life and instead of fighting back, I'm just accepting it. But what more can I do? I can't change the fact that my parents are gone, and no matter how much I question why this has happened to me they won't come back. And what about Jacob? Why couldn't he just break up with me instead of cheating? I could've gotten over a break up easier, but now I have to live with the fact that I wasn't good enough for him when he cheated. Kay only made it worse. How do I know Dylan won't cheat? Or any other guy I date if me and Dylan don't work out?
Do I want to fight for him?
My aunt practically rushes inside with a few bags from the grocery store, startling me.
She smiles. "Well, don't you look comfy." She continues to walk past me until she does a double take. "What happened to your face?"
I've completely forgotten to think of a lie. My mind is racing trying to come up with a convincing lie. "I—uh, there is a stray cat on the railing by the stairs when I got home. I tried to pet it and it attacked me..." It's a lame excuse, but it's all I can think of.
She set the bags down and strides over to me. Grabbing my face, she examines it. "It's bruising."
"Is it?" I play dumb. "It did have big paws. Grabbed onto my face pretty good."
She eyes me skeptically. "You have the worst luck."
Tell me about it. "Do you need help?" I ask her, standing up and changing the subject.
"No, I got it. I do have to tell you that James is coming over for dinner."
Her genetics professor-boyfriend. I haven't seen him since Thanksgiving. "Oh, okay," I nod. "I can see if Casey wants to hang out so you don't have to worry about me."
"Actually," she says as she walks into the kitchen with me following her. "I was thinking the three of us could have dinner together so you can get to know him a little better."
I'm surprised. If she wants me to get to know him more, then that has to be a good sign for them. "Things are going well then?" I ask.
She's pulling everything from the grocery bags and setting them aside. She lets out a long sigh. "Things seem to be going too well. I keep waiting for him to have a flaw," she laughs at herself. "Would you mind cleaning up a little bit? I know it's not filthy, but—"
"I got it," I say. She's nervous, and even though she's trying not to show it I can see it.
I vacuum the carpeted areas, dust the shelves, and while I'm doing all of that my aunt disappears into her room. When she comes out she has changed from her black trousers to jeans that match the maroon blazer she has on.
"What time is he coming over?" I ask after I finish cleaning up.
She's at the stove, completely focused on the chicken cooking in the pan. "I told him to come over at six."
Glancing at my phone I see that it's going to be five-thirty. I go into my room and brush out my hair. I stare at my plain black sweater and decided it's decent enough for dinner. Slipping on my ring from my aunt, I walk out of the room and double check the rest of the apartment. It isn't much, but I hope I've cleaned it enough.
"What are we having?" I ask her.
"Chicken parmesan."
The doorbell rang and she looks at me. "Can you get that? I don't want to mess anything up over here."
Behind the door is James, who is a tall guy with the beginnings of salt and pepper hair and a trace of a goatee. He has a light blue button up rolled up to his elbows and some dark jeans. He smiles at me.
"Hi, Lacey," he greets.
"James," I nod at him before opening the door wider. "Come on in."
In his hand is a tub of ice cream, though I can't tell what flavor it is.
"She's in the kitchen if you want to head in there," I tell him. "I can put that in the freezer for you."
We walk into the kitchen and she immediately smiles when she sees him. They hug and he kisses her cheek lightly.
"I brought something for the sweet tooth. You said butter pecan is your favorite, right?" he asks her.
"I did," her grin widens.
I take it from him and put it in the freezer. My aunt finishes dinner as she talks to him. Deciding I don't want to be too much of a third wheel, I go to my room and pick my phone up from my bed. I don't have any messages so I scroll through Instagram before my aunt calls me from the kitchen.
I help set the table and we are soon sitting, with me at the head and my aunt and James sitting across from each other.
James, being a genetics professor, is a giant dork. It's not that I don't like him, but his topics of conversation almost make me lose my appetite. Other topics are interesting. He tells us how we can see the probability of what traits will carry on in a family based on partners. He's better at teaching this than my sophomore biology teacher.
"So if you and my aunt have kids, what's the chance they'll have hazel eyes like you?" I can't help but ask. I'm partially teasing, partially not.
My aunt gives me a look, but he chuckles. "Well, there's a chance the dominant trait might be brown eyes since my family has a history of those and especially since yours are a chocolate brown," he directs the statement at her. "My mother has dark green eyes, so I somewhat got a mixture of hers and my dad's brown eyes."
At the mention of green eyes, my mind goes to Dylan and his intoxicating light green eyes.
"That's a lovely tattoo you have," James suddenly says, his eyes zeroing in on my wrist.
I quickly look at my aunt and she's almost giving him a 'shut up' look. I realize she must've mentioned to him why I have the tattoo, but I'm curious as to where he wants the conversation to head.
"Thanks," I say slowly. "I'm trying to get rid of it."
"Are you thinking removal or cover up?" he asks, seeming genuinely interested.
It throws me off because I've only ever talked about it to my friends. "Um, whatever is cheapest and easiest, I guess."
"Removal is a long process," he says, looking at my aunt. "I had a tattoo removed a couple years back."
"Really?" I ask. My aunt seems like she's heard the story before, but I want to hear it. "How was it?"
"It was a pain. You have to go in intervals until it's completely removed. I didn't want to get another tattoo, so that's why I wanted removal."
"What was the tattoo of?" I ask.
"Some Chinese inscription I got in college. It didn't mean what I thought it meant and it was quite embarrassing," he laughs slightly. "The removal is just a little more expensive than what a cover up would have been."
I pick at my food. "At least yours isn't a matching tattoo with your now ex-boyfriend," I try to sound light-hearted, but my aunt frowns. I've gotten over the whole thing with Jacob, but she hasn't. And I haven't told her that we're on friendly terms now.
"What would you cover it with?" she asks me.
"I don't know," I shake my head. "I have to come up with some money before I start thinking about it I guess."
James sets his fork down. "I could pay for it."
What?
"You really don't have to do that, James," my aunt says to him.
"No, I really mean it," he nods. "I know what it's like to have a tattoo you don't want anymore. I have no problem paying for it."
Excitement is rising in me, but I try not to get ahead of myself. "I'll have to think about it," I say. Covering my tattoo will really allow me to move to a different chapter in my life.
"Well, I can help too," my aunt chimes in. "Anything to help you forget him."
Him, meaning Jacob. "We're on good terms now," I told her. "We've talked through it." And fought, and argued, but I didn't tell her that.
"In my opinion, a guy who changes your tire and takes you out all the time is a much better guy," she says a little on the nose. That means she clearly likes Dylan. "Anyway, I think I'm ready for dessert. I'll go pull it out so it can thaw a bit."
As soon as she leaves, James turns to me again. "I don't want you to think I'm weird for offering help with your tattoo situation. I really care about Jade and I want to help her any way I can," he says. "I also don't want you to think I'm trying too hard to make you like me."
"I appreciate it. And as long as my aunt is happy, then I'm happy."
He smiles. "Whenever you want that tattoo gone, just let me know. I've heard students talking about the best places in town."
I can only imagine what conversations he hears on a daily basis. "Thanks," I laugh.
I can't wait to tell Casey. She'll help me decide on a cover up. Maybe that can be our small distraction from the Xavier disaster going on.