12. Macie

Chapter twelve

Macie

B ecause I couldn't have my phone on me while working the park, the broken stream of texts between me and Gianna went like this:

Gianna: Say you're coming tonight. It'll be us girls. I promise. Pizza, movies, gossip. Like old times.

Me because I didn't want to go: I'm working today. I'll be tired. You all have fun though!

Gianna: I checked the park hours and you close at eight tonight. You don't have to stay the night, just come for an hour or two. We all miss you. I miss you. Please!!!

Me: I don't have a ride and I don't want to ask my parents to drive me around. They've been super awesome with me and I hate asking them to do more.

Gianna: I'll come get you.

Me: Actually, I'm carpooling with Relic.

Gianna: Great! Bring him!

Me: It's girls' night.

Gianna: I texted Brayden to see if any other guys want to come.

Gianna: He said Marsh and Relic will be there and we moved the party to his house!

I read the last text as I closed my locker for the evening. As soon as I walked out of the HR building for the parking lot, Relic pushed off the wall he'd been leaning against. "I hear we're heading to a party."

"We don't have to go," I said as we made our way to my car.

"You don't, but I do."

That had me stopping in my tracks. "Why?"

"Marsh texted my older sister because he likes it when I come to parties, and she's obsessed with me acting seventeen. He'll tell her if I don't go, and then she'll be up my ass for days. It's easier for me to go for an hour than deal with Lyra."

Ugh. My stomach dropped because this was my fault. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Sort of is. It was supposed to be a girls' night, but to get out of it I said I couldn't go because we were carpooling."

"Yeah, that's bullshit," Relic said. "Gianna's lying. It's always been a party. Marsh told me your friends want to see the two of us together again. Sounds like there's curiosity about what will happen when we hit the party, as they don't believe I'll give you the time of day and they want to console you."

Confused, I frowned. "Why wouldn't you give me the time of day?"

Relic rubbed the back of his neck as if embarrassed. "I have a reputation that, once I've kissed a girl, I don't kiss them again."

I blinked repeatedly. "Why would Gianna purposefully want to set me up to be, in theory, hurt by you?"

"They want to expose me for who I really am. I guess there's been a lot of discussion about how much time we're spending together. They're"— Relic mocked bunny ears with his fingers—"concerned and want to make sure you know who I am, so I don't break your heart."

"How do they know how much time we're spending together?" I asked.

"One of Brayden's friends works in aquatics and has seen us driving together."

Oh. "How do you know all this?"

"My best friend Marsh works with Brayden at The Game Place."

Oh again. My friends were talking about me. A lot and again. I felt like a deflated balloon. What was life going to be like when we returned to school in the fall?

"Don't do that," Relic said. "Don't let other people's pathetic bullshit bring you down."

"Let's go home." I opened the door to my car and plopped into the seat. A few seconds later, Relic joined me, but he didn't start the car and instead looked at me.

"Let's go to the party," Relic said.

I rubbed my temples as a headache threatened. "Why?"

"To fuck with them."

I cocked one eyebrow and met his gaze. "And how do we do that?"

"Everyone thinks we made out, right?"

I nodded.

"And everyone knows I don't make out with a girl more than once, correct?"

"You said that's the rumor."

Relic gave me a sly smile. "Let's blow their minds when I spend the entire night with only you."