Page 13 (2/2)

“To good friends,” he said He raised his glass but didn’t wait to coulp

The cold was creeping out of the log and up through my jeans into my buttocks “I need toin place

Matt rose “Should we go? I didn’t think to bring a blanket”

“No I don’t want to go Let ain”

“Don’t te but failing miserably

I laughed and stoppedto bite me?”

He stepped closer to h that I could feel his breath on ht,” he whispered

For aon his ear

“Are you afraid?” he asked softly

I didn’t move except to breathe

Then he scared the crap out of“Roar!” in my ear

I would have fallen over if he hadn’t grabbed me

“You idiot!” I hit him as best I could “I think you popped my eardrum”

“Did I scare you?”

“No! You hurt my ear!”

He pinnedhim

“Sorry,” he said “It was getting too intense, and I deflect with humor when I’m nervous”

“You do?” He had never shared anything so personal

“Lame, huh?”

His eyes were mere inches from mine “Not lame”

“Do you pro me?” he asked

“Yes,” I said

When he removed his arms, I realized I should have said, “No “

“It’s New Year’s Eve,” he said

I thought we’d already covered the subject “I’m pretty clear on the date,” I said Then I ht “Thanks forit a party”

“I usually sit up with my parents and watch the ball drop”

“Sounds fun”

“I like this better” He motioned to the lake and the“It’s alht”

“Oh no We should go!”

“Not yet We have to do the countdown”

He held his phone up for me to see

“Ten,” he said

“Nine,” I said with hiht? Is that what he had in ht

“Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one,” we said in unison

“Happy New Year,” Matt said and hugged me

A hug was better than nothing “Happy New Year,” I said, aardly hugging him back

“I have a great feeling about this year”

I had a pretty good feeling about the hug, but I didn’t say so

“Ready to go?” He leaned down and collected our things

With a sigh, I adet home”

He held out the soft drink bottle “Still hungry?”

“Always!” I said, and reached for the bottle

“You can have the rest”

“A

re you sure?”

“Go for it”

I unscrewed the cap and took a big swig When I glanced over at Matt, he was s at me

“What?” I said

“Nothing,” he said, but he kept grinning

Chapter Two

When I climbed back in my , I saw the note on e on the reverse side “You are grounded forever, missy!” When she called me missy, I was in trouble

I crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it on the floor I crawled into bed, and pulled the covers over my head Great way to start the New Year

So, I heard the beep ofa text

I dug around the covers to find , “Call”

My first uy I called

“Are you up?”

“Now I arounded forever by the way What’s up?”

“Toht At dinner My parents want to meet you”

I was suddenly wide awake “You told your parents about me”

“Not exactly My little sister did”

“Why would she do that? Why would she tell? What did your parents say?”

“It’s fine, Natalie Really”

My lungs weren’t functioning right I struggled to breathe “How could it be fine!” I gasped “You’ve been lying to them for months!”

“They busted , and she tried to save uess Ashley’s been feeling pretty miserable about the whole situation for months now”

I couldn’t summon any pity for her

“She told the? Is she in trouble for…”

Ruining my life

“I expect them to hand down a pretty harsh sentence for Ashley As for et into that yet My mom and dad were more concerned with you”

I did not like the sound of that “Me?” Fear grippedto do to me?”

“They are going to protect you, Natalie We’ll talk about this tonight”

I wasn’t so sure Why all the secrecy if they were going to be fine with rounded”