Page 27 (2/2)

They were a good height

I half-laughed, half-sighed at the ih irl the way I did with Tate, but I was getting ahead of ain, let alone third

Running ers behindabout the Lifetime Movie Channel to keepopen, and Tate stepped out with a crate of supplies in her arms

Her hair was parted in the middle today, and it flowed around her face and body, partially obscuring her eyes

But she saw h the blonde wisps, I could pick out the stors stilled, and she looked surprised, unnerved, and a little pissed

We had the same effect on each other

"Not now, Jared I’m busy," she warned as she carried her crate to a table off tome in my place

"I know I cauess I could help her I knew my shit in Chemistry as well as Math It was the touchy feely subjects like English and Psychology that bit my ass

"Help"I don’t need help"

"I wasn’t asking if you did," I shot back

"No, you’re just assu my eyes as she continued to unload her supplies

"Not at all I knohat you can do" My voice cracked with aht that if we’re going to be friends," I continued, "thisoffshe would knoanted anything but friendship

"I"It’s not like we’re going to be able to go back to cli sleepovers, is it?"

Her chest filled with a quiet breath, and she stopped unloading for a split second Her eyes ht she’d let me plant her ass on the counter and let me show her how a sleepover between us would work

But then she narrowed her eyes and talked more with her teeth than her lips "Like I said, I don’t need help"

"Like I said, I wasn’t asking," I repeated, notto let you conduct experiments with fire by yourself?" I had no idea what her experiht of so her alone, I gathered that it would involve the burners

"How do you know aboutto be friends?" she sneered before bending down to get soe has been done I know you’ve apologized, but it’s not so easy for h Even when I’d made her cry over the years with h and estures Did she?

"You’re not getting girly onive you Let’s move on

That’s what I really wanted

But she buried her face in her binder and ignored ers were hue to touch her

She kept staring at her papers, but I knew she wasn’t reading anything She was feelingup the petense, and looked up at h "Jared, I appreciate the effort you’re putting in here, but it’s unnecessary Contrary to what your ego is blowing you up with, I’ve been surviving just fine without you for the last three years I work better alone, and I would not appreciate your help today or any other day We’re not friends"

My pulse throbbed in my throat, and I sed

Fine without le day without her on ned expression and flat eyes I wondered if she’d believed what she’d said

I wondered if it was true

She turned back around to her work table, not giving away anything until she knocked her binder to the floor, and its contents spilled everywhere

I stepped behind her, and we bent down together to pick up the papers

Was she nervous?

Tate wasn’t usually cluether and studied the internet printouts of cars for sale that were a at cars?" I asked

The selection included a Mustang, a Charger, a 300M and a G8

"Yeah," she snipped "I’ myself a birthday present"

Birthday I nearly said it out loud

I guess now I knehat to tell her dad she wanted

She’d want the car soon Her birthday was co up in less than a week I wondered if he’d trusther wait

Would she trust me?

"Jared?" She held out her hand for the papers

I blinked, co up," I lied "Does your dad know you’re looking to buy a car so soon?" I asked as I came up beside her at the table

"Does your mom know you provide alcohol to minors and sleep around on the weekends?" she retorted, serving my shit back to me

"‘Does my mom care’ would be a better question" I couldn’t hide the disdain inher unload her crate

Even before I’d met Tate, my relationship with my mother was broken I roamed, left to stick up for myself orbuddies got rough Not that I could throw ue, Tate reht I’d healed her We were both fighting for happiness Fighting to just be kids e ether were the best I’d ever felt

I snapped lass shatter to the floor

What the…?

Tate had whipped around, probably having tried to catch the flask, and leaned on the counter looking down at heron with her?