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"I was just about to call you My dad got tickets for toht to the dance at the country club Do you want to go with me?"

"She’s busy tomorrow," someone calls froait slow and a His body is loose and relaxed, yet I know it’s not Not really

"Who’s he?" Chase asks

Pete holds out his hand to shake Chase looks at it like it’s dirty Pete pulls his hand back and reaches for mine I pull mine back and cross my arms beneath my breasts "Chase, this is Pete" I lean my head toward Chase "Pete, this is Chase"

"Nice to ether," I rush to say

Pete sether He looks at nores Pete, which pissesbut nice until now

But there’s steel in Pete’s voice when he replies "I told you she’s busy"

Chase flexes his hand, balling it up into a fist Pete still appears relaxed But he’s not He doesn’t need to posture to seem fierce the way that Chase does He just is And he’s so much more "I’d like to hear that from her"

"I’m--" I start to say

But Pete puts his ar for her"

I look up at him "Don’t speak for me," I say I lift his ar you need?" I ask

"Not yet," he says slowly His eyes dance across ?" he asks He raises an eyebrow at me in question I nod He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear before he leaves

"Who the hell is that?" Chase barks He watches Pete’s prideful swagger all the way down the aisle until he disappears fro "He’s a friend"

"Since when do you have friends like that?" he asks He steps toward ainst the shelves behind me I don’t like to be cornered, but Chase has no way of knowing that I skitter to the side so that I’m not he to the tattoos Pete walks by the end of the aisle and waves at us, and then he winks at ain "He’s really very nice"

"Where did you meet him?"

I can tell the truth or I can lie But then I hear Pete one aisle over as he starts to sing the lyrics to Elvis Presley’s "Jailhouse Rock" I grin I can’t help it "He’s helping out at the camp this week," I say instead of the truth Well, it’s sort of the truth

"Where’s he froes froh out loud this ti out with him?"

My dad is covered in tattoos, too, but"He likes Pete," I say "I do, too" Chase puts one are hiain, and he looks crossly at me "Don’t box me in," I warn

He holds up both hands like he’s surrendering to the cops But he still looks curious "So, about tomorrow," he says

"I can’t," I blurt out

I think I hear a quickly hissed, "Yes!" from the other side of the aisle, but I can’t be sure

Chase touches my elbow, and it makes my skin crawl I pull my elbow back "Don’t touchdown the aisle toward us His expression is thunderous, and I step in front of hi Chase like I’ he wants to do I lay a hand on his chest "You ready to go?" I ask

He looks down at ht His hand lands on ainst hiht him I adle It’s not an altogether pleasant sensation, but only because I can’t control it He holds me close, one hand on the center of my back, and the other full of breath mints and assorted sundries He steps toward Chase, and Pete and I are so close together that I have to step backhen he steps forward

I repeat ?"

He finally looks down atI need," he says His tone is polite but clear and soft as butter

I clear my throat and turn Pete toward the front of the store so we can pay for the items he’s collected "I’ll see you, Chase," I call back He waves atout his phone as alk away, and I’ for my dad to hear from his dad I don’t care If my dad had a problem with Pete, he certainly wouldn’t have sent me out with him

Pete steps up to the counter and lays his iteister He pulls his wallet from his back pocket and opens it up I see a couple of foil wrappers in with his cash Heat creeps up my face He pays, then closes his wallet and shoves it back into his back pocket He takes the bag from the clerk and thanks her

As alk out the front door, he twines his fingers with htness of the sun "You really need to learn to behave yourself," I say But I can’t bite back a laugh I just can’t "‘Jailhouse Rock’? Seriously?"

He shrugs, but he’s grinning too "It seeh so loud that I cover my mouth in embarrassment "It was so inappropriate," I say

He sobers and looks at uy to you?" he asks

"He’s a friend," I say with a shrug "That’s all"

"Why didn’t you tell hi with bated breath, I think

"I did"

He shakes his head "You knohat I mean"

"He asked where you’re from I said New York City What ood start," he mumbles

"Jail is a place you stayed for a while, Pete It’s not where you’re fro they live at Cast-A-Way Far for a week"