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"Sa hts "I was just reet used to, but now it’s different"

"What do you enuinely interested, but not like others would have been Other people would’ve wanted to know about Mason or Logan It was different with Jackson, and I knew that he would understand

I heard , "How do you handle the attention?" I flushed I had no idea what I was asking "I’m sorry I don’t knohere that cao--"

"I don’t"

His words stopped me, and I slowly sat back down "What do you mean?"

His tone was so soft "I don’t handle it I irls You’re different, Sa to useHell, I don’t even think you want to talk to me, but I like it" He waved his hand over his face "I’ood at football I ht have a future there; I’e, but that’s all I know Girls are already looking at ns in their eyes" He looked away, but raised his eyes again

He was looking at h h ers curled around the sides of my chair, and I bit down onto say

"I’ve never an seeers relaxed, and I leaned back in , I replied, "He is I think he’s so used to it that he doesn’t even realize it’s there half the time"

"What’s your boyfriend like?"

"What do you otta be huge at his college already His naed "He’s fine I don’t know He said his focus is school, football, and an I don’t think he knows anything different"

"Yeah That’s how he seems, from what I’ve seen and heard about hiirls Aren’t they vicious?"

I laughed "They have been Not to Logan’s girlfriend, though They seean, and Heather, but I was opening up to hi aware of myself Kris had been welcomed with open arms when she transferred, but they had attacked me I was jealous of her I was jealous of how easy her transition had been

Jackson murmured, "But that’s because they were jealous of you Ideal It ine I’ve heard people talk about Logan and his girlfriend I irls think they’re going to break up sooner rather than later I kno girls work They’re just being patient, biding their time"

"Maybe" I shook hed and stood withto the step that led down to the parking lot, Jackson ith ed "I don’t know The idea of going in there and sitting at a table with a bunch of people froered on ht next to uy hurried out of Manny’s and darted around us He got into the van and started the engine I was about to step forward, but Jackson touchedthe van and a second later, the driver reversed out of his parking spot, going right into the path that I would’ve been in Without casting a look to us, he swung his front end around and gunned the engine, spitting up dirt frootten hit My ht inon the other side ofat where the van had gone His features were scrunched up, a scoas on his face, and he looked back As he did, his eyes met mine briefly, then fell to the hand that Jackson still had on my arm Guilt flooded me I jerked over a step Jackson’s hand fell down and he turned to ht second, and he sahere I was looking As he did, he an’s face, and he pressed his lips in a flat line

Everything happened in a split second, fro Jackson’s hand on my ar anything wrong I didn’t knohy I reacted how I did, but it was too late Logan started for us and I sed This could get interesting

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"Oh look" He tilted his head to the side, pushed his hands into his pockets, and gave us a cheeky grin "It’s the happy couple Out for brunch?"