“Okay.”

   “So,” he begins again. He rubs his hand over the back of his head. He has dark-brown hair with tiny curls at the base of his hairline. His hair has a kink in it that could only be caused by his wearing a baseball cap anytime he’s not sleeping or dressed up in formal wear. “You heading to senior prom?” he asks.

   “Yeah,” I sigh. “I mean, yes, I was. I don’t think I can handle going anymore, though.”

   “To your prom, or any prom?”

   I shrug. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t really processed everything, you know?”

   “Okay . . . Well.” He clears his throat again. “I mean, you can come to mine. I have a spare ticket, and it would be a shame to waste that amazing dress. You look beautiful, by the way.” His gaze quickly darts to mine then back down.

   James didn’t even comment on the way I looked.

   “I swear, I’m not a psycho,” he continues, “and we have the limo for the whole night, so you can just leave when you want if you hate it, or me.” He laughs. “God, you must think I’m crazy. And my mate, Logan, spilling his beer on you . . .” He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, by the way. He’s kind of a dick.” He won’t stop rambling. “Look, I just don’t think you should let bad people dictate whether you have a good time. Come hang out with me and my friends. It’ll at least take your mind off things for a little bit. I just think that maybe—”

   “Okay,” I cut in.

   “Huh?”

   “Okay,” I say again. I look into his deep blue eyes and he smiles—a panty-dropping smile that most girls would swoon over. Too bad I’m not most girls.

   He nods. “So . . . I’ll just let the guys know what’s happen—”

   “Yo, Jake. What the hell, man? You’ve been in here for ages, I was about to—” Logan stops in his tracks when he sees us sitting together and the state of my face.

   “Give us a minute,” Jake says.

   “Yeah, man, sure, of course.” Logan starts backing away from us.

   “I should probably go tell them what’s up. I mean, they won’t mind your coming along, but they’ll probably want to know why. I can lie to them if you want, but I don’t think they’d care either way. So whatever I tell them is up to you.”

   “It’s okay.” I smile at him. “You can tell them the truth. I’m just going to go freshen up, and then I’ll be right out, okay?”

   “Sure.” But it comes out more like “shaw.” It’s the accent.

   After ten minutes in the restroom of freshening up, I’m almost back to normal. I hope ten minutes is enough time for all his friends to ask whatever they need to. I don’t want to ruin their night, but I don’t want to downplay what happened here, either.

   My phone’s been blowing up with calls and messages from James. None from Megan—not one. There are two missed calls from my parents, and a text from Mom asking if I’m okay, because James has called there a few times. I text back that everything’s fine, and I’ll see them at home later tonight and explain everything then. I write that I love them, because I really do, and nothing has made me realize it more than the shit that’s just happened.

   A few seconds later I get a text from Mom:

   We love you, too, sweetheart. Have a good night. Emily is begging for ice cream. We’ll bring you back a big batch of cookies’n’cream. It will be waiting for you in the freezer, wake me if I’m asleep and we can share some.

   I’m actually really looking forward to that, I text back.

                   I walk from the back of the restaurant to the dining area. Jake and his friends are waiting for me in the foyer. They turn toward me and smile as I walk up, but I don’t know them well enough to know if it’s genuine.

   Jake puts his hand on the small of my back to lead the way. I don’t think he expected skin-on-skin contact. He tenses for a second next to me before asking, “Ready?”

   I nod and smile up at him.

   He smiles back. “Well, let’s go then.”

   Once we’re all seated in the limo, Logan goes outside to have a cigarette. We introduce ourselves while waiting for him. I can tell by their builds that all the boys are jocks. The guy opposite me looks familiar—maybe he plays basketball, and I’ve seen him play against our school. I did go to all of James’s games.

   “I’m Heidi,” the blond girl sitting on his lap says, “and this is Dylan.” Dylan does a quick nod then returns his gaze to her. Obviously a man of many words.

   “Don’t mind him, he’s quiet.” Heidi shrugs. “Likes to make me feel real special by not looking at other girls for more than a second. It’s sweet, but it can be awkward if you don’t know him.”

   “Him is sitting right here, Heids,” Dylan says, rolling his eyes.

   “It’s nice to know there are actually guys like that around,” I say flatly, looking out the window.

   “Oh, shit!” Heidi gasps. “I’m such an idiot.” She pounds her palm to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Mikayla. I really didn’t mean anything by it.”

   “It’s fine.” I smile at her. “Honestly.”

   “I’m Cameron, or just Cam,” the guy next to them says. I think Heidi is relieved to move on. “And that little lady,” he adds, pointing to the girl on the other side of Jake on our bench seat, “is Lucy.”

   Lucy looks up from her e-reader with a timid smile on her face. “Hi, Mikayla. It’s nice to meet you,” she says quietly then resumes her reading.

   I look over at Cameron, who shrugs. “She’s on the last few chapters of some book she’s been reading. She can’t stay away from it. We’re used to it by now. We always find her reading at the oddest times. Don’t we, babe?” He says the last sentence a little louder to get her attention.

   What? These two are dating?

   “Uh-huh,” Lucy says, not looking up from her book.

   “I have the biggest dick you’ve ever seen, don’t I, babe?” Cam is almost shouting at her, trying to distract her.

   The car erupts in laughter, me included. Jake shakes his head next to me.

   “Yeah, babe. I heard exactly what you said, and I’d deny it if it weren’t true, but you’re right. It’s definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen,” Lucy says with a small smirk, her eyes never leaving the book.