Tyler caught it. “What the heck, Lacey! It’s just me.”
“Oh.” I kept walking to my locker, trying to shake the nerves.
“What happened?” he asked as he followed me.
When I got to my locker, I punched in my code. I stuck my head inside and took several breaths, trying to quell the adrenaline pumping through my veins. On my last breath, I turned toward Tyler.
He pulled me to him, wrapping his muscular arms around me. “Talk to me.”
Becca ambled over with a frown on her face. Was she mad because Tyler was holding me?
I pushed Tyler back. “I’m fine.”
He raised his hands. “Okay. I just want to make sure.”
“What’s going on?” Becca asked, concern in her voice. Then her phone beeped. She opened it up and gasped before laughing. “Seriously, girl. You didn’t just get into a fight with Tammy Reese.”
Tyler ripped the phone out of her hands.
“Hey!”
Tyler’s face tightened as he studied the screen. He lifted his head, meeting my gaze, sparks of fury in blue eyes.
“What? You’re not my father. Don’t look at me like that,” I said.
“I’m only going to say two words. Baseball tryouts.”
Why was he always the one who rained on my parade? “She started it.” Now I sounded like I was talking to my father. Those were always the first three words out of my mouth when Dad looked at Julie and me after one of our sister fights. I let out a sigh. Dad wasn’t going to like this if he found out, even if it was an accident.
Tyler laughed. It wasn’t a funny laugh but a nervous one.
“I’m not going to let anyone threaten me. Besides, it was an accident.”
The tightness around his eyes loosened as he handed the phone back to Becca. The bell rang. “I’ll see you ladies in English,” Tyler said, shaking his head as he strode off.
I closed the door to my locker.
“Okay, I’m not going to ask right now what that was all about between you and Tyler.” Becca’s words dripped with resentment. “But I do want you to spill about Tammy.”
“Later,” I snapped.
“Pissy, aren’t you?” She laughed, her eyes dancing.
Then I laughed. We both walked into English giggling. Tyler peered at me from his seat near the far window. Then he dropped his gaze to his phone. After taking our seats, Becca tapped another student’s shoulder—Zane, a lineman for the football team. He was tall and built to tackle. He turned, flashing soft brown eyes at her.
“Kade Maxwell finally showed up. Where’s he been all week? I also heard that some girl gave him a shiner,” Becca said, gushing with excitement.
Burying my nose in my backpack, I pulled out my English book, trying to hide the heat staining my cheeks.
Zane laughed. “Yeah, right. What girl in her right mind would hit Kade Maxwell?”
“Who’s this Kade guy?” I asked. I didn’t want anyone other than Tyler to know it was me who’d ruined a handsome face like Kade’s. I’d have all the girls after me, for sure.
“Just the hottest badass guy in school,” Becca gushed. “I also heard his brothers are back.”
Zane’s jaw dropped. “What? Kross, Kody, and Kelton are all back?”
“What kind of name is Kross?” I asked.
“Who cares about names?” Zane asked. “It’s party time. They always throw the best parties. This just might be the best senior year ever.”
Zane had a man crush on these guys. Then it dawned on me—Tyler’s voice had hitched with excitement that night in the parking lot when he’d asked Kade about his brother Kelton. Was Tyler excited about the parties, too?
Mr. Souza, a short, gray-haired man, sat at his desk, taking roll. A couple of students snuck in, sliding into their seats before their names were called. Mr. Souza had a policy—if students were not in their seats when he took roll, then he’d mark them tardy. After the third tardy, he took points off the offender’s next test. “Good morning, class,” he said as he closed his red-covered grade book.
Zane swiveled
“Oh.” I kept walking to my locker, trying to shake the nerves.
“What happened?” he asked as he followed me.
When I got to my locker, I punched in my code. I stuck my head inside and took several breaths, trying to quell the adrenaline pumping through my veins. On my last breath, I turned toward Tyler.
He pulled me to him, wrapping his muscular arms around me. “Talk to me.”
Becca ambled over with a frown on her face. Was she mad because Tyler was holding me?
I pushed Tyler back. “I’m fine.”
He raised his hands. “Okay. I just want to make sure.”
“What’s going on?” Becca asked, concern in her voice. Then her phone beeped. She opened it up and gasped before laughing. “Seriously, girl. You didn’t just get into a fight with Tammy Reese.”
Tyler ripped the phone out of her hands.
“Hey!”
Tyler’s face tightened as he studied the screen. He lifted his head, meeting my gaze, sparks of fury in blue eyes.
“What? You’re not my father. Don’t look at me like that,” I said.
“I’m only going to say two words. Baseball tryouts.”
Why was he always the one who rained on my parade? “She started it.” Now I sounded like I was talking to my father. Those were always the first three words out of my mouth when Dad looked at Julie and me after one of our sister fights. I let out a sigh. Dad wasn’t going to like this if he found out, even if it was an accident.
Tyler laughed. It wasn’t a funny laugh but a nervous one.
“I’m not going to let anyone threaten me. Besides, it was an accident.”
The tightness around his eyes loosened as he handed the phone back to Becca. The bell rang. “I’ll see you ladies in English,” Tyler said, shaking his head as he strode off.
I closed the door to my locker.
“Okay, I’m not going to ask right now what that was all about between you and Tyler.” Becca’s words dripped with resentment. “But I do want you to spill about Tammy.”
“Later,” I snapped.
“Pissy, aren’t you?” She laughed, her eyes dancing.
Then I laughed. We both walked into English giggling. Tyler peered at me from his seat near the far window. Then he dropped his gaze to his phone. After taking our seats, Becca tapped another student’s shoulder—Zane, a lineman for the football team. He was tall and built to tackle. He turned, flashing soft brown eyes at her.
“Kade Maxwell finally showed up. Where’s he been all week? I also heard that some girl gave him a shiner,” Becca said, gushing with excitement.
Burying my nose in my backpack, I pulled out my English book, trying to hide the heat staining my cheeks.
Zane laughed. “Yeah, right. What girl in her right mind would hit Kade Maxwell?”
“Who’s this Kade guy?” I asked. I didn’t want anyone other than Tyler to know it was me who’d ruined a handsome face like Kade’s. I’d have all the girls after me, for sure.
“Just the hottest badass guy in school,” Becca gushed. “I also heard his brothers are back.”
Zane’s jaw dropped. “What? Kross, Kody, and Kelton are all back?”
“What kind of name is Kross?” I asked.
“Who cares about names?” Zane asked. “It’s party time. They always throw the best parties. This just might be the best senior year ever.”
Zane had a man crush on these guys. Then it dawned on me—Tyler’s voice had hitched with excitement that night in the parking lot when he’d asked Kade about his brother Kelton. Was Tyler excited about the parties, too?
Mr. Souza, a short, gray-haired man, sat at his desk, taking roll. A couple of students snuck in, sliding into their seats before their names were called. Mr. Souza had a policy—if students were not in their seats when he took roll, then he’d mark them tardy. After the third tardy, he took points off the offender’s next test. “Good morning, class,” he said as he closed his red-covered grade book.
Zane swiveled
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