Book 3 -30-

[Fun And Games]

ARIELLA

“You didn’t tell anyone we were going out tonight, did you?”

Abby’s eyes drifted to the ground, to her feet—anywhere but at me. She shuffled somewhat, as if not wanting to make much noise. Her changed conduct proved she had told someone else about tonight.

“You did, didn’t you? And let me guess: Bryce?”

“I-I didn’t want to say anything,” Abby squealed in a high pitch, giving me a side-long glance. “Yeah, I may have let slip we were going out tonight. Besides, wouldn’t it be nice to have them there to keep undesirable men away?”

Sure, it was a good thing to have them around to ward off undesirable men. Did we need the backup, though? No. Abby and I had the same skills to protect ourselves. I wasn’t against hanging out with them again. What he did the last time we hung out, blabbing to his father without consulting me first, regardless of whether his life was in danger, irritated me.

“If you’d rather it be just us, I can come up with an excuse—“

I shook m