“Want a ride?” I look up, startled, to find Jude standing over me, an apple in one hand and his car key in the other. I blink. “What?” “Want a ride to practice?” I stare at him, uncomprehending. Yes, I get what he’s offering. But… Since he showed up last evening with Trey, he has avoided me like the plague. He didn’t spare me a glance, much less say a word to me. I’ve never felt so invisible in my life. So, why is he suddenly offering me a ride as if we are on friendly terms? He’s going to give me whiplash. I give Isaac, who’s also sitting at the table, a glance, but he shrugs. I’m still trying to get over the confusion when Jude grabs my bag from the top of the table and heads towards the door. “Hurry up or we’ll be late.” I didn’t even agree… What exactly is he doing? Coming to my feet, I shove the last of my pancake into my mouth and finish up my coffee. Isaac coughs, and I look over to find him trying to hide a smile behind his wrist. “What’s wrong with him?” I ask,

Out here, the party is full-blown.There’s a patio outside the French doors, with a few outdoor seats that are occupied by a bunch of kids. Then there’s a lawn after that, where more kids are milling around, drinks in hand and dancing to loud electronic music. Past the lawn is a huge swimming pool, where more partygoers are, in swimwear, lounging around or in the water. But what catches my attention is the aroma in the air. Sniffing, my nose leads me to one end of the lawn to find a barbecue in place.My stomach growls. “I’ll be back, guys,” I say, paying no attention to them as I make my way through the throng of kids and head for the barbecue.Trent, one of the football players on the team, is behind the barbecue, turning skewers of meat on the hot grill. There are a few other people around, feasting on grilled skewers.“Hi Trent,” I greet, eyes stuck on the sizzling meat.“What’s up, Jo! You made it!”“Yeah,” I nod. I swallow and point to the pork. “Can I have the next one?”“Sur

“You did what?” Simon’s disbelieving voice comes across the phone.I groan and turn onto my stomach, burying my face into the pillow. “I know, it was a bad idea. Can one beer affect someone’s reasoning?”“You drank beer?” Simon’s already disbelieving voice goes a tone higher.“Can it?”“I don’t know about you, since I’ve never seen you drink one,” he replies, the jab in his voice obvious, “but for normal people, no.”“Ugh.” I turn onto my side again. I guess I can’t use that as an excuse.“How did you end up kissing him, anyway? When Trey and I left, you were all sad about Eli.”“He tempted me by saying it didn’t have to mean anything,” I say, as if Jude is to blame for my decision-making.“You’re calling me at half-past six on a Saturday morning, so I guess it meant something to you.”“It doesn’t,” I claim hastily. “I agreed with him, and I still do. I’m just not sure how to face him. Should I act as if nothing happened?”“Can you?”No, I keep replaying our kiss and I doubt I'd be ab

“Nice seeing you, bestie. It’s not too late to come back •~•”I shift in my seat uncomfortably, cast a quick glance at Jude to make sure his full attention is on the road—it’s after practice and we are in his car, headed to the place he wants me to see—then look back down at my phone.I’m on Instagram, scrolling through his latest posts.The above comment is on his latest post, a picture which must have been taken sometime on Sunday. There’s him, standing between two girls—fellow models—with his hands wrapped around their waists.I click on the username beside the comment. It takes me to a profile of one of the girls in the picture. She has about half a million followers, and her wall is full of glamorous photos. Her name is Abby, she looks about 5’9, and her natural hair is long and curly, the ringlets falling to the middle of her back.I go back to her comment and check the replies.“You two look good together”“Bestie yeah right”“When are we getting a photoshoot with you two?”At

“But how come you had sex on a beach and never went skinny dipping? Didn’t you need to wash off the sand and all that?” Simon asks.“You can have sex on a beach and not get all sandy,” Isaac contributes. “Like if you’re standing against a—”“Your turn,” Jude cuts him off.This game was supposed to be fun, not awkward, right?“Okay,” Isaac says. “Never have I ever been on a blind date.”Simon’s the only one who takes a drink, after which he points at me accusingly. “It was a dare.”“Don’t act as if you didn’t enjoy it,” I tell him. “You kept her around for quite a few months.”He shrugs. “Well, she was hot. And we were into each other.”“Her more than you,” I point out.Her name was Amber, and she was quite a nice girl. She liked Simon and would have dated him but the moment he realised she was hoping for more, he ran. I wasn’t surprised, though.“Your turn, Walker,” Simon says, refusing to engage me on that.Jude holds his hand out. “Give me the phone.”Simon passes it, then bumps his