Page 16 of The Penalty Box

“Noah.” Mike is the first to break the silence. “We heard him talk about it with some of his football buddies in the gym the other day.”

Football.Out of all the people, Evie is dating a fucking football player.

My hands grip into fists by my side. “He talked shit about her?”

If he did I’m going to find him and rearrange that smug mug of his. I’ll…

Jack must see something on my face because he hurries to say, “Nah, he just bragged about taking her out.”

All the fight I had inside of me goes away.

“Good,” I push the words out. “Evie deserves the best.”

But does it really have to be him?

Chapter Seven

EVIE

“So you’re really doing this?”

I lift my gaze to meet Jessy’s in the reflection in my bathroom mirror. She’s been here all afternoon helping me keep my nerves in check, but also to help me get ready for my date.

I take a moment to answer as I spread pale pink lip gloss over my lips. It’s a weak attempt at stalling, but I’ll take any additional second I can get.

The truth is, I don’t know what I’m doing.

Asking Noah to ask me out was a spur of a moment thing. I was angry and hurting and I just wanted to dosomethingto take my mind off it. Take my mind off Liam, if only for a moment. I didn’t want to be the girl pining after her best friend. And while I do like Noah, part of me feels extremely guilty because I know he’s really interested in me. At least I think he is. I don’t think a guy would ask a girl out as many times as he asked me if he weren’t really interested.

“I thought you agreed this is a good idea.”

“I did,” Jessy says, but then corrects herself. “Ido. But I never actually thought you’d go through with it.”

Closing the little tube in my hand, I put it in a clutch style bag on the counter. “So this is a good idea, but not a good idea for me?” I sum it up.

Jessy sighs. “I just don’t want you to get hurt, Evie. That’s all.”

Taking her hands in mine, I give her a reassuring squeeze. “I won’t get hurt, Jessy. Noah… he’s nice. I need to give this a chance.”

“So you’ve given up on Liam completely?”

I pull back, letting her hands slip from between mine as I turn my back to her and start picking up all the makeup on the counter. “Liam and I… We’re friends. Well, wewillbe once I rein in my emotions. I thought he wanted something more after…” I leave the words hanging in the air because we both know whatafterI’m talking about. “But he doesn’t, and I can’t blame him for it. But I can’t be his friend right now either. So…”

It was foolish of me to think otherwise, that’s why we’re in this position in the first place. I’m not the kind of girl Liam would fall for. No, he wants girls like Jeanette Sanders. And I can’t blame him. Sheisgorgeous and if it’s to believe the rumors uber-smart and some kind of musical prodigy.

Lifting my gaze, I observe my reflection in the mirror. Blond hair is falling in a sleek line over my shoulders, the top half lifted and braided away from my face. Tonight I ditched my glasses in favor of contacts. I don’t wear them often because they tire my eyes easily and make them itch, but I wanted to make an extra effort. After all, thisisa date. And not just any date. Myfirstdate.

Even though a part of me still feels uncertain about the whole situation, I can’t help but feel the tingle of excitement spread through my body. My whole life I’ve been that Clark girl who’s always hanging around boys, but tonight I get to be Evie. A girl who likes to hang out with boys just as much as with girls. A girl who loves to go to a hockey game and watch superhero movies all while wearing a short skirt and lip gloss.

The makeup I’m wearing is minimal, just a little bit of foundation, blush, pink eyeshadow, and mascara with the lip gloss to match on my lips. I chose one of my favorite skirts—a plaid skater skirt—and paired it with a pale pink sweater and boots. Girly but doesn’t scream I’m-trying-too-hard. At least I hope it doesn’t.

Jessy wraps her hands around me from behind, returning me back to present when she lays her head down on my shoulder. I lift my gaze to hers in the reflection in the mirror, a flicker of excitement shining in her brown irises. “His jaw will drop when he sees you.”

“I hope so.”

If only the boy I love would think the same.

The thought is out there faster than I can stop it, but I force it back.

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