Page 100 of Best Friends for Never

“Because I can’t.”

His nostrils flare, his jaw working back and forth. “That’s not a reason. Give me one.”

“Because . . . because . . . I’d have to ask my mom.”

He snorts out a laugh. “You’re an adult now, Peter. You can do whatever you want. Besides, Astrid’s cool with me going. I bet she’d be fine if you tagged along and got out of this shithole town.”

I bristle at his words. This town isn’t as bad as he claims. I like it here. No. Iloveit here. And I don’t want totag alongto LA to escape it like he does.

And don’t even get me started on “tag along.” What, like I’d be latching on to his dreams and following him there because I had nothing else better to do?

Idohave something to do. I’m going to take college classes online and work at my mom’s shop until I decide what I want to do with my life. I’m not some lost creature who needs Noel to step in and rescue me from my small-town life.

“No.”

“What?”

“No. I don’t want to come with you.”

“You ... don’t want to come to LA with me?”

He stumbles away from me, his mouth falling open like he can’t believe I’m denying him. “Why not?”

“Because I have college.”

“You can take the courses there.”

“But I want to take them here.”

“Why? We can share my room, and there are so many restaurants where I’m going. I bet you can find something there. Maybe wait tables. That’s what I’m going to do between the acting classes I’ve signed up for and auditioning. Then we can save up money and get our own place. We can leave this town, not be tied down here. We can explore the world together. It’ll be amazing.”

I shrug. “I know you don’t like it here, but I do, Noel. I don’t want to leave Emerald Grove right now. Besides, if you really wanted me to come with you, you’d have asked me sooner than the night before you left.”

“That’s ... that’s not true, Peter. I ...” He shakes his head. “That’s just not true.”

“But isn’t it? You weren’t going to ask until we ...” I can’t say it, mostly because I still can’t believe it happened.

“I was. I was going to ask, but I was afraid thatthiswould happen. That’d you tell me no.”

“So, what? You thought you’d butter me up by kissing me?” I huff. “You can’t just play with me like that.”

I turn away from him, stomping across the stage to the exit, needing to get away.

“Peter, wait.”

I don’t. I keep moving.

Why would he kiss me when he didn’t mean it? Doesn’t he realize what that means to me? Doesn’t he realize what I feel for him?

“Come on, stop.”

“Why should I?” I yell over my shoulder.

“Because I love you!”

I skid to a stop, my heart thumping so loudly in my chest that I can hear it in my ears.

I squeeze my eyes shut, sucking in breath after breath, trying to calm it.

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