Page 43 of Return Policy

I stare at the picture, unable to believe my eyes. “He found it.” Relief washes over me, but it’s immediately replaced by paralyzing fear. “Do you think he looked?”

“Calm down, Joey. Like I said, I think he respects you more than that.”

My phone buzzes again.

Honey Bee

I’ll bring it over now. What’s your building and room number?

“He wants to bring it over.”

“There’s no way he can come here with the place looking like…” She glances around my bomb of a bedroom, and I’m picking up what she’s throwing down.

“Okay, I get it. The room’s a mess.”

“Tell him we’ll meet at his place.”

“We?” I smirk.

“Yeah,we. I need to find out if he has any hot, single football friends.”

Me

Can we come to your place?

Honey Bee

We?

Me

Yeah, me and Sage

Honey Bee

Oh the purple skittle, I like her

Me

OMG, you did not just call her that

Honey Bee

Why not? It’s cute. Purple skittles are my favorite

An uncomfortable feeling settles in my gut. Am I seriously jealous from the mere mention of him suggesting my best friend is cute? I maybe—definitely—eye fucked Noah at Burgers and Brews, so it’s not like I have room to judge.

Me

Just send me your dorm deetz

“Okay. Let’s go,” I tell Sage.

“Change first, you look like a hobo.” She laughs, dragging her eyes over me with a look of disapproval. I glance down at my oversized orange sweatpants and the faded blue Longwood High hoodie I threw on before sprinting out of my room when I realized my sketchbook was missing. A gasp catches in my throat at the realization Elijah already saw me in this.

“Yeah, good call.” I snap and shoot finger guns at her before changing into something less spring-break-hangover.

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