Page 72 of The Apple Tree

“I will.” Just as I opened the door, Gabby walked up the porch stairs. “Oh, hey. How was watching Josh? Did Kyle get a deer?”

She sighed. “I think I’m in love with our neighbor.”

“Josh is so sweet,” I said, sliding my purse strap onto my shoulder.

“No. Well, yes. But I’m talking about Kyle.”

I closed the door behind me before she could walk inside the house. “He’s dad’s best friend’s brother. And twelve years older than you.” I wrinkled my nose. “Gross.”

“Gross? Are you blind? He’s not gross. He’s like …” She fanned herself. “He’s dreamy. I sit in the front row of his class. We have assigned seats, but I told him I couldn’t see the blackboard, so if he says anything to you, just tell him that Mom hasn’t taken me to the eye doctor yet. Oh, and he’s wearing camouflage pants and a tight, long-sleeved shirt. And I could see every muscle. Also, he needs to shave. Normally, facial hair is grody, but everything about him is,” she looked around and lowered her voice, “sexy.”

I didn’t move and forbade any part of my body to give anything away. “You need to say an extra prayer tonight.”

“Pfft. You’re one to talk. You just have poor taste in guys, just like Sarah.”

“Sarah has poor taste in guys?” I narrowed my eyes.

“Yes. She let the good one go.” She shouldered past me into the house, shutting the door without a goodbye.

“I have flawless taste in men,” I mumbled with a grin on my way to the car.

I drove around town listening to music, pulled into the gas station to chat with a few friends, and grabbed dinner at DQ. By eight, I made my way to Kyle’s, parking at the end of the drive behind a patch of trees so my parents couldn’t see my car from our house.

After messing with my hair in the rearview mirror, applying ChapStick, and checking my teeth for food, I popped a Mentos in my mouth and nervously walked toward his house, stopping when I saw something moving.

He was sitting on the porch swing, drinking a beer. “Eve,” he said, drawing out my name for at least three seconds.

I gulped. Why was I so on edge? We’d almost had sex.

“My sister has a crush on you,” I said.

Why did I say it?

No clue.

He paused the can of beer an inch from his mouth. “She’s in my Trig class. I really have to draw a line, and sixteen is nonnegotiable.”

Don’t laugh!

My boots clicked on the wooden stairs, and I pressed my lips together, sucking on the mint. “Is Josh in bed?”

He nodded before drinking the last of his beer.

“When I said I wanted you to work for it, I thought that might involve some effort.”

“It has.” He stood, eyeing me with an unreadable expression as he opened the screen door.

I followed him inside.

“Are you saying it takes a lot of work to ignore me?”

“Ignore you?” He tossed the can into a bin by the back door. “I haven’t ignored you. I see you and talk to you almost every day.”

“You talk to me like I’m …” I drew in a long breath.

Stay chill.

“Like you’re what?” He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head.

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