Page 80 of I Hate You More

“Why would I have been kicked out if we were caught together?” I asked. “How exactly was this plan supposed to work?”

“Ally’s dad doesn’t let her or Shane date,” she answered softly. “So, I came up with the idea that if she were caught dating you that he’d kick you out.”

A deep furrow formed in my brow. I knew Shane didn’t date, but I never thought it was because he couldn’t. He’d always just said he was too focused on football to waste time on a girlfriend. He even told me that Ally didn’t date either, but I didn’t think it was because of their dad.

“I don’t understand. Why won’t he let them date?”

“Mr. Lockwood has always had a rule that he won’t let either of them date until college. I think he believes it’s too much of a distraction, and he wants Ally to focus on her getting good grades so she can get into a good college. He wants Shane to focus on getting that football scholarship.”

I fell silent as I tried to wrap my head around it. “But Ally’salwaysstudying. And she has all those stupid calendars and Post-it notes.” I didn’t know anyone more organized and didn’t believe for one second that a boyfriend would change that.

“Yeah, she’s always studying because she has to put in a lot of work to do well at school, and she’s obsessed with her calendars because she hates not being in control. Ally’s mom was running late to an appointment when she got into her car accident, and ever since then, Ally’s been convinced bad things happen in life when you don’t stick to your plan.”

I swallowed down a painful lump in my throat. I didn’t remember the time around Mrs. Lockwood’s death well, but I did remember how Ally would freak if my mom was ever late to pick us up after school, how dinner always had to be at six o’clock sharp, and that she’d always come up with these painstakingly detailed plans for dealing with her problems. I never realized it was all part of how she dealt with her mom’s death, and it made me sad that she still needed so much planning to feel comfortable and in control.

I sighed and shook my head as I stared back at the poster once more. “Then what happened with this plan? Why didn’t she go through with the final step?”

“She didn’t go through with it because this plan of ours worked too well and she fell in love.”

My heart lurched in my chest, and my gaze darted up to meet Tessa’s. I was too scared to believe her words, but I desperately wanted to.

“She’s pushing you away because she doesn’t want her dad to find out about the two of you and for you to be sent away,” she continued.

A small smile started at the corner of my lips, and I couldn’t seem to control it because it quickly turned into a beaming grin. “You’re sure about this?”

“She told me herself,” Tessa confirmed.

It took me a few more seconds to process everything I’d just heard before I knew what I had to do. “I have to go.” I started toward the door. Now that I knew the truth behind Ally’s actions, I was jittery and restless and didn’t want to waste another second.

“Chase, just because she loves you doesn’t change the fact her dad won’t let her date,” Tessa cautioned, causing me to pause as I went to leave.

I turned back to look at her. “No, but it changes everything else.”

27

Ally

I glareddown at the book in my lap, desperately wishing I hadn’t pickedTwilightfor book club today. Forbidden love was the last thing I felt like talking about. Normally, I was all for that kind of stuff, but right now, it was hitting a little too close to home.

It felt like forever since I last talked to Chase, and with each day that passed, I was growing more miserable. Every fiber of my being protested as I continued to pretend I didn’t care about him, and the knowledge that he cared for me too made the whole situation unbearable.

I’d really messed things up, but even if I wanted to fix them I knew I couldn’t. I couldn’t be with him, not even in secret, because I couldn’t take the risk that we’d get caught and he’d be kicked out of the house. I was so stupid for believing that Operation Pest Control could ever end in anything other than tears.

“Are you going to start, sweetie?” my grandma asked. I had all The Three C’s at the book club today along with a special new attendee, Chase’s grandpa Bart. He was so adorable as he sat next to Connie. He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her, and they hadn’t stopped holding hands since I’d entered the room. The two of them together were a hit of cuteness overload that my sour heart was struggling to take.

I took a deep breath before I started. “So, the book this month wasTwilight. What did you all think?”

“The vampires didn’t drink human blood,” Connie said. “It was very strange.”

“And that Bella girl needs to date someone her own age,” Cora added. “I know Edward looks seventeen, but he’s an old man.”

“I liked that they loved each other despite their differences,” a voice said behind me.

I jolted in my chair and turned to find Chase standing there, clutching a copy ofTwilightin his hands. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a button-down shirt he’d rolled up at the sleeves. He looked just as smart as the last time I saw him at the nursing home, and the memory was like a sharp jab to the gut. That had been the first day I’d started to see another side of Chase, and I wished I could forget it.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I’m here for book club.” He spoke like his answer was obvious and waved his book in the air.

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