Page 67 of Facing the Line

JONAS

Evan: Dude, where were you last night?

Jonas: At the gym.

Evan: I thought you went in the morning?

Jonas: Just making sure I stay in shape this summer.

Evan: You’re a beast, man.

“Did you know about this?” Hadley rushes into the living room as Caleb and I sit in our camp chairs and sip our protein shakes. We finished our workout and my muscles are loose, used up in the best way. Today is one of my off days from clinicals, and I’m going to make the most of the time I have. Extra work outs andserious study time. The HESI exam is five months away…and since I haven’t made any decisions about the future, I need to ace it.

I haven’t seen Hadley since she left my bed for class this morning. I hope she wasn’t too late, after I tugged her back into my arms and distracted her. But her eyes are alight with excitement as she shakes a pink flier in front of my face.

“Hads, I can’t read it when the words are moving.” I grab it from her and scan. “What’s the big deal?”

“What’s the big deal? What’s the big deal?” she echoes, her voice rising in pitch with every word, making me regret my question. “The big deal is, it’s a Taylor Swift party!”

“Um…” I refuse to again ask why this is important, so I pause and raise my brows.

“You guys.” She huffs. “I missed her concert in Boston because of my stupid classes here and the one in Chicago sold out too fast. I have major FOMO. So obviously it’s not the same, not like a live concert or something. But they’re gonna play all her songs and have food and dancing.”

She clasps her hands in front of her heart, and I already know what’s coming. Worse, I’m a goner.

Blinking her baby blues, she looks like the cutest puppy at the shelter angling for snuggles. “Please, please, please, can we go?”

To my surprise, Caleb shrugs. “I bet there will be a lot of hot girls there. I’m in.”

Hadley turns to me, and I sigh. “Of course. It’s tonight?”

She nods like a bobble head. “Ohmigosh, I’m so excited. I’ll tell Evan and see if anyone else wants to come. Thank you!”

Though it was Caleb who said yes first, she throws her arms around me and presses her chest against mine. He doesn’t seem to notice, and I’ll take all the credit in the world if it means I get hugs like this. I inhale, surrounded by her scent. It makes myknees weak, and I can’t help the flashback to this morning in my bed. I wanted to devour her, to never stop.

She pulls away from our hug, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and her cheeks turn pink. “Well, thanks, guys. I’m gonna treat myself to a little self-care and shopping. Ooh, I need to call Natalie and get her advice about what to wear. It will take hours to get ready!”

We nod, and she grabs her purse and takes off.

“Jonas, how in the world could it take hours to get ready for some outdoor music?”

I shake my head. “I have four sisters, man, and I’ll never understand it.”

Hadley breezes back in later, lugging shopping bags and waving her newly painted hot-pink fingernails. Pretty sure she got her nails done a few days ago, but there’s something about that color—an image flashes in my mind of her scraping them along my chest, and I get all hot and bothered.

She declares she’s barely started her preparations and disappears to her room, Taylor Swift music blaring. I throw on shorts, a polo, and a Harrison hockey cap and call it a day. Sometimes being a dude has its advantages.

Evan finally appears and we talk him into joining us, plus he recruits Mateo and Luke from down the hall.

When Hadley walks out of her bedroom, my breath catches in my throat. Maybe all that primp time was worth it. Not like she needs it, but damn. She looks amazing.

Her pink strappy dress hits mid-thigh and calls to mind tropical beaches. Something about the light and airy fabric or the way it flows out from her waist, I think. She does a littlespin, showcasing her fancy pink cowgirl boots. The dress must be magic because it’s just a bunch of straps criss crossing around the back. How does it stay up? I want to dismantle it and discover all her secrets.

There’s no way she could wear a bra with it. I shake my head a little, trying to dislodge that thought.

“Well?” she asks, raising a brow.

Evan clears his throat. “Did you get all dressed up for us?”

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