Page 57 of The Sun
“He’s not. You’re not giving him a fair chance.”
“I take it you slept with him?”
“No.”
I grabbed the highlighter I’d been using for quizzes and chucked it at her. “Liar.”
The pink pen rolled across the floor after she swatted it away. “I didn’t. Everything but.” She crossed her heart. “My hymen is still fully intact.”
“I’m proud of you.” Even though I was skeptical, I wanted to believe she at least tried to hold out.
“So. . .” She popped open the magazine, took the highlighter, and started on a quiz. “You and Brandon looked cozy this morning. Gonna tell me what happened when you two disappeared last night?” She waggled her brows.
I rolled a shoulder.
“Really? You guys were up there. In a room. Together. And nothing happened?”
“No.”
“Jesus. What is he, gay or something?”
My pulse skipped, and I swallowed. “I mean. No.” I drew a crisscross pattern over my thigh.
I hated lying, especially to Daisy, but all I could think about was the panic and fear that twisted Brandon’s face last night. I had worried that maybe that drunk girl had seen something. I felt the need to protect him. “He just knows I want to wait. He respects that.”
“He’s such a good guy. You know, Brandon was considered the most unattainable guy at school.” She had no idea how true that statement was. “And now he’s all about you. He’s a much better choice than Elias.” She bubbled in a response, then crossed it out, and circled a different answer.
My chest tightened. I opened my mouth to tell Daisy what had happened, to tell her I didn’t actually want to date Brandon and that my heart was completely hung up on Elias.
She glanced up from the floor and frowned. “I need to tell you something.” Shoving the magazine aside, she sat up, and her expression crumpled. “It’s about Elias.”
My stomach turned. From Daisy’s tone, I knew whatever it was, I wouldn’t like it.
“So, you know how Thomas’ upstairs bathroom is a Jack and Jill?” She paused like I should nod, but I had no idea what kind of bathroom Thomas’ bedroom had. “Well,” she continued. “People kept coming in there last night, you know, since the toilet downstairs was flooded? And I overheard Jenny’s loud mouth bragging to Valerie about him almost screwing her in her car.”
My brows lifted. My ears smoldered. “Who? Elias?”
“Yeah. Evidently, she went out to her car, and he followed her, and one thing led to another from what I heard. And they all but banged in the backseat of her stupid Volvo.”
Acid crawled up my throat. He kissed me—after he almost had sex with Jenny. I went back to his house and made out with him. I tried to take his pants off. Maybe that was why he stopped me. He’d already gotten his for the night.
Closing my eyes, I shook my head.
“Sunny?” Daisy touched my arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you, but I couldn’tnottell you. I just didn’t want you making any decisions about Brandon because you maybe still had a thing for Elias. You don’t want to give up a good guy for one who’s evidently a dick.”
“Yep.” I opened my eyes, my stomach slipping around itself like a snake. I would never admit to her what I’d done the night before. Ever. “And you know what. Ben’s doesn’t sound so bad after all.”
14
Sunny
Iwas helping Momma do the dishes after Sunday dinner, still fuming over Jenny Smith, when the doorbell rang.
Simon shouted, “I’ll get it,” then dropped the broom in the middle of the floor before scurrying out.
A few seconds later, Daddy greeted someone. “Sunny?” he said. “You’ve got a visitor.” I heard Daddy tell whoever it was to come inside and then the front door closed.
Momma glanced at me, and I shrugged while placing the last of the plates on the drying rack and wiping the suds from my hands.
