Page 19 of Rebellious

“I’ve been with Bennett,” I tell her.

“Duh!” she screeches like I’ve wasted air even stating that fact. “I’ve been calling him too. Neither of you answered.”

“We were asleep.” I shrug off the baggy t-shirt and head toward my room. “I’m assuming my parents are looking for me?”

She scoffs, following along behind me. “Your parents, my parents, Uncle Hayes, Uncle Mason, Uncle Kane, Uncle—”

I hold up my hand. “I get it. Everyone is here.”

She nods, going over to my window and closing the curtains. I cut her a look. “You and Sebastian still spying on each other?”

She waves me off. “Of course not.”

“Liar.” I chuckle.

“Okay, fine. Maybe a little.”

Whenever Vee gets flustered, her Latina roots show up, making her talk faster and with less of a southern accent.

“I’m not judging,” I admit. “I think it’s cute.”

She and Sebastian were adorable, pretending they hated each other a few months ago. But ever since they exposed their love for each other, they’ve been attached at the hip. I’m not one to talk, though, considering I’ve been with Bennett for the past thirty-six hours.

Vee pulls several dresses from my closet, ignoring the cute comment I made about her and Sebastian. “Hurry and change or you’ll be late to your own graduation.”

Usually, I’m the responsible one between the two of us, but these last few days, knowing I’m leaving my crew behind, I’ve been lax. I haven’t cleaned. I haven’t washed clothes. I’ve basically been bribing Bennett and the boys to do all this crazy shit with me, like bungee jumping. Had Vee been home when I thought of it, I would have made her come too.

“Have you been instructed to escort me to the ceremony?” I ask, picking up one of the black dresses she laid out.

She flops down on my bed, her Doc Martens boots dangling off the side. “Yep. Your dad doesn’t think you’ll make it to the graduation ceremony if Bennett takes you.”

He has a valid concern.

It’s not like I haven’t tried to convince Bennett to ditch the ceremony with me and take a road trip across the country. We could visit Vee’s brother in California, see Vegas, swim in Lake Michigan. We could spend eight blissful weeks together with no interruptions.

But he wouldn’t go for it.

Not when our parents are hosting the annual carnival for the foundation this weekend. They called us to help, and Bennett, always the favorite, would never disappoint our families.

“Asp.” Vee’s voice is soft. “Are you about to cry?”

I shake off the depressing thoughts. “I’m fine,” I tell her, wiping the tears on the back of my hand.

I don’t remember when she sat up, but suddenly she’s standing, clasping my hands. “Everything will be okay,” she lies. “Bennett will stop all these rules.”

I shake my head, but she keeps going. “He will. I know it. Once he realizes he has no other options after this summer, he’ll break his rules. He has to.”

He won’t. I know Bennett. “I thought the rules would be temporary, you know?” I pull us down to the floor, our backs against the bed. “I told myself if I played along, he’d eventually break.” A tear slips down my face. “Eleven years later and those damn rules still keep us apart.”

Vee lets go of my hand and wipes my face. “Drew said Bennett was thinking of transferring schools.”

I suck in a breath. “He’s said nothing to me.”

She shrugs. “Maybe he didn’t want to say anything until he was sure?”

My heart flutters in my chest. Could Bennett possibly be considering coming with me?

Vee smiles, but it’s strained. “Maybe he’s changing the rules?”

---