Page 53 of Save the Last Dance
“It’s the craziest thing,” she started, lifting her head from where it had been resting. Her honey-blond hair made a veil down one side of her face. “But my sexual hunger just morphed into real, physical starvation. Wouldn’t it be a great time for a cupcake?”
She slid off the bed and reached for an ancient flannel shirt hanging on a hook near the bed. And, just like that time she’d done an impromptu striptease in the orchard, he was struggling to keep up with her.
Clearly, there wasn’t going to be any talk of promises or what came next. Considering the intensity of what had just happened between them, that was probably for the best. Because no matter how much he wanted Nina back in his life, he wasn’t any better equipped to keep her than he’d been eight years ago.
Chapter Twelve
Seething with everystep back to the parking lot outside the fairgrounds, Ally couldn’t help but watch as Rachel Wagoner flirted with Ethan as they passed under a street lamp flicking on and off in the darkness.
Ten of their classmates surrounded them, so it wasn’t as if they were all alone. They’d just finished marking out the boundaries for the straw maze so that volunteers could start stacking the hay bales in the morning. Rachel was using the last of her spray paint to write her initial on Ethan’s T-shirt while Ethan teasingly yelled at her and threatened to pull her hair.
Could they be any more obvious? Ally stumbled on some loose gravel like a klutz before regaining her balance.
Hurt burned a hole through her and it was all she could do not to sprint to her car. She forced herself to walk along with the rest of her classmates, though, her eyes on her car. She couldn’t wait to get out of here and leave them all in the dust.
“Ally, help me!” Ethan shouted, dodging past Rachel to run toward her.
Seriously? She’d strangle him with her bare hands first. Didn’t he understand how much these antics hurt her?
Ten pairs of eyes turned toward her and the ache in her chest mingled with embarrassment. No, worse than hurt. It was flat-out humiliation.
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head and stared down at the gravel path between parking rows, picking up her pace so she could peel away from the group.
“Where are you going?” He reached for her, making a playful grab that she dodged. “Save me from the spray-painting troll.” He looked back at Rachel, covering his head as if he was cowering from her. “Stay away, troll!” Ethan teased.
But Rachel didn’t answer. Ally glanced up at her, wondering why Ms. Perfect didn’t swoop in and steal Ethan away in her Perfect-Mobile convertible. Rachel’s spray paint can was down at her side as she went still, eyes narrowing as she stared down at Ally. Just like everyone else did.
Ally’s hands clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms. She’d never in her life felt so self-conscious.
“Hey! What’s the matter?” Ethan’s big sneakers scuffled to a stop on the gravel near Ally’s car.
Rachel stood a few steps away, close to her own car but not moving toward it. Most of the other kids scattered toward their own vehicles, but Ally noticed no one started their engines. Probably too busy eavesdropping on the latest school drama. Too bad she wanted no part of it.
“Ask your girlfriend,” Ally shot back, glaring at Rachel. “She knows.”
It was apparent from Rachel’s sudden silence that she was going to at least pretend some remorse for poaching the guy Ally liked.
“Girlfriend?” Ethan looked back and forth between them. “What are you talking about?”
More of their classmates shuffled away, retreating to their cars in pairs and clusters. Rachel shoved the spray paint can in her big designer purse and stalked their way. Great.
Tension wound Ally so tight she didn’t want the girl anywhere near her.
“Satisfied?” Ally snapped at her. “Did you fake being friends with me today just so you could get closer to Ethan? Or were you just anxious to show off how much he liked you?”
“Ally.” Rachel shook her head fast in what could have been an urgent warning to keep her mouth shut.
But Ally was just getting warmed up. How often had she stuffed down her feelings this past year?
“What does it matter if he knows I like him?” Ally couldn’t even look at Ethan, she was so embarrassed. But more than that, she was pissed at Rachel for stealing away the one guy she cared about. “You could have your pick of guys?—”
A few cars away, some kids laughed. “Good one!” a boy shouted before a car roared away.
“Ally, you’ve got it all wrong.” Ethan moved to put an arm around her, but Ally shook him off. “You don’t understand.”
“What do you mean, I don’t understand? I have eyes. I’m not blind.” She plucked at Ethan’s T-shirt where a silver letterRwas already drying on one shoulder.
“It’s a secret,” Ethan muttered, glancing over hisshoulder as another car full of kids left the parking lot in a spray of gravel from a spinout, the headlights sweeping a giant arc. “Can you keep your voice down?”
