Page 68 of Exposed

“Newfangled stuff. I don’t need them. Besides, this thing is like a tank. Also, I would never let harm come to you or Mr. Jacob.” He drove through another red light.

Jesus.I grabbed on to the dashboard. “Nigel!”

“But if you insist I use my turn signal…” He flipped on the right turn signal and turned left.

That’s even worse!“Please just a little slower.”

“Too late, we’re here.” The Hummer jumped over a curb and came to a screeching halt in the small parking lot by Empire High.

“Again, again!” Jacob said from the back seat and clapped.

Nope. Never again.I climbed out of the Hummer and got my son out too.

Nigel was talking about the shortfalls of American football torealfootball all the way to the stadium. Jacob was nodding along, absorbing all of it.

Kennedy and Matt were both already on the field. They were both laughing about something. Kennedy punched his arm.

Honestly…they looked like they always had. Like friends. The three of us had hung out all the time back in high school. This didn’t have to be weird.

And Jacob running right up to Matt made whatever nerves I had dissipate. This was going to be okay. As long as Jacob was smiling, it was impossible for me not to.

Matt lifted Jacob up and put him on his shoulders.

“Mommy, Mommy look how big I am!”

“So big!” I said and smiled up at him. One day he’d be tall, just like his father. But I didn’t want that day to come any time soon. I wanted him to be my little boy forever.

Matt leaned forward and kissed my cheek. Yeah, this didn’t feel weird even in the slightest.

“Hey,” Kennedy said and gave me a big hug.

She sounded as happy as Jacob. I hugged her back.

“I really need to talk to you,” she whispered. “Like right now.”

Oh crap.She didn’t actually sound happy at all when she was whispering to me. It was all an act. I knew all this was too good to be true.

“Maybe we can go sit on the bleachers for a minute?” she asked.

“I’m so sorry, Kennedy. I knew we shouldn’t have come…”

“What?” She pulled back. “Of course you should have. I want you here. Matt wants you here. This is exactly where you should be.”

“Then…what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just really need to talk to you about…”

“Congratulations on the coitus, Kennedy,” Nigel said and plopped the cookies down by the water.

We both turned to Nigel.

“What…how did you…” Kennedy’s voice trailed off. “How did you even know that, Nigel?”

“Tanner told me.”

“How did Tanner know?”

Nigel pressed his lips together. “I presumed you called him?”

---