“Three weeks.” Cade groaned and took the exit off the highway. “The week after your mom and Sal get married.”
“I…” I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to keep my emotions at bay. It wasn’t fair for me to be sad that he was leaving for a long weekend, but yet, I was. It wasn’t something I’d been prepared for, and I was being selfish. “I’ll be staying with your dad and Lola that week,” I said instead of what I really wanted to say which was for him to stay home.
Cade pulled the car to a stop at a set of lights and turned to look at me. “You will?” He frowned. “Why?”
“Mom and Sal are leaving for their honeymoon the night they get married, right after the party. They’re going to be gone two weeks.”
“Yeah?” His lips started to spread into a grin but stopped when he turned to look out of the windshield. “And I’ll be in France for a few of those days. Shit.”
I held his hand tighter as he drove closer to my house. “They’ll be gone for two weeks, you’ll only be gone for three nights. Plus, you can bring me back a present.”
“A present?” Cade asked, his lips now lifted and the tension evaporating from his body. “What kind of present?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged, my stomach dipping as he entered my street. “Maybe a magnet or something?”
“I’m going to France, and you want a magnet as a present?”
“What can I say”—I turned in my seat as he pulled up in front of my house—“I’m easily pleased.”
His eyes sparked, his hand gripping me tighter as his gaze dipped to my lips. “Very easily pleased,” he said, his voice lower now. “Fuck, I wish I could take you back to my place right now.”
“So do I,” I whispered, spotting Mom opening up the front door. “I have an appointment with Dr. Bay on Tuesday. Are you still going to take me?”
“You know I am.” He leaned forward, blocking the view with his body as he brought my hand up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss there. “I’ll call you later. Go celebrate your win.”
I swallowed and waited a second. I just needed to let his gaze wash through me and remember the way he stared at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school?” I asked, spotting Sal now walking toward the car with Mom.
“See you tomorrow,” he whispered, letting my hand go.
I floated out of the car and met Sal at the trunk as he got my suitcase and bag out. Mom said something to Cade, but I was too inside my own head to hear what they were talking about. I followed Sal onto the curb and watched Cade drive away, wishing I was still in the car with him.
* * *
ARIA
“So you win the race and don’t even message me? I thought I was your best friend?”
I closed my eyes and counted to three before I turned to face Hope. “Sorry. The weekend was crazy and—”
“You won!” She threw her arms around my shoulders and squeezed the life out of me. “I need to know everything.” Her hands gripped my shoulders as she pulled back. “What was it like? Where did you stay? Was Mr. Easto—”
“Hope,” I interrupted her, widening my eyes and looking around. “Lower your voice.” We were surrounded by students in the hallway, and I had no doubt they weren’t paying attention to us but on the off chance…
“What? Listen here, girly, you bailed on me on your birthday—which I still haven’t forgiven you for, by the way—and now you win at your meet, and you don’t even message me? I want details. It’s the only way we can stay besties.”
I groaned, hating that she’d brought up my birthday again. She’d used it at every opportunity she could over the last week to get what she wanted, even though I’d spun her the story of my mom needing me back home. But she hadn’t let up.
“Fine,” I ground out as the bell to the last class of the day rang out. “My mom is picking me up from school today. Meet me on the steps, and I’ll fill you in before I leave for my dress fitting.”
“Awesome!” She pulled away and flashed me a huge smile. “It’s a date.”
I shook my head as she danced down the hallway, weaving through the students rushing to their last class of the day.
“Will you be joining us today, Aria?” a deep voice asked. The same voice that had whispered how much he wished he could take all my clothes off last night. He hadn’t been able to because I’d had to stay at home, but he’d made a promise for this weekend. One where it could just be the two of us, no interruptions or boundaries to get in our way.
Flicking my gaze over to him, I stepped forward. “Yes, Mr. Easton.”
Cade stood in the doorway to his classroom, blocking most of it, but he didn’t move an inch as I tried to enter. My hip connect