Becca

 

By the time we reached my locker, we had amassed an audience. 

“They’re all watching,” I whispered. Evan stood poised behind me, leaning over my shoulder. He swept my hair away and kissed my neck. “So?”

I turned in his arms slowly, my eyes sliding to his. “So it’s weird.” 

“Becca.” He ducked his head to bring his face level with mine. “Trust me when I say I think they’re more shocked at my behavior than at yours.”

They were? I went to speak, but he cut me off. “I’ve never done this; I don’t talk to people or hang out in crowds, let alone be seen with a girl. Let them stare; it’s just you and me.” He pressed his forehead to mine, and my eyes fluttered shut, taking in the moment.

I liked the sound of that, but it didn’t change the fact that, when I opened my eyes, half of the school was still gawking in our direction. A flash of red came into view, and Scarlett sneered, “Show’s over. Go watch something else.”

I nodded my appreciation, but she hung around. “Took you long enough,” she said to Evan.

He turned to face her, arms still wrapped around me. “What can I say? I’m a slow learner.”

A hint of a smirk played on her lips. “Yeah, you are. I’ll leave you guys to it.” Her eyes met mine, and the faintest of smiles broke over her face. “See ya around, Becca.”

“Bye,” I said, a little confused.

When she disappeared, Evan leaned into me and whispered against my hair, “You should smooth things over with her. It wasn’t her fault; she only did what I asked her to.”

I tensed in his arms, and he let out a heavy sigh. His hold on me tightened as if he thought I might run at any second. 

“You and me, remember? Nothing else matters.” His voice was low in my ear, and I nodded. He was right; we’d made our choice. I had to put the past behind me—as much as I could. 

“Come on, class calls.” Evan looped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side, but when we turned the corner, I stiffened. Kendall’s eyes narrowed as she took a step forward, hand cocked on one hip.

“Ignore her.” Evan kept walking, half dragging me, as my eyes stayed firmly locked on Kendall’s. I refused to back down, and anger and hatred burned through me. It filled my chest until I thought it might explode, splattering blood and bone across the hallway. As we reached her, Kendall inched forward, forcing us to veer around her. “How cute,” she snarled. “The rich girl slumming it with the likes of Evan Porter.”

Evan slammed to a halt and swung around to face her. “Back off, Kendall.” He glared down at her, pushing me back slightly. Shielding me. But I stood firm, refusing to hide.

“I’ve got to say I’m kind of surprised, Evan. Of all the girls in school, you pick her? I mean, you do know she’s a liar and a fake, right? All this”—she swept a hand through the air—“is just for show.”

Evan stepped forward, almost toe to toe with her, and I could feel the anger radiating off him. He didn’t speak—he didn’t need to—but the look on his face was thunderous. It said everything it needed to. And I didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. Because Evan had just openly declared war on Kendall.

On his family. 

~

“Hey, Becca.” Lilly smiled sheepishly as we waited in the lunch line. 

“Hey.”

“So I heard that you and Evan ...”

“Yeah, I guess.” I helped myself to a sub and a juice carton.

“That’s great. You two were good together, and you know he only did what he did to—”

“I know.” I cut her off; I didn’t want to get into it again.

“So how’ve you been?” She waited for me to pay, and we walked out together. A few people watched with interest, probably looking for Evan, but he’d texted me last period to say he’d see me after school. 

“I’m okay.” This was awkward, and it was all my fault. Lilly had been a good friend, and I’d pushed her away. “Look, Lilly, I owe you an apology ...”

“Don’t even.” She smiled wider. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

I frowned. Was I ... back?

“So where is Evan?” I followed her out of the cafeteria and onto the courtyard. It wouldn’t be long before it was too cold to sit outside, but I couldn’t imagine eating lunch with hundreds of eyes staring in my direction every day. 

“He’s, hmm ...” I had no idea. “He got called in to see the guidance counselor.”

I didn’t know why I lied; it just rolled off my tongue. To be honest, I was still pretty blindsided by the whole going public thing.

“Oh man, the dreaded ‘your future awaits’ talk. I swear Miss Panagon has no clue. Like most of us will be going anywhere other than Credence Community College.”

Jay waved Lilly over, and she shot me an uncertain glance. “Hmm, do you want to join us?”

My eyes ran over the small group. Jay, Vin, and Scarlett all sat huddled around the table arguing over a box of fries. Mischa and Eric were there as well, too engrossed in one another to notice the food fight going on around them. I hadn’t seen them around much lately.

“Hmm, I don’t know, Lilly.”

“Come on.” She elbowed me playfully. “I know they’ve missed you. Especially Vin.” Lilly laughed, and surprisingly, I found myself smiling along with her. 

“Okay.” It wasn’t like I had anywhere else to go, and with Evan MIA, I could use the company. 

“New girl, what gives?” Vin flashed me a bright smile, patting the space beside him. Lilly wedged herself between Jay and Scarlett, leaving me no choice but to sit by Vin.

“Hey.”

“Good to see you, Becca,” Jay said through a mouthful of food, earning him an elbow to the ribs from Lilly.

“So you and Porter, huh? I gotta say, Becca, I did not see that one coming.” Vin sounded completely sincere while the rest of us gaped openly at him. He shrugged his shoulders. “What?”

“You’re joking, right?” Scarlett scoffed. “They’ve been sneaking around since she got here.”

His eyes snapped over in my direction, burning into the side of my head. “For real? I thought it was a one-time deal or something.”

Scarlett groaned, face planting on the table while Jay snickered and Lilly hushed him. It was Mischa who came to my defense. “Leave them alone; it’s cute.”

Vin scoffed. “I never stood a chance, did I?”

“Ya think?” Scarlett was looking right at Vin now. “It’s good to have you back.” She turned her gaze on me, a hint of a smile on her lips.

“Thanks.” Maybe we still needed to have it out and clear the air, but for now, it felt enough.

“You know, while I’m not against the two of you going public, you know she’s going to step up her game now, right?”

I bowed my head, pretending to be unwrapping my sub, not wanting my face to betray me. Kendall never quit—she’d just lulled me into a false sense of security. I should have known better. But it didn’t change anything. If I didn’t give her power, she would be nothing more than an irritating whisper in my ear. That was all. She could threaten me and leave notes and send ominous texts, but that was all they were … threats. Meaningless and petty words. She’d pulled her ace card when she’d plastered my face all over school. Everyone knew who I was now—the rich girl from Montecito. I was the outsider again. But I was done chasing their acceptance. I didn’t need or want it.

“Speaking of the devil.” Vin whistled low through his teeth, and our heads all turned to find Kendall across the lawn. She paused, her friends coming up behind her. If looks could kill, I’d have a death sentence.

“Geez, what is her problem?”

“She’s never liked outsiders,” Scarlett answered. I knew it wasn’t a dig; she was just stating a fact. But what they didn’t know—and I couldn’t tell them—was that Kendall had another reason to keep up her hate campaign. Scarlett probably knew enough since she and Evan seemed to be tight, but I didn’t know how much the others knew, and I wouldn’t betray Evan’s confidence. 

“Hey, what’s happening?” Malachi appeared. When his eyes fell on me, his face gave nothing away. He lifted his chin in a curt nod and dropped down on the end of the bench beside Jay. 

“Kendall’s out to destroy Becca, who, by the way, went public with Porter.” 

We all looked at Vin. He was such a gossip, but if Malachi was surprised, he didn’t show it. He didn’t really show anything. 

The rest of lunch passed with them talking about the upcoming weekend. I ate my lunch quietly, avoiding eye contact with anyone while checking my cell phone for messages from Evan. 

There weren’t any.

By the time everyone got up to return to classes, I was restless. Lilly and Scarlett walked ahead while Jay and Malachi goofed around with the trash. I lingered behind, still not entirely comfortable with being back in their group. Someone fell into step beside me, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Malachi.

“I only told him because I was worried.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” I said quietly, not wanting to draw an audience. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Becca, come on. It was only time before you let him back in.” 

I paused and turned to face him. “Excuse me?”

“Porter is a good guy.” He ran a hand over his head. “He cares about you, and he can protect you. Teller’s is a good place, but I was wrong leaving you to it. I’m sorry.”

This was ... weird. 

“You don’t need to apologize to me, and I’m not really mad that you told him. If it wasn’t for you ...” My voice trailed off. Did I really want to admit that if it wasn’t for him, Evan and I would have never had smoothed things over? But Malachi beat me to it. His lip quirked up.

“Yeah, yeah, you would. I may not talk a lot, but I see everything.” He brushed past me and headed inside the building. I stared at him, wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean.

~

When I left school, Evan was waiting, leaned against his Impala, looking all kinds of serious

“Hey.” I approached him. “Is everything okay?”

His hand looped around my neck, drawing me close as his lips slanted over mine. The kiss was quick and hard and left me breathless. When he pulled away, his hard features had softened a little. 

“I am now.” He smiled and some of the anxiety churning my stomach most of the afternoon ebbed away.

I smoothed my hands over the hard ridges of his stomach. “I was worried.”

“I’m sorry.” He pressed a kiss to my head. “I didn’t want you to worry. Everything’s okay, I promise. I was wondering if you’d want to come get Eli with me? I know he’d love to see you.”

“I don’t know. Will your mom be there?”

He tensed, his jaw clenching. “She’s at the store. She managed to change around a couple of shifts now that Mellie is out of town. She’ll be gone until eight thirty.”

I still wasn’t sure. She had made it clear she didn’t want me in her house or around her boys. 

Evan dipped his head, brushing his nose along my jaw. “Becca, she can be difficult, I know that, but I’ve set her straight about you. About us. She doesn’t have to like it, but I won’t hide you away either. I’m done hiding you.”

Maybe it was the intensity of his words or the way he looked at me like I was the air he breathed, but I found myself saying, “Okay.”