Back To You

A night of tension (7)

Madi's POV

"Okay, but do you remember when we almost got suspended because of you?" Olivia teased, lying across her bed, tossing a pillow up and catching it.

I scoffed. "Excuse me? That was your fault."

She sat up, pointing at me. "No way. You're the one who dared me to switch all the teachers' nameplates around. I just executed the plan."

I grinned. "And who got caught first?"

She groaned, flopping back down. "Ugh, fine. But you got detention too, so don't act innocent."

"Yeah, but I didn't have to explain to the principal why Ms. Lawson ended up in Mr. Peterson's classroom for half a period."

We both burst out laughing, shaking our heads at the memory.

"God, we were little menaces," Olivia sighed.

"Speak for yourself," I said, smirking.

She rolled her eyes but before she could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it and then looked at me. "Nate just texted. He wants to know if we want to go to BOA Steakhouse with everyone tonight."

I shrugged. "Sure. Who's coming?"

She scrolled through her messages. "Kelianne, Chase, Nate, Bryce, Melissa, Ryan and Brandon ..." She hesitated. "And Tayler."

The name landed like a weight between us.

I forced a neutral expression. "Okay."

Olivia eyed me. "You sure?"

I exhaled. "It's fine. I mean, I knew I was going to run into him at some point."

She still looked hesitant, but eventually, she nodded. "Alright. Let's go, then."

The Drive

The car ride was awkward.

I sat in the back with Nate while Olivia was up front with Tayler, who was driving.

At first, it wasn't too bad. Nate kept joking around, playing terrible music, and Olivia was roasting his playlist. But under all of that, I could feel the tension.

Every now and then, Tayler would glance at me through the rearview mirror.

I pretended not to notice.

Nate nudged me, leaning over to whisper, "How are we feeling about this little reunion?"

I shot him a look. "I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure."

Tayler spoke up, his voice calm but pointed. "Why wouldn't she be fine?"

I met his gaze in the mirror. "No reason."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel.

Olivia, clearly sensing the shift, changed the subject. "Alright, real talk—who do we think is most likely to embarrass themselves at dinner?"

Nate grinned. "Bryce. That guy cannot get through a meal without doing something dumb."

Olivia laughed. "Facts."

I smirked, glad for the distraction. But Tayler's stare still lingered.

At BOA steakhouse

When we arrived, I spotted the others waiting outside. Tayler stepped out of the car, and Olivia followed, with me trailing behind. As we approached, Tayler introduced me to Melissa, a bubbly blonde who gave me a warm smile.