Athena

29. YOLO

Cruz glances over at me. Uncertainty creases his handsome features when he asks, "Are you having second thoughts about us?"

My eyes widen as I lift my head from his shoulder. "I mean..."

He waits for me to find my words. My gaze drops to my lap as I explain in mumbling tones, "Just because two people like each other doesn't mean they should date each other."

"Why not?"

I toss him a pointed look. "Because."

There's a troubled gleam in his green eyes. "You worried about what people will think?"

Hell, yes!

I counter, "Aren't you?"

A pensive look crosses his face. Cruz muses out loud, "What if..."

"What?" I prompt, glancing over to him.

He suggests quietly, "What if we keep everything between us a secret?"

"A... secret?" I repeat incredulously.

Cruz nods somewhat hesitantly. "Yeah, a secret. Otherwise, this shit might get messy. My dad can be kind of a control freak. I definitely don't want him to find out anything about us."

I grimace. "You dad definitely seems like he has some... issues."

"You have no idea," he mutters under his breath.

His tone sounds ominous as fuck. I want to know what Cruz is talking about in regards to Ron. I also want to know what happened to his mom and why she left them years ago.

However, before I'm able to ask Cruz to elaborate, he has already moved on. "Anyway, all that matters is that I like you, and you like me. The two of us should be able to do whatever the fuck we want together. It's no one's business but ours, anyway"

I sense that Cruz means well, but this totally sounds like a recipe for disaster. I frown. "Dude, I don't how to say this nicely. So I won't. But I'm not interested in being your secret side chick."

"Let me finish," Cruz fires back, "it's not like I'm interested in being your dirty, little secret, either."

I side-eye him, not really knowing where he's heading with this conversation. "So... what are you suggesting, exactly?"

"I just think that, maybe, we should lay low until the timing feels right. I want to be careful so no one gets hurt."

"Not sure if I'm ready to subscribe to this bullshit."

Frustration pinches his brow. "I swear I'm not trying to bullshit you. The last thing I want is to hide you away. I mean, if you insist on putting our feelings on blast for the whole world to see, I won't stop you."

"I'm not interested in putting us on blast," I mutter. "I have enough drama in my life, as is."

"That's why we need to be smart about this shit."

He's right. I can't let hormones get the better of me. I need to keep my head on straight. A pensive mood settles in. I already feel halfway defeated, and we haven't even kissed. Dating Cruz out in the open would be like dating the sun. He's too bright, too brilliant, and too good for me. In comparison, I'm a fucking nobody. I can already feel the white-hot resentment that the girls at school will be hurling my way if I steal their man.

A sigh falls from my lips. "This is giving me a headache. Maybe we should just be friends."

Without hesitation, he growls, "Do I look like I wanna be your fucking friend?"