The Best Kind of Betrayal

Chapter 20

Kaia acts like she wasn't on the phone with me for over forty minutes last night.

"So, you two went inside his room and then he said – what?"

"Kai," I make a face and almost run over a group of freshmen, "I told you three times already. We just hung out to annoy Logan. Plus, Matthew told him his parents aren't home, which kind of blew his mind."

"His parents weren't home?" Kaia screeches.

"Oh my god are you even listening to what I'm saying," I reach behind me to fetch my shoes, "His mum was home and nothing happened."

Kaia crosses her arms and sighs. "Disappointing."

She sits on the edge of her seat and watches me tie my ankle boots, chewing absentmindedly on my lunch sandwich. My mum made one with cheddar, tomatoes and cream cheese, because that's Kaia's favorite. It's nice, but then not so much, considering I'm not really a fan of tomatoes.

"You know," Kaia tells me when we finally make it out of the car, "You come over to his place again and then – oh god no, not again. I feel like we're stuck in Groundhog Day."

Vivian and Logan are making out in the parking lot. Their hands are wrapped around each other, noses pressed flat against cheeks, and it looks like they're having a great time but also like they're performing a weird kind of CPR. I never got the opportunity to watch people making out so closely over and over again, and it definitely doesn't look nearly as sexy as movies try to put it.

"I feel like I'm watching Logan performing a dental exam," Kaia says.

"I feel like Logan wants to major in ENT medicine later on," I say, "Special emphasis on throat."

We meet up with Carlos and Matthew at the end of the parking lot, both discussing something next to a huge BMW that surely isn't Matthew's. Carlos is dressed in this really nice hunter green button up, Matthew in this not so nice red and blue plaid shirt.

"I gave your boyfriend a ride," Carlos says as a greeting.

Matthew gives me a friendly hug. "Hi June."

I cough and free myself really awkwardly. "Uh, hi."

I'm not a hugging person. It's unnecessary excessive skin contact with people you're just vaguely friendly with to show you're a sociable person. I'm not a sociable person. Hugging feels too close for a greeting to me.

"You know what, maybe we should make out in the parking lot as a greeting too. Right in front of Logan and Vivian," Matthew shrugs nonchalantly, "Wouldn't this have the effect you're aiming for?"

I'm choking on my spit. "What, herpes?"

Matthew grins and slings an arm around my shoulders. "I meant jealousy, but if you're trying to warn me or something, good."

I make a face and squeeze his arm.

"You guys act like a married couple already," Carlos announces from Matthew's other side.

"Super romantic," Kaia contributes not that helpfully, "I knew I said Logan and you were the cutest couple I know, June, but I take it back. It's totally you guys."

"June and Logan were the cutest couple you know?" Matthew repeats and furrows his brows, "Who was the other competition, Mr. and Mrs. Callahan?"

I glare at him. "What, you think we did nothing but fight? Logan and I were a great couple. Really cute."

Okay, that's not really what I'm thinking. Kaia doesn't notice, since she's too busy discussing with Carlos how cute Mr. and Mrs. Callahan actually are when they think no one is watching. Matthew throws in the words Mr. Callahan and cute in the same sentence make him sick, but he's looking at me ever so often, and there's this small smile on his face. He's close, really close by my side, so close I could easily reach out and take his hand. Nothing's hindering me, since he's my boyfriend and everything.

My fingers are twitching, and I curl them to a fist.