Evading Ian Lanson

"I know you like me."

"Doesn't matter, you cocky bastard. I won't go out with you."

He was leaning on the pastel-pink doors of my bedroom closet, arms crossed across his chest and staring down at me. "You think you can keep yourself from returning my advances. Really." His voice oozed with disbelief intermingled with annoyance.

"Of course. I'm doing it for Allison."

He pushed himself off the closet then and took two swift steps towards me. Not anticipating it, I rocked on my heels in shock, nearly falling. He caught me by the elbows and breathed down on me.

"I don't give a shit about Allison, Cherry. She doesn't even know me." He slid his finger under my chin and raised my head so that I was forced to stare back at him. His green eyes were narrowed, challenging me. "But you, you do. And if you think that after hearing you admit you like me I'm going to just leave you be, then you're an idiot."

He cut me off from making a smart-ass response, my go-to when my pride was wounded and I couldn't bear to be genuine, by releasing my chin, stepping away from me, and letting himself out of my bedroom.

"Enjoy your party," he called. "I'll be seeing you when you least expect it."