Free Ever After Drake by Keary Taylor

for five
blissful seconds before Drake’s phone dings with a text message. We
step apart just as the first two students come through the front
doors.
    “ Ugh,” Drake grunts as he
looks down at his phone. “Again?”
    “ What is it?” I ask,
concern on my face as we start walking in the direction of our
classrooms.
    “ About three weeks before
school started my ex and I broke up,” he says, sliding his phone
into his pocket and looking forward. “Diana and I were together for
about six weeks. It was pretty rocky the whole time. She’s been
texting me on and off the last few weeks. She just said she wants
to talk.”
    Jealousy instantly roars up in me and
my entire body stiffens.
    Drake must notice because he grabs my
hand and pulls me to a stop. “I don’t want to talk to her. Things
are and were done over a month and a half ago. You really, really
don’t have to worry about this. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything
about it before. I just figured she’d go away.”
    I take a deep breath as Drake drops my
hand because he has to. I nod my head and try to calm the million
angry fire ants that have suddenly replaced my blood. “Yeah. Sorry.
I just instantly got a little possessive there.”
    This brings that lopsided smile to
Drake’s face. “You have no idea how bad I want to kiss you right
now. You’re cute when you’re jealous.”
    “ Shut up,” I say, giving a
big shove to his chest. He rocks back, off balance, but that’s the
extent of my damage. “Get to class, Mr. McCain.”

 
     
    CHAPTER
NINE

    The first week of October rolls in,
bringing cooler weather, changing leaves, and rain every third
day.
    Finally, after trying to get ahold of
Armando for a week, he knocks on my door one Saturday
afternoon.
    “ Where have you been?” I
say with a glare as I let him into the apartment. “I’ve been
calling and texting. Has work really been that bad?”
    “ Oh, Kaylee,” he says
wistfully as he dramatically flops down on my couch. “I’ve had the
most amazing eight days of my life.”
    I do a melodramatic intake of breath
and sit on the coffee table in front of the couch. “You met
someone!”
    “ I did,” he says with a
sigh as his eyes slide closed. “His name is Anthony. He’s sweet,
and sophisticated, and beautiful. We’ve just had the most wonderful
week together.”
    “ No wonder you never
answered any of my calls or texts,” I tease him. “You were
otherwise preoccupied.”
    “ Was I ever,” he says with
a shake of his head, his eyes still closed.
    “ Picture?”
    He reaches into his pocket and opens
his eyes a small slit while he scrolls through, looking for a
picture. Finally, he turns the phone and hands it to me.
    The man is attractive. He’s got
redish-brown hair done up in a dramatic faux hawk. Freckles dot his
cheeks and he smiles with brilliantly white teeth.
    “ I take it you’re happy
then?” I hand his phone back to him.
    “ More than that,” he says
as his eyes flash wide open and he stares up at my ceiling with a
foolish grin on his face. “I think I’m in love.”
    “ I’m happy for you,” I
say, smacking his arm lightly. “You deserve to find someone
perfect.”
    Armando looks over at me and finally
sits up. He drapes his arms across the back of the couch and
crosses his legs. “How about you, Ray of Kaylee? Have you found
someone perfect? Have you found your Prince Eric?”
    The idiotic grin spreads from his face
to mine and instantly I feel warm inside.
    “ It’s so bad and so good
at the same time,” I confess. “I’m just so deliriously happy when
I’m with him. It’s been the best four weeks of my life.
Easy.”
    “ Are you saying you’re in
love?” he taunts.
    I didn’t think it was possible, but my
smile grows bigger. “I won’t say it for the first time unless it’s
to his actual face. But…”
    “ As if he can’t already
tell,” Armando grins. “Sweetheart, you’ve been glowing nonstop
since you met that man. If you’re