Free The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi Page B

learned Nick liked me, Meg was up to boyfriend number four and I was still at a staggering zero. I was always happy for her, but my constant lack of a significant other started getting to me—I felt rejected, lonely. I was always the third wheel, and while Meg didn’t mind, I did. So when Nick asked me out, I had to say yes. As it turned out, saying yes wasn’t always the best solution. “Because, let’s be honest. He was clearly temporary.”
    “I know, but—”
    “Plus, you’ll be graduating in a year. Think of that. Do you really want to go off to college with a boyfriend?”
    “I don’t know, I just think—”
    “Stop thinking, and just do. Isn’t that what tonight’s all about? You need to have fun. You need to get over Nick. And you need to stop stressing about the future. Just enjoy the moment.” I nodded, knowing she was right. I was always wrapped up in the future, planning what would happen next. I didn’t like surprises. “It’s like when you didn’t cut your hair this year, because you were afraid it would be too short for homecoming. Just . . . cut your hair!”
    “Okay!” I said, exasperated from her urging, and wondering if it was that easy to simply change. “Okay.”
    “Good.” She smirked.
    “Good,” I responded. “And what about you and Jake?”
    “What about us?”
    “Is everything okay? I mean, you were ready for a fight most of the night.”
    “I have to be when it comes to him. If I let my guard down, he’ll just swoop right back in. Believe me.”
    “Do you want that?” I asked tentatively.
    “Of course not,” she said with a toss of her hair, but I could see the hesitance cross her face. I reached for her hand and grabbed the yellow-and-red string bracelet that was about a year old.
    “You’re still wearing this.” I eyed her.
    “It was a big night,” she said. “I mean, aside from me and Jake making up for the thousandth time. We both passed that chem quiz we were worried about. . . .”
    “Uh-huh.” I smiled, knowing the reason she hadn’t cutit off had nothing to do with chemistry. Or perhaps it did. “You and Jake do have a lot of chemistry.”
    “Oh shut up.” She stifled a laugh.
    “And physics,” I added, and she shook her head at me.
    “You’re ridiculous.”
    We drove up behind Shop & Shop and parked next to a loud radiator and a row of trash cans. A black cat was perched atop one of the bins, eyeing the car as it pulled up. It didn’t run away, or even flinch when the lights beamed onto it.
    Matt pulled Jake’s truck up beside Meg’s car. We’d agreed earlier to park in the back so the store clerk didn’t see Jake buying alcohol for four people, all of whom were underage. I never would have thought of that, as it was my first booze run.
    “What will we have?” Jake asked, getting out of the truck.
    “I’ll come with you,” Meg said, opening her door. I jerked my head in her direction. How did she expect to get away with it? “I have an ID, too,” she said to me, lowering her eyes.
    “Since when? You never told me.”
    “Since Jake.” She sighed. “We’ll be back.”
    They walked around the building together. I watched until I couldn’t see them anymore. This was not a good idea.
    A knock at my window jumped me out of my thoughts. I turned and found Matt smiling, with his head tilted to the side. “Truck bed?” he asked, nodding toward the back of thetruck. The word “bed” made me blush, but I nodded and unbuckled my seat belt as he opened my door. “I thought it would be more comfortable than sitting in the truck. Do you realize how bad it smells in there?”
    “Why do you think I drive with Meg?” I said. “I once found a black French fry in there. How a French fry turned black, I have no idea.”
    “Gross,” Matt said.
    I followed him to the back of the truck, and we sat down, letting our legs hang over the side. My hand gripped the edge of the truck, and I noticed Matt’s hand was inches away from mine. I