“Mr. Michaels, what can I do for you?” Mr. Rollar asks.

“I have a pass for Becca Daniels. She’s needed in the guidance office.” He hands a slip to Mr. Rollar.

“Well, she’s in the middle of a test right now. I can send her when she’s finished.”

I know the pass is fake. It has to be. I already had my guidance meeting this semester, and there’s no other reason why I’d be called down there. So, do I finish my test or go for a secret meeting with Toby?

I raise my hand. “Mr. Rollar, I’m finished.”

“Very well.” He motions me forward, and I gather my bag and test paper. He glances at the blank problems and shakes his head. “Disappointing, Miss Daniels.”

“I’m sorry, sir. My mind sort of blanked on those problems.”

“Perhaps you need more tutoring sessions.” Mr. Rollar looks at Toby.

Toby keeps his expression blank. “If you think that’s what she needs, I can work it into my schedule.”

“Thanks,” I say and take the slip from Mr. Rollar. I walk out of the classroom with Toby behind me. Neither of us says a word until we’re alone in the hallway. “What’s this about?”

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“And you couldn’t wait until later or text me during class?”

He looks down the hallway in both directions. We’re all alone. He steps forward and pins me against the locker. “This is more fun, don’t you think? We could get caught at any second.”

My heart pounds, which I’m sure he feels since his chest is pressed against mine. Damn, he makes me feel so out of control—in a good way. “Speaking of getting caught, Rollar saw me at your locker. I had to tell him I was checking on something I didn’t understand about unit seven.”

“And then you go and miss a bunch of questions on the test? Not very convincing.”

“I know.”

He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine. The kiss is quick, but it sends my heart into a tizzy. This is reckless, stupid. But I don’t care. “Got to go.”

“Wait. What did you want to ask me?”

“Ever jump out of a plane?”

“You mean skydiving?”

He nods. “I’m going this weekend. You should come. It’s a total rush.” He leans toward me again, but this time he kisses my neck. Shivers run through me. “Kind of like sneaking around with you,” he whispers. He pauses long enough to smile at me before taking off down the hall.

A rush. He’s right. I’ve never felt so alive.

Chapter Twelve

“What do you mean you have to double your tutoring time?” Tori drops her bag on the center island and opens the fridge.

“I didn’t do so great on my trig test today. I totally blanked.”

She hands me a bottle of water. “Maybe you need a better tutor. Toby’s smart, but he obviously isn’t a good teacher.”

“No, he is. I just suck at math.”

“So does this mean you’ll be spending all your time with him instead of hanging out with me?”

“Yes, it does, little sis.” Toby walks into the kitchen, cell phone in hand.

Tori glares at him. “I’m four minutes younger than you.”

“Like I said, little sis.” He ruffles her hair, which gets him smacked in the chest four times.

“There, one for every minute older than me.” She pats her hair back into place and grimaces at him.

“Don’t be so mean. I have good news for you.”

She crosses her arms. “I doubt that.”

“Hear him out,” I say, playing mediator as usual.

“Fine. What’s the good news?”

“Well, apparently you’re not a total spaz because Ryder said he wants to hang out with you again.”

Her arms fall to her sides, and her mouth hangs open.

“Tori, are you okay?” I ask, looking back and forth between her and Toby.

“Give her a minute, and you may want to cover your ears,” Toby says.

“What? Why?”

Before he can answer, Tori lets out a shriek. I cover my ears, but it’s too late. I won’t be surprised if I fail my next hearing test.

“You better not be kidding me. I’ll kill you if you are. Then I’ll hunt down your secret girlfriend and kill her, too.”

“My secret girlfriend?” He narrows his eyes at her.

Tori looks at me and shrugs. “Might as well get this out in the open.”

Get what out in the open? Toby and I exchange worried looks.

“I know you’re seeing someone. You came home with rainbow sprinkles on you. You hate them. And you’ve been all goofy and happy. It’s annoying, and it can only mean you’re hooking up with someone new. Someone better than Meredith—not that it’s hard to find someone better than her.”

Toby laughs. “You think that just because I told Meredith I’m not into her, I must be hooking up with someone else?”

“That’s what I said. Becca thinks so too.” She picks up her water bottle and points it at me.

“Oh, you do?” Toby’s almost too good at lying. Even I’m convinced he thinks we’re full of shit.

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

“Well, for both of your information—not that it’s any of your business—the guy at the ice cream place screwed up my order. I was in a good mood, so I didn’t send it back. And what do you know? Rainbow sprinkles really are better than chocolate.”

Tori puts her water down again. “And what about the goofy grin you’ve been wearing all the time?”

“I finally got rid of Meredith. Why wouldn’t I be grinning?”

“I know she’s a tool, but you never seemed to mind her attention before. Why now?” Tori might have a future as a detective, or maybe a lawyer. I’m just glad I’m not on the receiving end of her interrogation.

“It got annoying after a while. I only told her I was into someone else to let her down gently. Meredith isn’t the type of girl who’d back off because I said I didn’t like her. She’d try to change my opinion of her instead. Why are you girls always thinking you can change the guys you like and make them into your ideal, anyway?”

“Don’t turn this around on us,” Tori says.

“Fine. Are you finished with your questioning? Becca and I need to study.”

“What about Ryder? When does he want to hang out?”

“Didn’t say. I’ll talk to him and get back to you.” He turns to me. “You coming?”

Tori waves him away. “Fine. Go. Take my best friend, but remember she’s not your friend.”

He walks away. “Heard you loud and clear.”

She shakes her head. “Ugh, how do you put up with him? Seriously, request another tutor.”

“But then I’d never get to see you.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “At least this way, I’m only two doors away and I can see you before and after.”

“I guess you’re right. Go study.”

I give her a smile and head upstairs. Maybe I’m getting better at lying. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I knock on Toby’s door and it opens immediately.

“What took you so long?”

I walk inside, and he locks the door behind me.

“I’m not supposed to seem eager to study with you, remember?”

“Right.” He inches closer, and his fingers reach for my belt loop and tug me closer. As much as I love kissing him, I can’t help but wonder if that’s all he’s in this for. Does he even want to be my boyfriend?

“I guess we should start with the questions I couldn’t get on the trig test today.”

“You want to study?” He steps back, cocking his head at me.

“Um, if I don’t do better in trig, Mr. Rollar will assign me a new tutor, and then how would we see each other?”

“Touché.” Why does he have to sound so adorable when he says that?

I step closer to him so there are mere inches between us. “Teach me quickly, and we’ll have plenty of time left over.”

“How about we exhaust ourselves and then study?”

I laugh. “Because I have a feeling you don’t exhaust easily.” Oh crap. Did I really just say that? All we’ve done is kiss a few times. Why did I have to go there? I turn away, too embarrassed to look at him.