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“Addie, I never told you I didn't like Mollie.”

“Sure you did,” she says weakly, picking at her glittery nails. “All teeth, remember?”

“From like three years ago?”

“Yeah,” she shrugs. “Something like that.”

“You still remember that?”

“Of course I still remember,” she says quietly.

I start to put the truck in gear to pull out of the lot when I glance down to find her still looking away. She's chipping the nail polish from her fingernails like she always does when she's nervous. I can tell Mollie's words really got under her skin, but it just seems like there's more to her reaction.

“Addie, are you sure you weren't jealous? You'd tell me, right?”

“Yeah, I'd tell you,” she says, finally meeting my eyes. “Zeke, I wasn't jealous.”

“Okay,” I nod, throwing the truck into reverse and heading back toward the house.

I still think she's keeping something from me, but I have no choice but to trust her. I'd be lying if I said having thought she was jealous over me didn't shoot a spark of something I can't describe through me, but I must have been mistaken.

Addie's never lied to me. Not once.

If she says she wasn't jealous, I believe her.

Addie

I've never been more jealous in my life.

July 4, 2010

Addie

Things have been weird between Zeke and me ever since we went to that stupid party. I knew I shouldn't have gone, but I never get to see him anymore since he's been away at school.

We'd still hung out every day and he didn't say anything else after we left, which has been weird all by itself.

Zeke Turner is a lot of things, but subtle has never been one of them.

Once in the seventh grade, we were sitting in the cafeteria and he asked me in front of our entire table if I was still hung up on Tommy Wilbanks. I guess it wouldn't have been that embarrassing if Tommy hadn't been sitting across from us.

My point is, Zeke's silence could mean one of two very different things.

A) He knows I never lie to him, so he's choosing to believe me, or...

B) He knows I'm full of crap and is too nice to call me out on it because me being jealous is stupid.

I'm hoping it's the secret option:

C) It didn't happen at all. I was abducted and am now being used for super awesome dance experiments.

Yes. That's what happened. My dance moves will save the universe. They will make a movie about me and I will be played by Jennifer Aniston. She will meet and fall in love with Robert Pattinson and it won't be weird at all.

He definitely won't be her best friend who lives next door.

In all my eighteen years, I've never been so confused.

What the hell am I gonna do? He's picking me up for another party in like two hours.

When I realize there's no good answer coming, I know it can only mean one thing.

It's time for plan B.

Carefully I stand, reveling in the feel of shingles on my bare feet. I know what I have to do. It won't be easy, especially on this hot roof, but my plan B has never failed me. Releasing a deep breath, I position my headphones, hit play and wait for Duffy.

When in doubt, a girl's gotta dance.

Zeke

For the first time, I'm grateful when my mom asks me to help her with crap around the house.

Ever since that party the other night, shit's been weird between me and Addie. I've always thought she was cute, but I've never seen her like that. The thought that I'm seeing her different now is so not cool. Not only are we both heading for different schools, she's not just some girl, she's been my best friend since we were kids.

I'm no rocket scientist, but I think common sense says hooking up with your best friend is a shitty idea.

I'm coming out of the shower, towel wrapped around my waist when I hear something coming from her place. Her dad's not home from his last run yet and I'd stayed in the habit of keeping an eye out for her when she's alone. I'd checked last time I was up here and she wasn't outside yet. As my eyes follow the sound, I see that's not the case anymore.

Addie is very much outside now.

Ironically, she's singing along to 'Mercy' by Duffy on her roof. She's in a turquoise bikini top and that same pair of ridiculously short cutoffs she wore to the party. Her blonde hair, even lighter from the sun, is down. As she shakes her ass, it moves around her tanned shoulders and runs down the middle of her back.

I don't have to be able to see past the bright orange sunglasses she's wearing to know her eyes are closed, allowing her to get lost in the music as she twists her hips. Her movements are sexy, seductive, but that part's unintentional.

Somehow, that makes it even hotter.

“That girl's gonna break her neck up there one of these days,” my mom tsks as she walks past my open bedroom door, pulling me from my inappropriate thoughts and startling me.

“Yeah,” I manage, moving to push the door shut so I can get dressed.

I drop the towel from my waist, attempting to ignore the raging hard on I've got as I yank a clean T-shirt from the hanger and toss it onto the bed. Pulling a pair of boxer briefs on, I cringe as the fabric struggles against my dick.

“She's your best friend, perv,” I whisper, silently begging my nineteen year old hormones to cooperate.

I think I've just about got my head right when I hear her voice change.

What is she sing...? Oh no... It's that song from fucking Moulin Rouge.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Addie?” I groan, bending to rest my palms on the dresser, squeezing my eyes shut tight as I fight the images. “Okay, just think about Grandma...”

Addie’s hair sweeping against her bare waist.

“Grandma...” I whisper desperately.

Her hips slowly twisting with those unbuttoned shorts, riding her hips low.

“Shit... Come on, Grandma...”

Her hand on my stomach, teasing my skin through the fabric of my shirt.

“Grandma and Grandpa making out...”

Her nipples pushing against her bikini top.

“Oh my God.”

I am so fucked.

***

After I'm finally able to get my shit together, I make my way next door. She's still on the roof, but sitting quietly, her head bobbing to the music as she paints her toenails.

“Hey!” she calls, not moving her attention away from the green nail polish so bright, I can see it from my spot on the grass.

“Hey,” I answer her. “You still comin' to that barbecue with me?”

“Yeah,” she says. “I'll be done in just a sec.”

“Okay, I'm comin' up.”

“'Kay.”

Pulling myself up, I clear the distance in just a few familiar moves and take a seat beside her. She's in her favorite spot, leaning against the chimney and I can hear 'Friends' by Band of Skulls blaring through her headphones.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” she smiles up at me. “Just got two toes left.”

“No worries,” I say, watching her careful movements. “When's your dad getting back?”

“I don't know,” she shrugs. “I thought he might be back this morning, but he's been taking longer trips lately and he's never back when I think he will be.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I think he's stressed out over me going to school,” she sighs.

“Didn't you get a full ride?”

“No,” she admits, replacing the top onto her nail polish and facing me. “I mean, I'm good for the first two years, but after that, it's out of pocket unless I can get some grants.”

“Well, that sucks.”

“Yeah, well we can't all be football stars,” she grins at me. “It's fine, though. I keep telling him not to worry about it. The financial aid department is there for a reason, ya know? But he's stubborn.”

“At least you got it honest,” I smirk, laughing when she sticks her tongue out at me. “You know, we don't have to go to this if you're not into it, Addie.”

“Do you not feel like going?”

“It doesn't matter to me,” I admit. “I was just thinking we only have a couple weeks to hang out before we're both leaving, ya know? I saw all my other friends and you seem like you're not really feelin' it.”

“No, I'm fine,” she says, her eyes holding a hesitation I've rarely seen from her. “I've just got a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

“I dunno,” she shrugs. “Just stuff. Worried about my dad, scared about school, sad you're leaving again...”

When the last part leaves her lips, she lets out an almost unnoticeable sigh. Her eyes only hold mine for a minute before she looks down at her feet, pretending to fix the perfect polish.

“Yeah,” I nod. “It's not like we'll never see each other again, though, ya know? We'll still keep in touch, Addie.”

“Yeah, I know,” she says, rolling her eyes and feigning indifference. “It's just gonna be different.”

“I know.”

We sit in silence, both of us swallowing words we don't have the courage to speak as the hot sun begins to slowly relent. A slight breeze blows through her hair, enticing a stray strand to dance across the bridge of her nose. As she replaces it behind her ear, she quickly swipes a tear away from her eye and looks out over the grass.

“Addie, are you crying?”

“We should get going,” she says, ignoring my question as she moves to lower herself onto the eave beside her window. “I just need to grab my shoes. I'll meet you down there, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” I nod, unable to say anything more.

I've known Addie since I was eight years old and aside from the day we met and when Maggie Magenta died when she was fifteen, I've never seen her shed a tear.

The fact that my leaving might be the reason for her sadness is not only a total mindfuck, it's enough to have me wondering if I'm not the only one seeing things differently.

Addie

God, I can't believe I started crying in front of him.

I mean, if I was going to cry in front of anyone, it would be Zeke, but still. I'm just setting us both up for a whole heap of something neither of us needs. My having these feelings for him will only ruin our friendship and even if I had another friend, no one could ever compare to him.

He's been here for me through everything. Plainly put, Zeke's my whole childhood and I couldn't imagine a life that didn't include him in it. These feelings though? They're temporary, they have to be. If I want our friendship to remain unscathed, I need to put an end to this.

There's a whole lot of things I would do for Zeke Turner. Keeping my mouth shut is the least of them.

Shaking my head clear, I pull a blue tank top over my head and reach for my flip flops before climbing back out onto the eave. Sliding my window shut, I release a deep breath and twist to jump into the grass.

“Addison Savannah Greyson! Get down from there!” my dad calls out from the driveway, startling me and causing me to lose my balance. “What did I tell you about climbin' on that roof, girl?”

“Oh no,” I manage as I see my fate.

As I let out a scream in preparation for my crash landing, I'm surprised to land against hard flesh instead of slamming against the ground below. For a long moment, I keep my eyes squeezed shut, afraid to open them.

“Addie?” Zeke says quietly from underneath me.

“Am I dead?”

“No,” he says with a soft laugh. “I think you might be in trouble, though.”

“Damn right you're in trouble,” my dad says. “What the hell were you doin' on the roof?”

“I'm always on the roof,” I admit, still hiding in the safety of Zeke's arms, resting my head on his chest, my hands at his sides.

When I hear his slight intake of breath, my own breathing halts as one of his hands lands at my waist, the other in my hair.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice low.

“I think so,” I manage, moving my gaze to find his blue eyes looking down at me.

“You scared me,” he admits, gripping my waist tighter, but still maintaining his gentle touch.

“I'm scared, too,” I whisper, hating the crack in my voice, but immediately forgetting it as I watch his eyes search mine.

“What?”

“I was scared,” I say quickly. “That's what I meant.”

“Oh,” he says, giving me a slight nod.

“Are you alright, kid?” my dad says from my left, prompting me to look away from Zeke.

“Yeah,” I say, reluctantly lifting myself from his grip and moving to stand. “Thanks to Zeke, I'm fine.”

“Well, thank God he was here,” he says.

“Yeah,” I smile, nervously glancing up at my best friend. “He's my hero.”

“You keep your ass off that roof,” my dad says, ignoring the silent exchange we'd just shared.

“Yessir,” I nod.

“I mean it,” he says, pulling me in for a quick hug. “I catch you up there again, you won't be leavin' this house til August.”

“I won't!” I groan.

“Yeah, you been tellin' me that since you were ten and I still catch your ass up there once a month,” he gripes at me before turning to face Zeke. “You keep her outta trouble.”

“I'll do my best, Mr. Greyson.”

“Alright,” he nods, facing me again. “I won't have another run til Thursday, kitten, but I'm gonna be in and out tonight. You gonna be alright?”

“Yes,” I nod. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just need to take care of a few things while I'm in between runs,” he says, causing a streak of worry to run through me. “You take care of yourself, okay?”

“I will, Daddy,” I say, pulling him close for another hug. “You don't need to worry about me.”

“I know, honey,” he says, kissing me on top of my head. “Still do though.”

“I know.”

“Where are you two headed off to?”

“Barbecue,” Zeke answers. “Down at the lake. Mandy Sinard invited us, so we're just gonna go get some food and they're doing fireworks later.”

“Okay,” he says. “There gonna be drugs there?”

“No sir,” Zeke says, laughing at my dramatic eye roll. “Mandy's parents are gonna be there, too.”

“Alright,” my dad nods. “Well, don't drink and drive.”

“We're not even old enough to drink.”

“Doesn't mean you won't,” he says. “I hope you don't, but if you do, call me and I'll come and pick you up. I want you to be alive when I ground you.”

“I love you, Dad,” I smirk, ignoring him.

“Love you, too, brat,” he says, mussing my hair. “Do you have condoms?”

“Daddy!” I gasp in embarrassment. “Ew!”

“That's my girl. Ew is right,” he nods approvingly. I'm pulling away when he grabs my arm, stalling my movement. “Hey honey?”

“Yeah?”

“Do me a favor, will ya?”

“Hmm?”

“There's a guy that might stop by before I get in,” he starts, his worried expression causing me concern. “He's a... well, he's an alright guy, but I don't know him too good. Just make sure you don't let anyone in the house besides Zeke if I'm not around, okay?”

“Okay,” I say quietly, searching his face. “Daddy, is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, waving me off. “I just don't like bringin' my business home with me, you know? I'd rather he didn't come in the house until I know I can trust him.”

“Oh,” I nod slowly. “Alright. I won't even answer the door, then.”

“Good girl,” he smiles, kissing me on the temple. “Now go on and have fun.”

“Okay,” I say, giving him the best smile I can manage before climbing into Mrs. Turner's truck and securing my seat belt.

“What the hell was that all about?” Zeke asks under his breath, trying to hide his concern as he waves to my father.

“I don't know,” I admit. “It was weird, though, right?”

“Yeah,” he says, pulling onto the road and heading for the lake.

When I remain silent for a long moment, my thoughts consumed with worry for whatever is going on with my dad, he brushes his hand against my arm, pulling my attention back to him.

“Huh?”

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” I nod, facing him for the first time since our encounter in the front yard. His blue eyes hold mine as I take him in and shake my head clear. “I'm fine. Just trying to figure out what was up with my dad.”

“I'm sure everything's okay,” he offers. “Your dad loves you. He's probably just worried about you being home so much on your own.”

“You're probably right,” I agree, silently hoping he's right and the feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach is for nothing.

“I'm sure that's all it is,” he says, pulling up to an empty spot. “You ready?”

“Yep,” I smile.

Surprisingly, I'm actually looking forward to this party a little more than the last. While most of Zeke's friends never gave me a second glance, Mandy was always pretty nice to me. As we're making our way toward the group that's already gathering, I catch a glimpse of Mollie and stop in my tracks.

“Crap on a cracker!” I gasp.

“What?” he asks, turning to face me.

“Mollie's here,” I tell him, biting on my nail nervously.

“So?”

“So, last time we saw Mollie...” I start, my cheeks turning red.

“Oh yeah,” he chuckles.

“Well, what are we supposed to do?”

“Looks like we have two choices,” he starts, looking down at me. “One, we tell her the truth.”

“Mollie's a gossip and I made her look like a jackass last time,” I tell him, shaking my head.

“You think she'd believe we broke up and still came together?”

“No way,” I tell him honestly.

Even if she did believe it, she'd be all over you.

“Well, I guess we either have to tell her the truth or... you know... pretend we're together.”

As I face him, I find his blue eyes already boring into mine, his lower lip nestled between his teeth.

This is why you never lie, Addie. Look where it's gotten you, Miss 4.0.

“Addie!” Mollie calls from twenty feet away as she spots us.

He's your best friend. Just keep your mouth shut for once.

“Addie!” Mollie calls again, less than fifteen feet away from us now.

Tell her the truth. Who cares what she thinks? You're leaving in a few weeks anyway.

“Mollie's comin'” he starts, his hot breath washing over my skin as he leans to whisper in my ear, sending an unfamiliar chill through me. “What's it gonna be, Addie?”

So is he.

That last thought seals my fate as I take a deep breath and slip my hand in his.