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I pretended not to hear.

Ruckus noticed. Of course he did.

His eyes shifted to me. “What’d he do?”

“Nothing.”

“You said that too fast.”

“Shut up and eat.”

He grinned.

Sometimes it was rough having five brothers. They noticed everything. Or thought they did.

Most of the time they were wrong. Sometimes they were so wrong it would’ve been funny if it didn’t complicate my life.

The bell rang before anybody could interrogate me. I escaped.

The rest of the day went mostly normally. Mostly.

I caught myself looking for Chief between classes.

Habit. Masochism. Whatever. I didn't find him.

By last period, my legs had started to ache pleasantly from the morning run.

I liked that too. The soreness felt earned. Simple.

Nothing mysterious about it.

I was heading toward the parking lot when I heard someone behind me.

“Piper.” I knew the voice.

Clayton. I kept walking.

He caught up easily. “Are you avoiding me?”

“No.” I glanced at him.

He smiled. That smile usually worked on me.

It still did. That was the problem.

“About this morning—”

“No.”

He sighed. “Hazel.”

I stopped.

He did too.

There were students moving around us, cars starting, people shouting across the lot.

I lowered my voice. “You knew I’d answer.”