NovelUSAChapter 162
You're So Easy-1
We leave a couple of days later.
The ride hfeels different from when we came. It's less tense, the four of us exhausted from how much we
played and slept together. I'm sore everywhere, but | wouldn't change the last week for anything.
Things feel lighter somehow. It's almost as if we're not carrying as much weight as
we
used to.
I'm curled up in the backseat, one leg draped over Jake's lap, my head resting against the car door. Aiden is in
the passenger seat again because of his long legs, and Zaid drives.
Jake's fingers trace lazy circles on my calf and | breathe deeply, enjoying his touch.
It's easy. It's peaceful.
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For the first tin too long, | feel good. Like we're finally on the spage. Like we aren't just circling the same
old arguments, too scared to figure out what we want. We're figuring it out now.
We're better.
Still, there's this quiet whisper in the back of my head remindingthat things can fall apart in a second. There
is still tension between Zaid and |, between him and Jake.
There's still so much we haven't figured out, and plenty that could slip through the cracks. But for now, | push
the thoughts down deep and let myself be in this moment. We can celebrate the small wins as they come.
We're about an hour out of the city when Zaid pulls off the freeway toward a gas station.
"I need caffeine if I'm going to get us hwithout driving into a ditch," he says, watchingin the rearview
mirror.
Aiden makes a face. "You're not that old, Zaid. Con."
Zaid unbuckles his belt and playfully punches Aiden on the arm.
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You're So Easy 1
Aiden shakes his head. "I guess I'll fill up the tank."
Jake chuckles under his breath as | uncoil from him and stretch.
"I'll cwith you," | tell Zaid, opening my door.
The air is crisp when | step out, but Zaid's already waiting by the hood of the car. His
fingers slip between mine and we head toward the convenience store.
There's a few more cars parked, but | don't see many people. It's quiet for a few moments, just the sound of
gravel crunching under our boots and the wind blowing through the
trees.
Inside, it smells like burnt coffee and over-sweet candy, and the humming fluorescent
lights givea headache just by looking at them.
"You good?" he asks, glancing down atas we pass a rack of chips.
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| nod, and before | can say anything else, he's stopping in the middle of the aisle.
His hand tugs on mine just enough that | stumble into him, and his free hand comes up to cup my jaw. He kisses
me, soft and quick, like he does this all the tand isn't always
intense.
His lips pull into a smile against mine, and | smile too, my heart stuttering in the best way. We pull apart and our
smiles disappear the moment we hear a gasp.
We both turn at the stime.
My heart hammers in my chest when | see Sadie.
Her white-blonde hair is pinned back in that perfect messy bun she always does, and her lip gloss catches the
light as her mouth twists into an ugly scowl. She stares at us, at Zaid's hand still holding my face, at the way we
stand so close.
Her gaze flickers back and forth between us, disgust darkening her expression. "Wow, you really are a whore,"
she sneers. "Didn't take you long, huh, Alina? I'm not surprised you're so easy."
| force myself not to flinch. | open my mouth to say something, anything.
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