Lainey
After Maize bought her dress we took her home. Unfortunately, Trey caught Owen dropping her off.
Trey was so shocked he tripped over his own feet and fell in his driveway.
Owen being the jackass he is yells, "Did you forget how to walk?"
Maize snorts and I shove Owen's shoulder. "What are you doing, Huntley?" Trey yells across the street.
Owen smirks and I groan. "I was dropping Maize off."
Trey's face darkens, "Oh, I didn't know you were hanging out with Mazie now."
Owen shrugs and moves closer to Maise. "She needed a ride to the mall."
Maize sighs, "Where are you off to, Trey?"
Trey gives her a tight smile, "Mom, needs me to pick something up at the store."
Maize nods. "Well, you better be off then," Owen comments before Mazie can say anything else.
I glare at Owen, "You're being an ass."
Trey waves and climbs into his truck.
"What was all that for," Maize asks.
Owen smirks, "I just made your crush jealous."
Realization hits both Maize and me at the same time as Owen continues. "All he will think about is why you were with me. Then he will wonder why me being with you matters to him so much till..."
"He realizes he has feelings for her," I finish.
Owen smiles and glances at Maize, "In case you were wondering Lainey just finished my sentence."
A smile graces her lips, "You are a genius."
Owen mock bows, and I sigh, "What if your plan doesn't work?"
Owen raises his brows, "Did you not see him fall on his face."
I roll my eyes and Maize suddenly jumps up and down. "We should all go out together so we can act like a couple."
A mischievous smile crosses Owen's face, "That would be fun."
Yeah, fun for them.
Maize smiles as she walks towards her front door. "I'll have to come up with a plan." She glances over her shoulder, "Love you, Lainey!"
I force a smile as she goes inside even though she can't see me.
Before Owen can say anything else I climb into his car. He plops into the driver's side and gives me a look. "What's wrong now?"
I flip the visor down to check my face. "Nothing."
Owen groans, "Lane, just cut the bull crap. I'm not going to sit here and guess why you're mad at me."
Despite my anger and small smile try to take hold of my lips, "Who said I was mad?"
Owen blows a huff of air out his mouth, "For Pete's sake Lane, I can tell when you are fucking mad." He glances at me, "But by all means, if you don't want to tell me why you're mad then don't."
Despite my efforts that small smile spreads across my mouth, "I'm not mad, I'm just upset."
Owens's face softens, "Now was communicating your feelings that hard?"
I roll my eyes and the look he gives me says to continue. "I guess I want to be a part of this elaborate plan that you came up with in under five minutes."
Owen smiles, "You still will be." He grimaces, "Sort of."
I sigh, "I was also sort of jealous that you managed to get Trey to feel any sort of way about Maize when I couldn't in the last four years."
I also got this weird jealous feeling when you said you and Maize were going to play couple.
But I would never tell him that because I refuse to acknowledge the feeling.
~~~~
Owen
After I finally got Lainey to cough up what she seemed so pissed about Caleb called me saying he was having a little hang-out thing and asked if I wanted to come.
My first thought was no because of Lainey, but she convinced me to go.
She said she could follow me around and people-watch.
"Wow, I forgot what his house looked like," Lainey whispers.
"How long has it been since you were at his house?" I ask as I unbuckle my seat belt.
Her forehead wrinkles ever so slightly as she thinks about my question. "The last time I was here was his thirteenth birthday party."
I nod and she slides out of my car; I forgot she has known Caleb longer than I have.
Caleb and I didn't start hanging out till after I started high school. He was my first real friend.
Besides Lainey, he is the only person at school who knows about my living situation.
"So is this a party or just some guys doing stupid stuff," Lainey asks as we near the house.
I give her a dead look, "We don't do stupid stuff."
A teasing smile dusts her lips, "Sure, you don't."
I roll my eyes and she giggles. The sound takes me by surprise. I have never heard her make anything remotely close to that noise.
She doesn't seem to notice my state of shock and continues to walk toward the door.
I quickly shake my head as if it will get rid of the memory of the sound.
When she reaches the front steps I quickly grab her hand, "Before we go in there we need to lay out some rules."
I tilt my head at Lainey's expression as she stares at my hand engulfing hers.
Shit.
I quickly let go of her hand and continued like nothing happened, "You can't just randomly talk to me while I'm talking to someone."
She crosses her arms and her cheeks have a light dusting of pink to them, "I know that."
I smile, "You seem to have a hard time doing that."
She glares at me and all I can do is stare at the way her bottom lashes brush the skin under her eyes, "I won't embarrass you in front of your 'bros'."
My eyes find hers and I raise my hand and knock on the door behind her, "That would be very appreciated."
~~~~
Lainey stayed true to her word and did her best to not randomly talk to me when I was talking with someone.
Well, she did make snarky comments and I found myself biting my tongue multiple times to keep from laughing.
Eventually, I found myself sitting on a chair in the corner of Caleb's basement while the guys and Caleb's girlfriend talked.
"And that's when I told him to shove it where the sun doesn't shine," Caleb announces and everyone laughs.
I got distracted halfway through his story by Lainey telling me funny stories about her and Caleb growing up.
Lena rolls her eyes as Caleb settles back down beside her, "They are so lucky to find each other." Lainey whispers.
I glance over her face, and longing is written all over her face.
Did she ever have a thing for Caleb?
Is that why they stopped hanging out?
For some reason, an icky feeling rolls over my skin. "Was there ever anything going on between you and Caleb?" I ask.
Lainey turns to me with a look of puzzlement. "What?"
I nod towards Caleb, "You seemed upset over him with Lena."
She sighs, "Owen, I am upset I don't have someone like they do." She gently shakes her head, "I could never see Caleb that way."
I laugh, "I never pegged you for the hopeless romantic type."
She gives me a dead look, "I don't know how many times I am going to have to tell you, but you do not know me as well as you think you do."
I look away from her face as I say, "I think I know you pretty damn well now."
She crosses her arms in the hope of it coming off as challenging. "No, you don't."
A teasing grin dances on my lips, "You sleep with your hands by your face like a child, when someone is talking to you your brows lift ever so slightly, and despite your efforts a lot of the time you are trying to look anyone with me your face tightens, giving away the smile you are trying to hide."
The challenging look leaves her eyes and her arms have dropped to her sides.
Suddenly I don't feel as cocky as I did a moment ago.
Lainey's entire expression has changed into something I can't read. Or maybe I don't want to read.
I force a smile, "So, you are wrong, Lane, I know a whole lot about you."
It's almost like she is in a trance because she blinks and pulls a teasing mask over her face. "That still doesn't make you any less annoying than you were moments ago."
If she wants to pull on masks then so can I, "That comment would be a lot more believing if your eyes weren't practically dancing between mine."
Her cheeks flush and she takes a shaky breath, "It seems like you are paying an awful lot of attention to me. If you're not careful it may seem like you are starting to care for me."
I scoff, to hide the truth in her words. Because she is right, Lainey is no longer the annoying girl at school, she's become a close friend, maybe one of my closest friends.
And for once it doesn't seem so scary to let someone in.
"Is Owen Huntley at a loss for words," Lainey sings.
I roll my eyes and she laughs, "I knew there was a soft side underneath all that evilness."
"You mean underneath all these godlike muscles." I tease.
Lainey looks me up and down as if she's checking me out, "I would lean more towards fat than muscles."
I cough out a laugh, getting looks from multiple guys, "Very funny Lane, but I have seen you staring at me more than once."
"Sure, I have," Lainey says dryly.
I smile, "I am glad you admit to it."
She shoves my arms, "Go to hell, prick."
All I can do is laugh as Lainey shakes her head.