As soon as her mom went to her room to change, Faith rushed upstairs and closed her bedroom door behind her. She slid down the door to sit on the floor, two fingers tracing her mouth. Her whole body tingled. Was this what it was like to fall for someone? The real thing? Her other three boyfriends—Cameron especially—hadn’t made her feel so seen. So alive.
Kyle had told her she was lovely. How was it that a guy who supposedly ran through girls paid more attention than a guy who spent a year by her side? With Cameron, it was like he only wanted a girlfriend for the same reason guys wanted a hot car—to make himself look good. Kyle wasn’t like that at all.
Tonight, everyone would know that she was over Cameron, and in the best way possible. She covered her face, hiding a grin. Not only was she getting Cam back for being a complete dick, her revenge was a crazy-wonderful guy. At some point she’d have to thank Cam for forcing her hand to break up with him.
Not yet, though. Oh, no, not yet.
She hopped up, twirled around her room to the closet and picked out her tightest T-shirt and skinny jeans. Hell hath no fury and all that. Oh, who was she kidding—the jeans were for Kyle, and his fascination with her legs.
She rushed through a shower and spent a long time straightening her hair. No buns, or braids, or ponytails tonight. Everything had to be perfect, and that meant the works, including makeup and something other than tennis shoes.
When the doorbell rang at six, she took one last look in the mirror, nodded, and bounded down the stairs. Kyle was standing next to her mom, but when he saw her, his eyes widened.
“What do you think?” she asked. “Good?”
He had to clear his throat before he answered. “Yeah. Perfect.”
Mom turned her head so he wouldn’t see the wry smile on her face, but Faith caught it. “You two be good. Don’t stay out too late.”
“We’ll be back by nine,” Kyle said, before Faith could answer.
“We’ll be back before curfew.” Faith raised her eyebrows at him. “But maybe by nine.”
Mom coughed over a fit of laughter. Kyle’s expression was that of a guy who’d been spun in a circle twenty times, then told to walk straight ahead.
“That’s fine,” Mom said. “Have fun.”
Faith knew as soon as they left, Mom would laugh until she cried, so she might as well put her out of her misery. “We will. Bye.”
She clasped Kyle’s hand and dragged him outside. He didn’t look like he could move on his own. “You okay?”
“Um, yeah. You look…different. Um…look, I’m sorry, but all I can come up with is damn.”
She leaned against his side. “That’ll do just fine.”
“I was worried, you know, after the whole ‘lovely’ discussion, that it wouldn’t be.”
He was giving her a teasing smile, and she squeezed his arm. “Honestly, it’s nice to be appreciated.”
“More reason for us to go to Dolly’s and show that ex of yours how this works.”
Once they were on the road, Vi texted: Cam’s here with his bimbo. Time to shine, kids.
“Vi says he’s there.” Faith’s knee bounced. She halfway wanted to jump out of the car and run home. There really wasn’t any turning back now, not after Violet spread the word, but she still felt like she’d swallowed live grasshoppers.
Kyle rested his free hand on her knee, stilling it. The warmth of his hand flooded her brain and calmed her nerves. “It’ll be fine,” he said in that slow, sure voice of his.
“Right, okay.” Faith’s shoulders relaxed. She hadn’t noticed how tight they’d been. “Seriously, if all we have to do is make out a little in front of a crowd, that’s not so bad, right?”
His hand tightened briefly on her knee, then he released it, but now he looked nervous. “Right.”
They turned into Dolly’s. The drive-in had been in Suttonville long before Sonic thought about coming to town, and most of the locals would go to Dolly’s before they’d go anywhere else. During school breaks and on weekends, though, it turned into the informal high school hangout. Everyone would park, order shakes, and go car to car to visit friends. Now, if someone dumped some rum into a coconut cream shake, that was his business.
When the Charger glided into an empty spot—one next to Violet’s car, which Vi had been standing in with her arms crossed, waving off anyone who wanted this prime real estate—every head turned.
Including Cam’s.
Violet came to Faith’s window. “Full audience. Curtain up.”
Faith wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Kyle nodded. “You want some ice cream?”
She laughed. Ice cream seemed way too ordinary for this, and for some reason that steadied her nerves. “Chocolate shake, extra whipped cream.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You like whipped cream?”
The way he said it turned her imagination on full blast. “Love it.”