“About?” she pressed, as Madoc came over and took her other arm.

“About not getting you pregnant,” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth but kept my eyes forward.

Even though I wasn’t looking at her, though, I could see her stiffen, and I heard her clear her throat.

And I shouldn’t have told her that.

I really needed to put a halt to my honesty streak, but there was still something I needed to tell her, and I’d been on too much of a high the last week to face it.

Later, I told myself.

“Are we ready?” Madoc asked from her other side.

Her clutch on my arm relaxed, and I felt her exhale a breath.

“Totally,” she nodded at Madoc. “This is the start of a great friendship.”

“It could be the start of a great  p**n o, too,” Madoc shot back, and I clenched my fists.

“Son of a bitch!” I yelled, half-annoyed and half-joking. “You’re going to get it tonight,” I warned, but they both just laughed.

Chapter 34

The Homecoming dance was exactly what I thought it would be. Pictures, punch, and poor-ass music. The gym had been decorated in a New York theme, which Tate loved, and I was extremely f**king delighted that Madoc had joined us, after all.

He filled in where I failed.

Dancing in public? Check.

Cutsie pictures with loving poses? Check.

Polite, futile, nonsensical chatter? Check.

I played along, but situations like this were like eating a mouthful of lemons. Madoc made it more fun for Tate at least.

And her?

She read me like a book.

She was light on the public displays of affection and heavy on the eye f**king.

I couldn’t wait to get her home.

But we had another appearance to put in first.

“Are you sure you want to go?” I asked her as we walked hand-in-hand up the Beckman’s driveway.

Tori and Bryan Beckman, twins and our classmates, were having an after party, and Madoc insisted that we get our thumbs out of our asses and get crazy.

“I’m fine,” she whispered. “Not tired at all.”

I raised my eyebrows and shook my head. I wasn’t worried about her being tired, but I didn’t want to bring up last year’s incident, either. That’s what I was really worried about.

A year ago, before Tate had left for France, I’d let Madoc dump her car keys in the pool here and watched as she dived in to fish them out.

She’d been humiliated, and I figured this was the last place she’d want to be.

In fact, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be here myself.

Not only did I have our own after-party planned, but the longer I waited to come clean about the rest of the story, the more it was the only thing I thought about. I’d been sitting on it all week, and it was time to bite the f**king bullet.

I needed to tell her about Jax.

Walking through the ceramic-tiled foyer, we followed Madoc down the carpeted stairs into the huge dipped living room.

The big room already bustled with at least sixty or seventy of our classmates, and the music pounded so hard, I could feel it through my shoes.

My arm stretched behind me, and I looked back, noticing that Tate had come to a complete halt.

I let out a sigh. Shit.

Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she swallowed, clearly nervous. Like a deer in headlights.

My stomach tightened, and I just wanted to take her out of there now. This was a bad idea.

“Tate, are you okay?” I kept my voice soft, but I was afraid she’d haul off and break my nose this time instead of Madoc’s like she did here a year ago.

She narrowed her eyes as she looked around, and then she just shook her head. “Yeah, I need a drink.”

I didn’t believe her, but the corners of my mouth turned up anyway.

Tough girl.

We squeezed through a throng of people coming out of the kitchen as Adrenalize by In This Moment blasted throughout the house. Madoc was already making drinks, and I watched as Tate took the one he offered.

I was the designated driver tonight—well, pretty much any night, since I barely drank in public—and I definitely didn’t plan on staying here long anyway. I just stood there, trying not to laugh as she choked down the dark liquid.

Madoc grinned from ear to ear as she tipped her chin up, swallowed the last of her drink and then threw the cup into the sink.

She coughed into her hand, and all I could do was hold her waist, letting her get comfortable.

She should have fun. I didn’t want her nervous or scared that a prank was going to go down.

And that’s why she was drinking, so I just let it be.

“Aw, she’s as red as a tomato,” Madoc joked.

“Piss off,” Tate scowled at him, but he just winked at her.

K.C. and Liam sauntered in, looking like yin and yang. She was bright-eyed and smiling, while he looked constipated with his bored expression and pursed lips.

“Hey, guys,” she greeted, pulling Liam behind her.

He pushed the hair out of his eyes and nodded at Madoc and me but said nothing.

I knew it was me making him uncomfortable, and I had to force a straight face.

He probably still thought I’d gotten in his girlfriend’s pants, and I couldn’t help being impressed with K.C. for not telling him the truth. She was playing with him, making him suffer, no doubt. And why shouldn’t she?

She and Tate still weren’t back to square one, but they’d get there, and Liam could go f**k himself.

Madoc finished off his drink and immediately started making two more until I shook my head at him. Tate didn’t notice it as she talked with K.C., but Madoc got my warning.