Operation Prom Date (Tactics in Flirting #1)(50)

I wanted Cooper Callihan.

He didn’t even look at me. “Sure thing.”

My heart dropped to the floor, taking my hope along with it. I pinched the charm of my necklace between my fingers. “I’m afraid I crossed a line, and I worried—”

“It’s fine, Kate. What are friends for?”

The word friends shouldn’t have stabbed me in the chest the way it did. I needed his friendship. He was my only friend. Of course he had only been trying to help me last night.

“Like I said, I’m in a hurry. I’ll catch you later.” Without waiting for me to respond, he quickened his pace and charged down the hall.

I blinked back tears. Get it together. Blaming lack of sleep for being overly emotional—might as well blame it for everything—I rushed to my first class of the day, where I focused on the material like I’d never focused before.

At lunch, Mick strolled up to me and draped an arm around my neck, his hand dangling dangerously close to my right breast. “Are you off the hook for this afternoon?”

I gripped the cardboard box with my lunch inside tighter so I wouldn’t drop it. “Off the hook?”

Vaguely I noticed he’d walked us over to the table with his friends. “With Callihan?” Mick’s eyebrows arched up. “And the rowing thing?” His look turned from questioning to frustration. “Didn’t you say you were going to try to get out of training with him so you could hang with me instead?”

“Oh. Right. I’ll talk to him.” Not that he’ll talk back. He’ll probably be in too big of a hurry.

“She’ll do more than talk to him,” Paris muttered from her seat to our left. “I have to give it to you, Kate. I never thought you’d be the type of girl to juggle all the guys.”

I stiffened. Then I dared a glance at Mick. “I’m not…” Hell, maybe I accidentally was. But one thing was for sure: I definitely wasn’t doing a good job.

“Back off, Paris,” he said. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you.”

Her mouth dropped open and she spun toward her group of friends with a huff. Amber eyed me, looking like she didn’t recognize me—which seemed a bit like the pot calling the kettle black, but whatever.

I wanted to run, but I sat down instead. If Cooper didn’t like me as more than a friend, I couldn’t blow everything with Mick right now. Surely a bit more time with him, and my feelings for Cooper would fade.

My gaze automatically sought him out, obviously not getting the memo about us trying not to think about Cooper right now. He and Jaden sat at their usual spot with Alana. A studious guy was next to her, his lips moving a hundred miles a minute. He didn’t seem to notice everyone else looked bored out of their minds.

Despite whatever drab topic the dude was going on and on about, longing to be sitting over there and listening in rose, giving me a torn-apart sensation.

Cooper slumped back and scanned the room.

Our eyes caught, and he gave me a big thumbs-up. Actual encouragement over sitting next to Mick, and it should feel like a win.

But it didn’t.

When I dragged my attention off Cooper, Mick gave me an inquisitive look. Right. I needed to be putting in my time here, finishing up my mission so I could put on my fancy expensive dress and go to prom with a guy who wanted to kiss me instead of one who dealt with doing so in the name of friendship.

“About what Paris said…” I didn’t even know how to finish that up, but I felt like I needed to explain before he got the wrong idea—the idea everyone else apparently had about me now.

“It’s not a big deal. Callihan told me that you weren’t into serious.”

A sinking sensation went through my gut. “He did?” Our plan included me coming across that way, sure, but he’d actually told Mick that? I thought we were more about show than tell. Telling was different, and more…just more. My trust felt completely violated, and the raw feeling in my chest that’d started somewhere around the strained conversation with Cooper in the hall this morning grew even wider.

“Yeah. I don’t want to be tied down right now, either. It’s stupid to start anything when school’s almost over and we’ll just be heading to college soon.”

“Right. That’s exactly how I feel.” My voice came out scratchy, the lie shredding it on the way out. How had I ended up here?

Oh yeah. I set a goal and decided I’d do whatever it took to achieve it. I lifted my sandwich and forced myself to take a bite, even though I no longer felt very hungry. “So that wouldn’t bother you? If he and I were…?”

“Only if you blow me off for him this afternoon.” Mick moved his lips next to my ear as his hand curled around my thigh. “I have plans, and they involve me and you, alone in my house.”

Man, if Mick’s friends thought I was a hookup girl, no wonder they were extra friendly. An icky feeling settled in my gut, turning my one bite of food sour. This wasn’t how I wanted to end my high school years—being known as the girl who went from shy and serious to not shy or serious at all. Maybe other girls were okay being that kind of girl, but it wasn’t me, and honestly, I was sick of working so hard to be someone I wasn’t.

I’ve certainly landed myself in a mess this time. Worse, I had no idea how to get myself out of it.