The-Lucky-List-Rachael-Lippincott

“Yeah.” He nods. “Okay.”
Relief floods through me, and I let go of his arm. He gives me a small smile before heading to the
back of the bus, Jake following just behind him. Olivia, though, turns to shoot me a narrow-eyed glare
around Ryan as she passes by.
“He’s definitely not over you,” Kiera whispers. I turn back to face her, and she gives me a little shake
of her head. “You’ll be back together by the end of this trip, for sure.”
I nod, wrapping my cardigan tightly around me as Mr. Sanders hops on to make general
announcements about not being giant assholes for the duration of the ride. e entire bus of students
collectively zones out.
I don’t look over, but I can feel Blake next to me, like she was that night in the truck. Just the
thought of her sitting across the aisle makes my face hot. I stare at the weirdly carpeted back of the
seat in front of me, trying to ignore the pounding in my chest as the bus chugs to life and we pull out
of the parking lot.
I don’t even know how I can pretend to be just her friend, but I need to.
I need to pull myself away.
When we hit the highway, she leans across the aisle. “You find a four-leaf clover yet?” she asks.
I shake my head, still staring straight ahead. “No, but I need to by the end of this weekend. Right,
Kiera…?”
My voice trails o as I look over to see she’s already fast asleep, her face smooshed up against the
glass of the window, her mouth agape. Mr. Sanders’s words were apparently stronger than any sleeping
pill known to man.
I snap a quick picture, and Blake smirks as I post it to my Instagram story. Kiera will roast me over
it later, but it’s worth it.
I glance past her out the window, watching as the trees fly by, my hazy reflection staring back at me.
I can see the outline of Blake’s arms and legs, and her hand reaching out to lightly touch me on the
arm.
I turn my head, and she holds an earbud out to me, giving me a small smile that makes me melt just
the tiniest bit. I take it, slipping it into my ear, and she scrolls to the top of a Spotify playlist, turning
it to face me.
Beach ride.
It’s a whole playlist of songs, pulled from our trip to the beach.
Oh, Blake.
I tap on the first song, and it begins to play “Coffee” by Sylvan Esso.
I try to focus on Matt in the back of the bus, on figuring out what I’m going to say to him, on
showing him how much I’ve changed, the promise of everything being normal and easy and right, but
Blake holds my gaze, and the song sings, “Do you love me?” and I…
I don’t know what to feel.
All I can do is shove whatever this is deep down and pull my eyes away.