Minutes passed, and his smug little face started to falter. Then, he sneered, "Well, look at that. At least you've grown up a little. No screaming or throwing a fit like you used to."
I didn’t even dignify his jab with a response.
As the party wound down and we all started heading toward the door, Simon stopped me in my tracks.
"It's late, and it's not safe. I'll give you a ride," he said.
Since the ride was free and I wasn't about to walk home, I didn't argue. I climbed into the backseat, but Simon was faster than me. He blocked the front passenger seat and said, "You're sitting in the back."
With that, he gently helped Audrey into the front seat, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I'm sorry. Bianca," Audrey said with feigned concern. "Simon’s just being protective. He’s afraid I’ll get car sick…"
I didn’t say anything. I just slid into the backseat, exactly where I’d planned to sit in the first place.
The whole ride home was just Simon and Audrey talking and laughing like they were the only two people on the planet. At a red light, Audrey teased Simon, asking him to help her with some lip balm.
They exchanged this look, and I swear, the tension in the air thickened.