Page 90 of Troublemaker: The Big Picture Edition

Wrong.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ryder,” she says.

“Can you bring Atticus again?”

“Sure. He’d like that.”

“Okay. Good night.”

I kiss the top of his head. “We had a good day, huh?”

“Yeah.” He holds his hand up for a high-five.

“Go to sleep.”

“Yougo to sleep.” He attempts a wink.

Fortunately, Miss Stiles didn’t see it. I wink back at him and hold my index finger up to my lips, shushing him. I turn off the light and close the door, almost all the way.

I haven’t decided which room I’ll take Emilia to yet, but wewillhave more than ten minutes in there. I’ve found someone who’s a good girl in every roomanda bad girl in every room. And I already know I want to spend the rest of my life with her in all of them.

CHAPTER 35

EMILIA

Two weeks into the new semester, and I already have twenty-seven items on my list of Valentine’s Day gift options for Alex. Many of them were transferred from the would-be Christmas gift list. I’ve been thinking that January might be my new favorite month in LA, but I guess the truth is, that’s any month that I get to spend with him.

I had the happiest New Year’s Eve I can remember, with Alex and Ryder. I was officially at their house as a friend, but I did end up spending the night in the guest room. For fun, Alex and I made a pretend dating profile for Ryder on WooHooCupid. We deleted it that night, of course, but I’ve never seen Ryder squirm so much and I’ve never seen Alex laugh so hard.

What I’m all about… we typed.I am all about chocolate snacks and monkeys and Pokémon and girls who like chocolate snacks and monkeys and Pokémon. Also, my dad and teacher think I’m really cute when I’m annoyed, so I love it when people annoy me.

What I’m doing with my life… Eating snacks and farting and looking for a nice girl I can share snacks and fart jokes with.

Current life goal… Break my dad’s laptop.

It has been almost exactly a month since I first went to Alex’s house, and I already feel more comfortable and in love with him than I ever thought possible.

I’m used to the constant butterflies in my stomach. But I am constantly trying to chase away the fluttery, anxious feeling in my chest. There is the other shoe that is always just hovering right above me as I wait for it to drop. It seems wrong and unfair to hide this. To feel guilty about dating someone who is so completely worthy of my time and affection. Especially when Alex wants so badly to let his son and the world know that we’re together. I want to give him everything. But I can’t give him that. Not yet.

I’m about to go photocopy tomorrow’s assignments so I can get home and shower before going to Alex’s for dinner, when the classroom phone rings. It hardly ever rings, and it startles me every time.

“This is Miss Stiles,” I answer.

“Emilia, it’s Judy.”

“Hi, Mrs. Hernandez.”

“Can you come see Mrs. Woodard before you leave today?”

“Like now, you mean?”

“If you can.”

“Sure. Yes. I’ll be there in a minute. Should I bring anything?”

“I don’t think so, dear.”

“Okay. See you soon.”