Eventually, she would find out about our video when I won the prize money. Although, it’d probably be better to wait to tell her I was still seeing Ethan until after she got a product deal from working with Sterling. By then, she’d be so focused on her new deal and so excited for me that she wouldn’t even dwell on us dating.
That timeline could work out. In fact, it had to if I wanted to keep both of them in my life. Watching BamBam tap her phone against a portable credit card reader, I put my concerns about lying to my grandma to bed. I had a plan. This would work out. Until it was time to tell the truth, I’d just have to enjoy a day at the beach. And that, at least, I knew I could do.
Day 6: Throwing the Game
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“Focus, Jamie,” I chided myselfas soon as I realized I was staring off into space again. I had told BamBam that I needed to skip breakfast to finally work on my college application essay for SISU. In reality, I was sorting through all the new footage Ethan had sent me last night, as well as everything I’d collected, so that we could start picking out the shots we liked best.
Only, I couldn’t focus. I’d fantasized about kissing Ethan more than I cared to admit. All the daydreams paled in comparison to what it actually felt like to kiss him. Now I basically couldn’t think about anything other than him. His hair, the color of his eyes, his lips…
I’m doing it again!Shaking my head, I put my fingers back on my keyboard and tapped the space bar to play a clip. Of course, it was another one of Ethan waving at me. I laughed and then dragged the clip into a file titled Ethan Waves. Maybe I’d make a joke video and send it to him…
The buzz of a text message pulled me out of my daydream. Picking up my phone, I felt a hum of excitement hit as Ethan’s nickname came up.
Go Kart:No breakfast?
My heart fluttered. He wondered where I was. Thought about me. I typed back.
Nope. Trying to sort our footage before this afternoon
Go Kart:So dedicated
Want me to bring you coffee?
I was halfway through typing YES PLEASE when I remembered BamBam. She was currently at breakfast, but for how long? Ethan had brought me coffee before, and we didn’t get caught. Then again, there was the other time when Buzzyhadcaught us. Even if I managed to sneak around my parents’ rules, our grandmothers were a different story. As much as I wished it, just because we’d kissed didn’t mean the situation with our grandmothers had changed—they were still enemies. I frowned and tried to push the problem out of my mind. There was no clear solution to that mess, and I had too much else to think about right now.
BamBam will be back soon
As soon as I sent it, my heart sank. I imagined Ethan reading the message and the disappointment on his face. Quickly, I double texted.
See you this afternoon? Coffee on me
I went back and forth about adding a little heart or a coffee emoji, then decided I was overthinking everything and hit Send. If Ethan couldn’t figure out that there was a heart somewhere in that text, then BamBam might have been right about the whole family being dense.
The phone dinged again with another text from him.
I looked down and laughed.
Go Kart:
No need to abandon him yet. Soon, we’d graduate and maybe he’d want to move to California from Chicago with me after graduation. Could we keep this a secret until then? It was kind of an impressive mental leap to go from one kiss to living together in Los Angeles without us even talking about college plans, but at the start of the trip, I would have said it was impossible to go from being inactive participants in a family blood feud to a kiss, so who knew what the future had in store?
A little voice poked at the back of my mind, offering the ideathat not having our families find out about us for ten months was basically impossible. I frowned at my reflection in the mirror above the desk as I thought about trying to sneak around BamBam and my parents for that long. I’d have to tell all of them, eventually, if being with Ethan in LA was my dream.
Eventuallybeing the key word. That was Future Jamie’s problem. Right now, I’d enjoy the moment. Ethan and I could figure out the rest later. After we won this prize, everythingwould fall into place. My parents would see that I could be successful and BamBam would forgive me. Maybe. I hoped.
I turned my attention back to my computer. Something about this footage was off to me. Like we’d missed an important part of the TrendCon story, but I couldn’t figure out what. I rubbed a hand over my face and tried to think. Whatever was missing, I needed to identify it ASAP, or this video would feel like every other commercial for Las Vegas.
Glancing at the clock in the right-hand corner of my screen, I sighed. Pretty soon, BamBam would be back, and I’d have to work on my actual application. Unless I didn’t.
Ethan was right. I’d have to tell my parents that I didn’t want their future sooner or later. Maybe it would be better if I told them now. I could enlist BamBam’s help. She could warn them, maybe soften my parents up before we got back and I told them directly. That would give them more time to get over the fact that I wasn’t going to be the perfect daughter. Plus, Ethan and I could then spend some of the summer together. I’d have graduated by then, so we wouldn’t even be breaking my parents’ no-dating-until-graduation rule. My phone buzzed again.
I picked it up, expecting to see Ethan, but it wasn’t him. I opened the text, then turned to the room door.
Nittha:We’re here to save you. Open the door.
I was about to laugh at the joke, when someone banged on the door, accompanied by Gabby’s voice, shouting, “We know you are in there. Open up.”
