Matching You with Love - Chapter Thirteen - Taylor

We missed French class. Well, we missed the class part. I couldn’t believe my luck. My heart raced as we walked into the school amidst taunts from my friends. Not trying to hide my grin, I welcomed their cat calls and whistles as I finally walked my girlfriend to her locker. That was going to take some getting used to.
My girlfriend. Gracie Hansen is my girlfriend. I wanted to shout it from the bleachers. But I really didn’t need to shout because everyone could see my arm around Gracie. My girlfriend.
My twin brother waited for us beside Gracie’s locker with a smirk on his face. “Looks like you no longer need me to walk you to class, gorgeous, I mean Gracie.”
“No, I think I can take it from here, Kade,” I said with confidence.
“Very funny, you two.” Gracie slipped from my arms to reach for her locker combination.
I felt her absence and missed her warmth. Like a welcome security blanket, one of my hoodies was hanging in her locker and I reached over her to grab it.
“Do you want your jacket back,” she asked, the innocent apprehension in her expression begging me not to ask for the jacket.
“Nah, you can wear it for the rest of the day.” I slipped the hoody over my head and relished the way her perfume clung to every fiber. She’d borrowed the sweatshirt a long time ago and I decided I’d never wash it again.
“So, does this mean I can’t take you to prom next week?” Kade asked with a purposely innocent expression.
“Don’t go there, dude.”
“Mind if I ask Maddie to go with me?” Kade asked Gracie.
“Oh my gosh, she would love that.” Gracie bounced on her toes with excitement. “We can double date again.”
“Only if my boutonniere matches your corsage,” I said. “I don’t want anyone to question which one of us you’re in love with this time.”
“Never again.” Gracie leaned closer and lifted onto her toes to touch her lips to mine.
“Blech,” Kade said with a gagging sound. “You can find your own escort to chemistry class. I’m out of here.” He pushed away from the lockers and started down the hall.
I ignored my brother for a few seconds as I got lost in Gracie’s kiss, savoring the moment without pushing our luck. No need to get called out for public display of affection on our first day as a couple. Pulling back just a little I asked, “Could I walk you to chemistry class from now on?”
“That would be awesome.” As she stepped away from me, she ran right into her old friend-turned-enemy, Laura Miller. Gracie didn’t flinch from the girl who had caused us so much trouble that morning. Instead, she got right in Laura’s face. The sound that emerged from deep inside her was almost a growl. “How could you?”

Book Club Discussion Questions: Why do you think Laura did what she did? Discuss in the comments below.

---

Click here to read more chapters of Matching You with Love