Rejected. That’s how Jesse felt all day Wednesday, and it’s how he feels on the way to school Thursday morning. Like a guy who asks a girl out and everything seems fine, and then the next day, all he gets are fake smiles and excuses.

Not that he’s ever been in that situation. He’s had exactly two dates in his life…if you could call them dates. The girls in question probably wouldn’t. They were situations where a girl asked him to lunch, and he didn’t want to say no, because it took a lot of guts to ask. The girls were nice enough, so maybe if he got to know them better there’d be a click, and it’d turn into something more. Only it hadn’t.

Worse, it felt like the girls thought he only went out with them to be nice. Which he kinda had. He wouldn’t want a girl doing that to him. On the other hand, would he want her not giving him a shot, either?

Was it worse to have Skye refuse to give him a second chance after he was a jerk to her? Or to get that second chance…and blow it?

It doesn’t help that he can’t figure out how he blew it. Also, it doesn’t help that his whole analogy is crap. This isn’t getting rejected after asking a girl on a date. This feels bigger. So much bigger.

He did all the right things Tuesday at NHH. He’s sure of it. They’d argued over going into the school, but he’d stepped aside and let her, and she agreed he’d been right. They’d been fine until she admitted what she’d seen in there—with Luka—and he’d wanted to talk about it.

Was that the wrong thing to do? It seemed right.

All he knows for sure is that Skye is avoiding him, and he feels rejected, and he doesn’t know what he’s done.

Jesse takes a deep breath and texts her.

Him: lunch?

He holds his breath. Waits. Waits. Stares at the screen. Waits. It takes exactly three minutes for her to reply with:

Can’t. Need to proof & send paper.

I could join you.

I could bring you lunch.

I could just sit there and watch you edit.

Mmm, no, thanks for offering, Jesse, but maybe not. Also? That’s kinda creepy.

He’s staring at the screen, trying not to read too much into her answer, trying not to feel like she’s ducking him…when another text dings.

Skye: After school?

He exhales and sends back a thumbs-up, says he’ll see her in math, and puts his phone away.