““ Non necessario. ” He snatches the paper from me and wads it into a ball. “I am your map!” “Hey! I wanted to keep that! I was going to put it in my book.” He smashes his lips together in a very artificial pout and sets the crumpled ball in the palm of his hand, offering it to me. “Your book?” I open the map again, but the wrinkles are permanent no matter how much I try to smooth them out. “Yeah, my book. Like a journal? I’m documenting my trip.” “The book under your pillow?” Fear and anger bubble in my chest. “Were you snooping in my room? Did you read it?” “Again, I will tell you that it is my room.” A sly smile takes over half of his face and he slides his hands into the pockets of his tight plaid shorts. I swallow hard. If he hasn’t read it, I don’t want to make such a huge deal out of it that he does read it. And if he has… “Just,” I say, calm but firm, “tell me you didn’t read it.” “Okay, okay.” He weaves his fingers between mine. “I did not read it.” I stare down at our hands. A shiver climbs up my arm and pulses in my chest. This is public. This is weird. And he might have read my journal, the idiota. I should let go of his hand. But I don’t.””
