Loving Lewis

Chapter 1

"Okay, give me a boost."

I shot Kabel an are you serious look. There was no way my scrawny, chicken arms would be able to lift the six-foot-tall, two hundred and something pound guy standing next to me. Kabel Griffin was built like a tank, all muscle and hard edges, while I could barely pass the pushup test in Phys Ed.

"Not going to happen," I said, backing away from him. "You're going to squash me."

Kabel sighed and ran a hand through his close-cropped hair, somehow managing to make it look messy. "I can't scale this thing like Spider-Man, Q," he said, gesturing to the brick wall looming over us. The plan had been for him to use the ivy to pull himself up, but the vines were weak and tore under his weight.

I glanced around the clearing in search of our friends. It was a moonless night and we'd all decided to wear black, making it nearly impossible for me to find them. But then I heard my best friend's unmistakable giggle. Squinting in the direction it came from, I finally spotted where Liam had pushed Olivia up against a tree.

"Could you guys stop making out for five seconds and come help us?" I called.

Another high pitched laugh burst from Olivia's lips. "Sorry, Quinn," she called back.

A moment later they joined us next to the wall. Liam, who didn't seem to care if he had an audience, snaked an arm around Olivia's waist and buried his face in her neck.

"Seriously?" I said and wrinkled my nose. "You're both disgusting."

"I can't help that the ladies all love me," Liam drawled, a dumb smile on his face.

"The ladies do not all love you," I told him. "Trust me."

"Just because you're jealous..." Olivia said.

I held back a snort. If anyone was jealous, it was her. She'd been eyeing Kabel up ever since he transferred to St. Mary's Prep, but he'd chosen me. Olivia pouted about it for days, and I couldn't blame her. Kabel was all sorts of gorgeous, not to mention his parents had more money than the two of ours combined—and that said a lot. My father was partner at a huge law firm, while Olivia's family came from oil money. Kabel and I weren't official by any means, but we'd hooked up after a few parties and he asked me to Homecoming, which meant he was officially off limits to any of my friends.

"Liam, stop dicking around and help me get up the damn wall," Kabel said. "This was your great idea, remember?"

"Chillax, dude," he responded, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm coming."

A few minutes later, after many failed attempts and lots of cursing, Kabel was perched on the top of the wall. It was taller than I expected—I had to crane my neck all the way back just to see him—and the thought of climbing up there made my heart race. A slow grin tugged on my lips; maybe this would be fun after all.

"Look out!" Kabel called from above.

The three of us took a quick step back. It was quiet for a second, but then a rope ladder came flying down out of the dark and slapped against the bricks. Kabel had carried it up in his backpack so the rest of us could follow him.

"I'm going first," I told them. Without waiting for a response, I grabbed ahold of a wooden rung and started up.

"Where'd you get the ladder from?" Olivia asked Liam as I climbed.