As for me, I’m just wondering how I could be so dumb to think for a single second that we could ever get along.
I take it back…
William Martins and I are never going be friends.
Kassidy
“Thanks for coming in, Kassidy. We’ll call you.” Jenny, Luke’s aunt’s employee, holds out her hand to me, which I shake clumsily. She isn’t much older than me, a few years at most. Shaking hands with someone your age will never not be weird.
Once I’ve said my goodbyes, I exit the pet store, squealing to myself. It’s been a while since Luke offered to get me an interview, and I was so eager for an update, I ended up asking his friend for his number so I could text him first.
Control freak. Will’s mocking voice pops into my head.
Shut up, brain.
Luke and I have been texting here and there. We’ve barely scratched the surface, going from hello, to how are you, to what are you doing. It’s not flirting, but it’s something. I’m starting to think Will might be right about Luke liking me. I’m just not ready to ask myself if I like him.
A quick drive later, I’m unlocking the front door to my house and groaning at my stomach’s cry for help. I’m starving—haven’t eaten all day. I was too nervous for my interview.
Absentmindedly, I pour myself some cereal and hop on one of the stools surrounding the kitchen island. My phone screen lights up with a new message ten minutes later.
It’s Luke.
Luke: How’d it go?
Kass: Good, I think? Thanks again.
Luke: Don’t worry about it. Hey, you going to the party tonight?
There’s a party tonight?
Kass: What party?
Luke: At Bianca’s.
My cousin ambles inside the house before I can reply. All smiles, she waves at me. I’m glad she’s in a good mood. I know being the new kid hasn’t been easy on her. Especially the part where she got branded as “the girl who called out Haze Adams” in her first five minutes at Riverside.
“Hey, stranger. What are you so happy about?” I say and finish my cereal.
“That obvious, huh?” Her smile widens.
“As obvious as an elephant in yoga class.” I laugh, pushing to my feet and dropping my bowl in the sink. “Come on, spill the beans.”
“Fine,” she gives in. “I’m going to a party tonight. Who knows? I might meet people who see more when they look at me than the girl who looked Haze Adams in the eyes.” She snorts, recalling her ridiculous first day.
I find a bit of irony in her desperation to forget about the Haze fiasco. She’s nowhere near done with him. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt. I accidentally overheard a conversation between her and Kendrick last week. Okay, fine, I snuck downstairs specifically to listen—tomayto, tomahto.
They were arguing, not giving a single fuck as to who could hear. They’re lucky my mom agreed to cover her nurse friend’s night shift and wasn’t home to witness their shitshow.
I found out Winter followed Kendrick, Will, Blake, and Alex to some meeting with Haze. Let me tell you, in that moment, I facepalmed myself so hard I almost gave myself a concussion.
They caught her spying, and from there, all hell broke loose. From what I could gather, her presence pushed Haze to make some sort of deal with my brother regarding their next fight.
I hurried back upstairs midconversation, but I did hear one of them say Haze insisted the prize be Winter. Whatever it is, it can’t possibly end well. She’s been hanging out with the guys at school since. Probably to keep Haze at bay.
“Someone invited you to Bianca’s party?”
“Yeah. Blake.” She nods.
Did she just say Blake?
As in my ex who dumped me over text two weeks ago Blake?
My face must give me away because Winter asks, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I didn’t know you were that close with Kendrick’s friends, that’s all.”
She steps forward. “Kass. Seriously, what is it? Did I do something?”
“No, of course not.” I refuse her eye contact. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Kass?” She raises an eyebrow.
She’s not going to let this go, is she?
“I didn’t think he’d move on so fast,” I admit.
“Wait, what?” She frowns. “Who are you talking about?”
I can’t bring myself to resume, unsure if carrying down this path is a good idea. This has been a secret for so long.
Oh, to hell with it.
She would’ve found out eventually.
Collecting every drop of courage in my body, I exhale. “Blake. I’m talking about Blake.”
Confusion twists her features.
Right. She thinks I was dating Alex.
They all do.
Cornered, I tell her all about our stunt to date in secret, starting with how we got Alex to cover for us with Kendrick. She doesn’t speak for a short while, swallowing this massive pill the best she can.
Finally, she says, “What happened? Why did it end?”
“Alex said he was done lying. That we could either break up or tell Kendrick. And, well, Blake chose option number one. He refused to give me a solid reason. He said we should go our separate ways, and he sure didn’t seem to feel guilty about lying to his best friend for six months.”
“How long has it been since he ended things?”
The reminder cuts me open. Why am I this bothered? I was thinking of ending things myself, but I still can’t get over the way he treated me. No consideration, not a sliver of respect. To think I gave him my first… well, everything.
“Two weeks,” I croak.
She traps my hand into hers, sympathy clear on her face.
“Well, you know what? You’re coming with me tonight.”
I almost laugh. She has got to be kidding.
“What?”
“‘You heard me. We’re going to that party together, having fun, and showing this guy what he lost.”
Standing in front of the mirror, I debate on whether going to this party is a regular mistake… or a colossal mistake—did I mention I think this is a mistake? I’d gladly skip this cheap-beer party, but I can’t deny Winter worked wonders on me. A quick reminder that, although my cousin doesn’t bother with makeup most of the time, the girl knows her shit.
I give myself a slow, head-to-toe scan. My long blonde hair trickles down my back, the winged eyeliner Winter insisted I wear making my gray-blue eyes pop. This push-up bra is also doing my girls a big favor and my outfit molds my body in all the right places—not that my leggings have much to work with; I’m a rather petite girl.
Freshman year, some dick from the football team told me I’d be prettier with tits and an ass. I called him an idiot and went on with my day, but… it stayed with me. Crazy how one comment can turn something we’d never noticed before into a long-lasting insecurity. From that day forward, I promised myself I’d never comment on somebody else’s appearance again.
“You ready?” Winter smiles.