“And I told you everything about you is my business, but neither of us seems to be listening.”
The forced calm vanished as she jerked away. “You can’t do this to me. Can’t pretend you care. Tomorrow, after I’ve dumped him, you’ll change your mind.” She shoved him, a puny action, really, when comparing a six-foot-five gigantor to a five-foot-five fairy princess, but he released her anyway.
“Does Daddy Dearest know about him?” he asked quietly.
She pointed her finger in his face. “No, and you won’t say a word. You don’t get to play any part in my love life. We’ve been sniffing around each other since junior high. You were so sweet to me at first. You made me things. You were my first kiss. Then suddenly you wouldn’t look at me, wouldn’t even talk to me—until I turned my sights to someone else and tried to move on. You’d come on strong, and I’d always fall back into your arms, but it wouldn’t take long for you to start ignoring me all over again, and I’m tired of it.”
I shouldn’t be listening to this. I would have hated it if anyone had heard my arguments with Cole, especially the final one.
Trying to distract myself, I turned up the radio. Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Fitting. I texted Nana. Can we talk later? Just U & me?
If my emotions started to go haywire, I’d adios.
Her: I would love that.
Me: I’m sorry I’ve been so weird lately, & I’m sorry about the fight w/the girl.
Her: We can talk about the reason at dinner. And just to make you happy, I promise I won’t spend too much on groceries.
I laughed.
Her: BTW, do you want to tell me why I found a note in your room saying “Did this to myself”? WHAT DID YOU DO?
Uh-oh.
Me: Almost @ school. Gotta go. Love you!
Hey. Not a word of that was a lie.
“—can’t be with you the way I want,” Bronx was saying, drawing my attention back to the conversation.
“Why?” Reeve demanded. “For once, give me a straight answer. You do, and I’ll never see Ethan again.”
Bronx pressed his lips together.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Bitterness tinged her tone.
Reeve stomped to the car. Bronx stomped to his. His tires squealed as he turned the vehicle around. Dirt sprayed as he shot forward.
“That boy,” Reeve said, her body trembling.
“He cares about you.”
“Yeah, just not enough.”
I reached over, patted her hand. “Believe me, I get it.”
She tossed me a sad smile before resuming the drive.
A few minutes later, she was parking in her usual spot. The lot could be overflowing, but no one, not even teachers, would dare encroach on her territory. Not because of her or her father’s money, but because of Bronx. I heard someone made the mistake of parking here only once; Bronx had hot-wired the car and crashed it into the trees the students had spray-painted gold and black to proudly display our school colors.
Silent, we strode over the tiger paws mowed into the grass and headed inside the building.
Trina and Mackenzie were leaning against a locker, snarling at anyone stupid enough to approach them. When I walked past—never said I was smart—they pushed away from the wall and flanked my sides, shouldering Reeve out of the way.
“You have to talk to Cole,” Trina began.
“I never thought I’d say this,” Mackenzie said, “but I want you to do more than talk to him. I want you to seduce the hell out of him. I don’t know how much more post-Ali drama I can take.”
“O-kay. Cue my exit,” Reeve said, branching away from us. “See you at lunch, Ali.”
“Yeah. See ya.” I sighed. “What’s the problem?”
Trina twisted the ring in her eyebrow. “For starters, he’s meaner than my stepdad’s Yorkie.”
“Your stepdad has a Yorkie?”
Mackenzie slashed a hand through the air. “Forget the tiny terror dog. Cole lashes out at everything we say, and has for weeks.”
For weeks?
Until two nights ago, he’d shown me only his gentler side.