When I pulled up in front of Simone’s house, I realized she hadn’t said a single word the entire ride home. I turned to face her. “Come on, Simone. Don’t be like this.”
She arched her brows. “Like what? A decent human being? Too late. It’s the way I was raised.” Her tone was all prim and prissy. The way she got when she was on her goody-two-shoes high horse.
“Did you see how she responded?” I said. “She’s into me. We’ll have a little fun and then I’ll score some cash. Nobody will get hurt.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she snapped. “You don’t know her as well as you think. I did see her. After you left I talked to her and—”
“What did she say?” I interrupted. I couldn’t help it. Honestly, this little game was the most fun I’d had in ages. I’d almost forgotten how much fun it was to flirt with Rose. “Did she talk about me?”
Simone stared with her mouth partially open like she was in shock. “You’re enjoying this.”
She somehow made it sound like an accusation.
I rolled my eyes. “And you’re ruining all my fun. Come on, tell me what she said. She’s into me, right?”
“I was going to tell you—” She stopped midsentence, clamping her mouth shut with a huff. “You know what? Never mind. I can’t even deal with you right now.”
I sighed. “I don’t get why you’re so upset. Rose isn’t even your friend.”
“But she could be.”
I stared at her for a long moment as I tried to follow her logic. “Sure, she could be if you were into befriending vapid, manipulative, spoiled brats.”
Simone stared at me, her brows drawn together like this was the first time she’d ever seen me. “No,” she said slowly. “Apparently I only like to befriend entitled, egotistical jerks.”
“Simone—”
But she was already out of the car, storming up the walkway to her house.
I groaned as she slammed the door shut behind her. Fine. So my stick-in-the-mud, goody-two-shoes best friend wasn’t on board with this plan.
But what did that matter? I’d thought this through and really…it was foolproof. I’d get money, we’d have some laughs, and yeah…maybe I’d get a little revenge for the way she’d ended things so abruptly two years ago, without any warning and with zero consideration to anyone else’s feelings.
Was that so wrong?
Luckily Simone seemed to be over it by the next day. Not entirely, obviously, but she told me on the ride to school that she didn’t want to hear me mention Rose’s name ever again. That seemed to be a truce, of sorts.
I’d take it. I didn’t need Simone’s help and this charade wouldn’t last long enough to be a big issue between us. Simone and I had been friends since forever—we could survive a few weeks with an elephant in the room between us.
She and I were hanging out outside after lunch, enjoying the last of the late summer-slash-early fall weather and waiting for the bell to ring. If there was any question that my plan was already starting to work, it ended the moment I spotted Rose.
Or rather, Rose spotted me.
Her whole face lit up with excitement as her gaze locked with mine. She leaned over and whispered to her friend Hannah and the two of them veered toward us, not stopping until they reached us.
“Hey, ladies,” I said.
Rose gave me the coy smile I knew so well and hadn’t seen in so long. It was flirty as heck and made it nearly impossible to think. When she tipped her head down and looked up at me through her long lashes as she toyed with a lock of her crazy purple hair…
Yeah, I forgot how to breathe.
She was mine.
I’d gotten her back.
And this time I’m not letting go.
I shook off the stupid thought. It was the insanity that came with Rose’s flirting. I knew this. I’d lived it. I was now immune to it.
Right?
“I was hoping I’d run into you today,” Rose said.
“Oh yeah?” I felt a cocky grin starting to form. This was too easy. Almost…too easy.
And then, as if on cue, her gaze left mine and she was smiling normally at Simone. “Do you think you might be up for painting the booths for the fair?”
The loss of her gaze was like the sun passing behind a cloud. Just like that it was two years ago and I remembered. I had this visceral, overwhelming memory. The way she could make you feel when you were the center of her world—and how it was when she took that away.
Not again, though. Not this time.
“Yeah, of course,” Simone said. “Happy to.”
Happy to. I repeated in my head in a childish sing-song tone. I would absolutely make fun of her for kissing up to the queen drama bee as soon as we were alone. What was with her and Rose, anyway?
Did Rose have the same effect on girls? Did she make her friends swoon just like she did with guys?
Was Rose some sort of evil sociopathic genius?
Her gaze returned to mine and she was all sweetness and light as she nibbled on her lower lip.
Okay, probably not an evil genius. Still, she was too charismatic for her own good.
“I was hoping to get your help, too.” She shifted from foot to foot. “I could really use you.”
I straightened, my chest puffing out a bit because—me necessary. Ugh, even my inner voice turned into a caveman when she looked at me like that. “Whatever you need, babe.”
I caught Simone’s sidelong look at my use of the endearment, but Rose didn’t so much as blink.
“Great,” she gushed. “I have big plans for this fair. We’re going to have all kinds of food, and games, and a band—”
“Say no more,” I cut in. “My band would love to perform.”
Her eyes widened. “You have a band?”
Simone let out a squeaking noise as
