I mean, not to brag but…everyone knew about my band. We were kind of a big deal. For a high school band, at least. We played at the local club and we’d had a demo made and—
“That’s so cool!” She gave my shoulder a playful little smack. “If you want to play at the fair, that’s totally fine by me.”
I blinked because…what just happened? I was the one offering to do her a favor, how come it suddenly sounded like….
Like she was taking pity on me.
“Okay great,” I found myself saying.
“But actually…” She took a step forward. “I was hoping to enlist you and your friends for something else.”
She was doing that thing. I knew she was doing that thing, but that didn’t stop me from playing right into it. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
She bit her lip like she was shy. Ha! As if Rose could ever be shy.
And yet, even knowing that, I found myself moving toward her as if to help her. Save her from having to say whatever it was she was embarrassed to say. “Whatever it is, we’ll do it.”
Man, this chick was good. Too good.
But I was better, I reminded myself. I knew her games and I was one step ahead of her.
She smiled. “Great. So you and your friends will be in the kissing booth then?” She clapped her hands together like a little kid before I could respond. “That’s awesome. The other girls will be so happy to hear it.”
“Wait, what—”
She leaned forward and kissed my cheek so suddenly, the words died in my throat. The heat of her breath on my cheek, the feel of her soft lips…
I’d have pink lipstick on my cheek, and I didn’t even care because the world stopped turning for the second it took for her to kiss me.
On the cheek, but even so…
She’d kissed me.
And I…
I forgot what we were talking about.
I forgot that this was all part of the game.
I forgot my freakin’ name.
“Thank you so much, you really are a sweetheart.” She patted my cheek and suddenly I was twelve years old.
“Um…” I said, trying to figure out how I could regain the upper hand which I’d somehow lost in spectacular fashion.
“I’ll see you after school?” she said to Simone.
Simone nodded. I didn’t have to look at her to know she was smiling. Simone was loving this.
The traitor.
I almost didn’t recover in time, but I moved forward just as Rose was about to walk away from me looking like a lovestruck fool. “Wait up,” I said as I snagged her hand.
She froze but she didn’t try to pull her hand away. She looked down at it though, like she was confused by what was happening. When she glanced up, her eyes were impossible to read. She was totally blank.
Vapid. Just like I’d said.
“Yes?” she said.
“There’s a party this weekend,” I said. “At Tim’s grandparents’ lake house.”
She blinked. “And?”
Right. Of course she knew that. Tim was one of her conquests who was still stupidly pining away for a round two, no doubt. Of course he’d invited her. “Are you going?”
She shrugged. “I haven’t decided.”
Crap. I didn’t let go of her hand when she tried to turn and walk away. “Let me rephrase that.”
She tilted her head to the side, but her gaze said she was about as curious and eager as a lamp post to hear what I had to say. Two seconds ago she’d been all over me, kissing me and thanking me, and now?
She was like a marionette who’d been set to the side.
Beautiful but lifeless.
“Uh…” I almost lost my swagger in the face of her apathy. I gave my head a little shake. This chick was messing with my head—and we hadn’t even started dating yet.
The girl was dangerous. Clearly.
But nothing I couldn’t handle, right? After our last hookup, I knew what I was getting into. Diva with a capital D. A girl who only cared about looks and what she could get from a guy.
And me?
I had a lot to give.
“We should go together,” I said, sliding beside her so her tomboy friend was cut out of the conversation and we were talking privately.
“We should?” Rose sounded…confused. “Why?”
I spit out the first rational explanation I could think of. “Because Ryan will be there, and I’m guessing he’ll be there with a girl.”
She stared at me. “So?”
I arched my brows in surprise. Not even a flicker of jealousy there. Of course there wasn’t.
Jealousy would require feelings.
I gave an exaggerated sigh of exasperation as I lowered my voice and leaned in toward her. “Okay, then go with me for my sake…”
She arched her brow like she was still clueless. More like, she just wanted me to stroke her huge ego.
Fine. If that was what it took, that’s what I’d do.
“I want to be seen with the most beautiful girl in our school.”
Her eyes glinted with laughter—a look I hadn’t seen in ages—then she stuck her bottom lip out with a pout. “Only the most beautiful girl in school?”
I choked on a laugh because…I’d almost forgotten how much she liked to tease. “The most beautiful girl in the world. On the planet.” I leaned in farther and lowered my voice to a growl. “The most beautiful girl in the universe.”
Her laugh was a low husky sound and the air between us seemed to grow a million times hotter as she turned her head to face me, our lips less than an inch apart.
“Is that better?” I teased.
She nodded. “That’ll do.”
She walked away and this time I didn’t try to stop her. “Pick you up at eight?”
She spun around—an amazing feat in and of itself since she was wearing sharp, pointed heels. “I’ll meet you there.”
Her grin was huge, her eyes dancing with laughter and warmth and…
Crap.
She’d done it again.
She’d gotten the last word and left me gaping like an idiot.
I turned to find Simone watching me
