Me: I’M NOT GOING TO QUIT.
Me: BUT STOP FLIRTING. I MEAN IT!!
Jaxon: NOT EVEN A LITTLE?
Me: LOL. NO!
Yet, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.
Jaxon: YOU’RE NO FUN. He included the emoji with its tongue sticking out.
Jaxon: MOST GIRLS WOULD LOVE TO HAVE ME FLIRT WITH THEM.
My jaw dropped. Talk about an ego. Though, he had every right to be arrogant—he was hot, and I had no doubts girls fell over each other to get his attention. But I wasn’t interested in anything but getting back to Keene Valley. I was hyper-focused on that, and I wasn’t going to let anything—or anyone—distract me.
Me: THEN YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE ANY TROUBLE FINDING SOMEONE ELSE TO FLIRT WITH.
Jaxon: OUCH.
Jaxon: SO, WHAT’S THE DEAL? YOU GOT A BOYFRIEND OR SOMETHING?
My mind wandered to Simon. He wasn’t my boyfriend, not even close, but there was something brewing between us. Right? I mean, why would he ask me to go to a concert with him or stick up for me against his sister if he didn’t want more than friendship? Did I want more than friendship, though?
Me: NO.
Jaxon: THEN YOU’RE FAIR GAME.
My jaw dropped, and a surprised laugh erupted. What was with this guy? We’d met only once, so there was no way he could like me already—he didn’t even know me. I’d probably hurt his ego, so now he had something to prove to himself.
Me: I’M OFF LIMITS. SORRY.
I added the shrugging emoji, then hit send.
Jaxon: WHAT’RE YOU DOING?
That was an abrupt change in topic. Hopefully, he accepted my answer and wouldn’t push it anymore.
Me: SITTING IN MY ROOM DOINGHOMEWORK.
Me: YOU KNOW… THAT THING YOU SHOULD BE DOING, TOO.
Jaxon: I SHOULD BE SITTING IN YOUR ROOM? THIS ESCALATED FAST.
I laughed.
Me: HOMEWORK! YOU SHOULD BE DOING HOMEWORK.
Jaxon: BOSSY.
Me: GOOD NIGHT JAXON. I’LL SEE YOU TOMORROW.
Grinning, I set my phone on the nightstand and tried to focus on my homework, but my head was starting to ache, and my eyelids were getting heavier by the second. I yawned. There was no way I was getting any work done tonight.
My phone buzzed, and I grabbed it, even though I was half asleep.
Jaxon: SWEET DREAMS CHLOE.
I sighed. What on earth had I gotten myself into?
CHAPTER SIX:
Mean Girl
“YOU ARE NOT CRASHING THIS CONCERT,” Olivia said the following morning. Her voice was disgusted but a bit high pitched, too, with obvious anger.
I barely glanced at her as I hitched the strap of my backpack higher on my shoulder and marched toward class. Maybe if I ignored her, she’d just go away.
“Did you hear me?” Her heels clicked hard and fast against the tiled floor as she fell into step beside me.
Well, so much for her going away.
I stopped and faced her. “If you have a problem with me going, maybe you should talk to Simon. He invited me,” I said, knowing that bothered her just as much as me physically being at the concert.
Even though I’d tried to wiggle my way out of going, he was very convincing, and I did like him… in a strictly platonic way. I refused to let his sister bully me.
“Oh, I did.” She crossed her arms and raised one of those perfectly manicured brows. “He refuses to listen to me, but you will.”
I snorted. “Yeah, right.” Shaking my head, I turned and walked away.
Olivia once again caught up to me. This time, she clutched my elbow and stopped me. “Get it through your thick skull. No one wants you here. And trust me. My brother will get bored with you.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.
Should I tell her I was the one who wasn’t falling for her brother? That I’d been consistently telling him not to get attached because I was leaving in a month? Not that she’d believe me anyway, and I didn’t want to waste my breath.
“You’re going to regret this,” she warned.
“Oh, I’m sure I will.” I sighed, yanked my arm from her hold, and tried again to get to class. And then, because I apparently had a death wish, I smiled sweetly and gave a small wave. “See you Friday.”
Behind me, she let out a shrill scream and stomped her foot.
I laughed and walked into class. I had no idea what had gotten into me today, but I was fed up with Olivia thinking she could get whatever she wanted simply because she said so. And it wasn’t like I’d have to deal with her much longer. There was less than a month left of school, and then a couple weeks after that, I’d be back home.
Class went by in a blur, and then it was lunch. Normally, I hated this period, but it wasn’t so bad now that Simon sat with me. I hurried to my favorite spot, but loud voices had me pausing. Simon and Olivia were arguing. I knew I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help it, especially when my name was being thrown around like confetti.
“You absolutely cannot take Chloe to the concert,” Olivia said. “She’s a bloody nobody, Simon. No one likes her. What do you think is going to happen to my reputation when it gets around that I was hanging out with her?” Disgust dripped from her tone.
“Shut up, Livi.” Simon sounded more than a little annoyed and angry. “I happen to like Chloe a lot. She’s going, now bugger off.”
“No. You can’t do this to me.”
There was a moment of silence, and I’d give anything to see the look on Simon’s face right then.
“And what about what you’re doing to me? Making me choose. That’s low even for you. I like her, Livi. Deal with it.”
My face heated at the emotion behind Simon’s words. I knew he liked me, but I hadn’t realized he liked me that much, and here I was, thinking of him as nothing more than a friend, a bright
