understand. We were young. I shouldn’t have expected it to last forever. Still, it hurt when he broke it off.
That’s why I was so grateful for Hayes. He swooped right in to make things better for me. I don’t know if I loved Hayes or if he loved me, but I think it could’ve turned into love if I would’ve let it.
If I hadn’t destroyed everything in one stupid moment.
The sad part is that my kiss with Josh had nothing to do with Hayes. Embarrassingly enough, I hadn’t even factored him in when I did it. I was so focused on hurting Ashley, it was all I could think about. It consumed me. Blinded me.
She deserved it after what she’d done to me. I know she thinks the only reason I did all of this was to become queen bee. To dethrone her. And I’m not going to lie. It did feel good to do that. I’d been playing second fiddle to Ashley for so many years, putting up with her putdowns and bad attitude. Therefore, it was nice to have her out of my life. To take over.
But it wasn’t the reason I did this.
My hatred for Ashley went much deeper than a popularity contest.
She betrayed me. She hurt me.
And she has no idea that I know what she did.
It’s a card I’m hiding right now, waiting for the right moment to show it. And when I do, it will blow apart this whole façade she’s spent the last six months carefully constructing.
“You hangin’ out with your boyfriend today?” Anna plops down next to me at the kitchen table, a curious expression on her face.
“No,” I answer around a mouthful of cereal.
“Why not?” She peels the banana in her hand, knitting her eyebrows together.
Because it’s Saturday, so we won’t have an audience. “He’s busy,” I lie. Honestly, I have no idea what Josh is doing today, and I don’t really care.
A little milk dribbles down my chin, and I swiftly wipe it off with my fingertip. Mom and Dad laugh from down the hallway. Their footsteps near the kitchen.
Anna takes a bite out of her banana. After swallowing it down, she turns to me. “When’s he coming over for dinner?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug.
“You asked him, didn’t you?”
What is with the third degree?
“Yes,” I answer. “But the season is about to start, so he’s really busy.”
“Too busy to come to his girlfriend’s house for dinner?” Mom enters the room, her lips pursed. Dad walks beside her with his arm snaked around her waist. They’re still in their pajamas, and their cheeks are flushed. I shake my head, having no desire to know what they’d been up to prior to coming out here.
I swallow hard. “Um…yes.” When Dad and Mom both frown, I rush to fix it. “I mean, no. Well, I don’t know. We haven’t worked out the details yet.” I take a deep breath, that familiar flutter returning to my stomach. For the umpteenth time I wonder if this ruse is a huge mistake. “I’m sure he’ll come over. I’m just not sure when.”
“If he wants to keep seeing my little girl, he better make it soon.” The serious look Dad throws me makes my insides twist.
“I’m not a little girl anymore,” I say sourly, to get the focus off of Josh. Plus, I do hate when he refers to me that way.
“You’ll always be my little girl,” Dad corrects me.
I sigh. Anna smirks at me, but I have no idea why. He calls her the same thing.
My phone vibrates from where it sits on the table. I snatch it up.
“Is that Josh?” Anna asks, and I toss her an irritated look.
Seriously, what is her deal?
“It’s probably Heather,” I say, glancing down at it. The scent of coffee fills the kitchen as Mom starts the coffee maker. It percolates loudly in the small space. Holding the phone up, I read the text.
Josh: Meet me at the diner.
No please. Figures.
Me: Why?
Josh: Hayes and Ashley are here. Hurry up.
Charming.
Me: If you keep sweet talking me like that I might end up falling for you.
Josh: Very funny. So, are you coming or what?
I groan, irritated with how demanding he is. But then
That’s why I was so grateful for Hayes. He swooped right in to make things better for me. I don’t know if I loved Hayes or if he loved me, but I think it could’ve turned into love if I would’ve let it.
If I hadn’t destroyed everything in one stupid moment.
The sad part is that my kiss with Josh had nothing to do with Hayes. Embarrassingly enough, I hadn’t even factored him in when I did it. I was so focused on hurting Ashley, it was all I could think about. It consumed me. Blinded me.
She deserved it after what she’d done to me. I know she thinks the only reason I did all of this was to become queen bee. To dethrone her. And I’m not going to lie. It did feel good to do that. I’d been playing second fiddle to Ashley for so many years, putting up with her putdowns and bad attitude. Therefore, it was nice to have her out of my life. To take over.
But it wasn’t the reason I did this.
My hatred for Ashley went much deeper than a popularity contest.
She betrayed me. She hurt me.
And she has no idea that I know what she did.
It’s a card I’m hiding right now, waiting for the right moment to show it. And when I do, it will blow apart this whole façade she’s spent the last six months carefully constructing.
“You hangin’ out with your boyfriend today?” Anna plops down next to me at the kitchen table, a curious expression on her face.
“No,” I answer around a mouthful of cereal.
“Why not?” She peels the banana in her hand, knitting her eyebrows together.
Because it’s Saturday, so we won’t have an audience. “He’s busy,” I lie. Honestly, I have no idea what Josh is doing today, and I don’t really care.
A little milk dribbles down my chin, and I swiftly wipe it off with my fingertip. Mom and Dad laugh from down the hallway. Their footsteps near the kitchen.
Anna takes a bite out of her banana. After swallowing it down, she turns to me. “When’s he coming over for dinner?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug.
“You asked him, didn’t you?”
What is with the third degree?
“Yes,” I answer. “But the season is about to start, so he’s really busy.”
“Too busy to come to his girlfriend’s house for dinner?” Mom enters the room, her lips pursed. Dad walks beside her with his arm snaked around her waist. They’re still in their pajamas, and their cheeks are flushed. I shake my head, having no desire to know what they’d been up to prior to coming out here.
I swallow hard. “Um…yes.” When Dad and Mom both frown, I rush to fix it. “I mean, no. Well, I don’t know. We haven’t worked out the details yet.” I take a deep breath, that familiar flutter returning to my stomach. For the umpteenth time I wonder if this ruse is a huge mistake. “I’m sure he’ll come over. I’m just not sure when.”
“If he wants to keep seeing my little girl, he better make it soon.” The serious look Dad throws me makes my insides twist.
“I’m not a little girl anymore,” I say sourly, to get the focus off of Josh. Plus, I do hate when he refers to me that way.
“You’ll always be my little girl,” Dad corrects me.
I sigh. Anna smirks at me, but I have no idea why. He calls her the same thing.
My phone vibrates from where it sits on the table. I snatch it up.
“Is that Josh?” Anna asks, and I toss her an irritated look.
Seriously, what is her deal?
“It’s probably Heather,” I say, glancing down at it. The scent of coffee fills the kitchen as Mom starts the coffee maker. It percolates loudly in the small space. Holding the phone up, I read the text.
Josh: Meet me at the diner.
No please. Figures.
Me: Why?
Josh: Hayes and Ashley are here. Hurry up.
Charming.
Me: If you keep sweet talking me like that I might end up falling for you.
Josh: Very funny. So, are you coming or what?
I groan, irritated with how demanding he is. But then
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