Playing with Fire by Emily Blake Page A

immediately.
    â€œWhat is that crack supposed to mean?” hisfather shot back. “I suggest you focus on yourself and start growing up, Cap’n.” He knocked the cereal box with his knuckle and stepped closer to his son. His voice got deeper and quieter as he spoke. Not a good sign. “When you are making straight A’s, playing first string, and getting scholarship offers from Ivy League colleges, you might be able to offer me advice. But not before.”
    Tom felt a flash of annoyance. His dad was always on him to do more, do better. As it was, Tom was no slouch. But no matter what he did, it wasn’t enough. Besides, what about Zoey?
    â€œWhy are you lecturing me ?” Tom asked hotly. You’re no great example, and —“I’m not the one who got kicked out of boarding school.” He lobbed the ball of flame into his sister’s court.
    Across the table, Zoey glared.

Chapter Fourteen
    Whoa. Alison looked from Zoey to Tom and back to Zoey, who looked ready to explode. Not that she could blame her. That was a low blow. Alison hadn’t realized Tom was capable of being anything other than nice and funny. And she’d never seen a family fight as dirty as hers did. The Ramirez clan was coming pretty close.
    â€œZoey is another matter,” Mr. Ramirez said in his deep, rumbling growl. He sounded like a tiger coiled to pounce. “For another time,” he added, eyeballing his daughter. Then he leveled his smoldering gaze at Tom, giving him one last angry look before he turned his back on the kids and left the room.
    â€œWhoa!” Alison said, breaking the icy silence the DA left in his wake. “Well, he’s as friendly as ever.”
    â€œAs ever,” Zoey repeated, rolling her eyes. They laughed, and the tension melted. “What were we talking about? Cap’n Crunch?”
    Alison grinned. She loved the way Zoey could shake things off and move on. Like, she obviously wasn’t holding a grudge about that awful night in fifth grade. And just now her brother had totally messed with her and, as far as Alison could tell, Zoey wasn’t kicking him under the counter or anything. Watching her new/old best friend play with a few pieces of cereal, Alison wondered why she had turned on her in the first place…even though she knew the answer.
    Kelly. The name swam around in her brain like a great white shark. Kelly was the one who hadn’t liked Zoey. Probably felt threatened by her, Alison realized. And Alison had been stupid enough to let Kelly goad her into humiliating Zoey in the worst way—on what turned out to be the worst possible night.
    Tom dumped the last of the cereal into his bowl and added more milk. “It’s always a littlesad when there are only a few bites left.” He shook his head and clutched his chest.
    Alison smiled. Tom was cute—something she’d never really noticed before. Probably because she had been too focused on Chad. But that was no longer an issue…even though she sort of wished it were. Chad had been a good boyfriend—funny, handsome, smart. Alison still couldn’t believe he had ditched her for Kelly. Didn’t he realize Kelly was just using him? He couldn’t really be falling for her. Could he?
    Alison sighed. Who was she kidding? Her cousin was beautiful, popular, crazy, and fun. Everyone fell for Kelly. Including her.
    The front door opened again and Debbie #5 (actually named Deirdre) stepped into the house. She strolled into the kitchen and dumped her hideous and huge last-season Gucci bag on the counter.
    Alison blinked at the woman standing before her. She wore a tight-fitting dress with a wide belt and a ridiculously low neckline. It was hard not to stare at her obviously surgically enhanced figure. She looked like a Barbie.
    â€œDid you hear?” she squealed excitedly. “Your dad is running for Congress! Congress of the United States !” She spun around as