I stiffened.

The girl next door to me opened her locker and Adam leaned on it. He threw an arm over it and crossed his legs. She squeaked when she saw who was leaning on her locker and buried her head inside. I didn’t miss the blush.

“Garrett’s been around?” I averted my eyes and forced my tone to remain normal. I had to be normal.

“Yeah.” He had no clue and he continued, “I guess the new caterer was his wife, or something. I’m not sure what’s going on there.”

“She’s his wife.” My heart started to pick up its pace, and I moved to open my locker. I needed something to do while he told me this.

“Yeah, I guess. Anyway, she’s really cool. Nice, you know? Mrs. Carmella hates her now, but it doesn’t matter. The staff already rallied around her. They love her. I heard a couple of the prep cooks saying that she knows her stuff and she’ll pitch in to help, no matter what the deed is. No clue what that means, but they like her. Maybe it’s the dishes. I saw her doing the dishes one night.”

I forced down my anger. It wasn’t her fault that I was kicked out because Garrett wanted his wife back home with him. At least, I hoped it wasn’t her fault.

“Yeah.” He laughed.

The sound was so carefree, it grated on my ears.

He continued, nonplussed, “You know she asked me about you. She remembers that day I introduced you to Mrs. Carmella. She asked if I was your boyfriend. Can you believe that?”

I swallowed over a thick piece of bark. Really. He couldn’t believe that? I shut my locker with more force than I needed and stared at him. “Tell me you corrected her, right?”

“What?” He straightened from the locker.

My eyes felt dead as I held his gaze. “Tell me you told her you weren’t my boyfriend because you’re not. Mason is. Tell me you set her straight.”

“Of course, I did.”

I saw the guilt. He hadn’t. My jaw hardened and I hugged my book bag to my chest. “I have enough lies and rumors going around about me. I don’t need you to add to them.”

“But—Sam!”

I started to brush past him, but someone grabbed my arm and I looked up. I tensed.

Cass had a bright smile plastered on her face, and her eyes were too calculating for my taste. “Hi, Sam.”

I took two steps back, bumped against Adam, and moved to the side. I couldn’t go anywhere without being trapped.

Then I gave her a strained smile in return. “Hi, Cass.”

She positioned herself between Adam and myself, but then pulled on her shirt where it rested over her cle**age. It went down another inch and she smoothed out her shirt and did the same with her skirt. Her uniform already looked scandalous, but now it fit the usual look she kept, being a schoolgirl slut. Her eyes twinkled at me. She didn’t care and she oozed fake warmth as she gushed, “It’s Peter’s birthday this weekend, did you know?”

I didn’t. She didn’t care.

“I’m doing a private dinner with our family and friends. You’re invited, of course.”

Of course.

“But, yeah.” Her laughter sounded shrill now. “My cousin was supposed to be the caterer, but she canceled. She’s in college and totally not dependable. I was stupid to depend on her, but I guess a trip to Cancun is more important. I got her text this morning so I was wondering if your stepmom would do it!”

“My what?”

“Your stepmom.”

I sucked in my breath. My hands tightened on my bag. “My what?”

Her smile slipped a bit. “Your—isn’t she your stepmother? I can’t keep track. You have so many now.”

I pressed back against the locker. I felt a knife in my gut from her words and knew my eyes were hard. “I do?”

“Uh.” Her eyes shifted sideways. Adam shook his head and she came back with a brighter smile. “I mean your biological dad’s wife…right? Aren’t I right about that? She’s the new caterer at the Country Club and she’s phenomenal, by the way.”

Was she? I tried to shake loose the searing pain inside of me, but what did it matter. She was right. My life was a mess. I had way too many fathers, step-whatevers, no wonder she got confused. I was confused myself.

“So do you think Bella would do it?”

I blinked. Everything went calm in me again. What did I care? “I have no idea. Maybe you should ask her.”

Cass never paused. “I did. She said no, but I thought she couldn’t say no to you and since you’re a member of the Elite, you would…you know.”

”I would what?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Sam. You’re an Elite now. We’ve had your back. It’s your turn. Have my back.”

“Have your back and ask Garrett’s wife to cater your boyfriend’s birthday dinner?” Then I sighed. It was the same night as my own birthday, but I wanted to forget about it. It would mean all sorts of badness, but I couldn’t stomach Cass’s request. I opened my mouth, ready to deliver some sort of rejection Logan would be proud of when my phone vibrated. It was a text from Analise.

‘Hi, honey!! XOXO. So sorry we haven’t been around this week. I want to make it up to you. I asked David and Garrett both to come for a family dinner tomorrow night. We can have it anywhere you’d like, just as long as the family is together. That’d be great, right?!!!! I hope so. I was thinking of a restaurant in the city, make it five stars all the way. You’re worth it!! And of course, Logan and Mason are invited. You can invite any of your friends, but that wouldn’t be a small private family dinner, would it? Oh well. Up to you. XOXO again! Love you lots, honey!!’

My eyes snapped back to Cass. She jumped back a step and I broadcasted my warmth. “Consider it done.”

Her smile lit up, but it twitched at the ends. “Great.”

When she turned away with Amelia at her side, Emily waited a second before she gave me the thumbs-up sign and wiggled her eyebrows. Cass glanced over her shoulder and the other Elite member snapped back to attention and hurried after them. Miranda was the last to follow and she remained where she had stood during my conversation with Cass. Her eyes were flat and she watched me for another few seconds before her eyelids fluttered to a close. Her shoulders deflated and I felt released from whatever scrutiny she had conducted when she went behind the rest, but at a more sedate pace.