A little dazed, all I can do is nod. Okay then. I guess he is being normal.

“I tell my parents what they want to hear and then do my own thing,” a familiar voice offers coolly.

I spin around to see Jordan stepping out of a stall.

“Did you crawl out of the sewer or have you been there the whole time?” I accuse.

“Eavesdropping the whole time,” she says blithely. “So you want to have a little sexcation with Reed Royal, hmmm?”

I don’t answer her right away. This girl has disliked me from the moment I stepped foot onto Astor Park’s hallowed prep school grounds. When I was ordered to try out for the dance team, she left me a stripper’s uniform. I’m sure she meant for me to be too embarrassed to come out of the locker room, but I put on the gear, marched into the gym, and punched her in the face.

“Maybe,” I finally say.

“So you need my help.” She nudges Val out of the way and passes her hands under the automatic soap dispenser.

“No. I came to Val for help.”

Jordan scrubs her hands clean, shakes the excess water off, and then grabs a paper towel from the stack in the basket next to the sink.

“And Val’s here and so were six of my teammates, but you haven’t come up with a solution,” she says smugly. “Meanwhile, I have the perfect one.”

I doubt it, but her confident tone keeps my feet glued to the floor.

“Why would you help me?” I watch her with narrowed eyes, but I can’t read anything on her face. Damn, she’d be an impressive poker opponent.

She tosses the towel in the trash. “Because you’d owe me.”

Owe her? That sounds miserable. But…what if she really does have a solution to my problem?

“What would you want in return?” I ask suspiciously.

“A favor to be paid later.” She pulls out a little pot from her purse and dabs her perfect lips with shiny gloss.

I watch her, waiting for the rattler’s tail to sting me. “What favor?”

“I don’t know yet. Depends on what I’ll need from you.”

“Tell me your solution first.” I expect her to say no, but she surprises me.

“Sure.” She puts the lip gloss away. “You’re a good dancer. Layla Hansell sprained her ankle the other day jumping with her little sister on a trampoline. You can fill Layla’s spot on the team.”

“Shit.” That comes from Val.

Shit, indeed. It is the perfect solution. Steve wants me to do extracurricular stuff. Dancing is the only thing I’m capable of and somewhat interested in doing. The dance team’s going to travel to this playoff game, which means I can be on the field and sell Steve on the idea of spending time with Astor Park kids.

It’s diabolical how perfect this plan is.

Jordan smirks. “Let me know your answer by the end of the day. You can text Val. Bye now.”

She saunters out of the bathroom, her hair a dark ribbon streaming behind her.

“I hate her even more,” I say to Val.

“I don’t blame you.” My friend drapes an arm around my shoulders. “But damn, that’s a good excuse.”

“The best,” I say despondently. “The very best.”

19

Ella

“What are you doing here?” I exclaim when I find Reed leaning against my car after school. “You’re suspended!”

He rolls his eyes. “School’s over. What are they going to do, suspend me again for standing in the parking lot?”

Good point.

I walk over and give him a hug, which he turns into a kiss that lasts long enough to leave me breathless. I’m smiling like a fool by the time he lets me go.

“You look happy.” His eyes narrow suspiciously. “What’s wrong?”

I sputter in laughter. “I’m not allowed to be happy?”

He flashes a grin. “Of course you are. It’s just that the last time we talked, you were threatening to punch Steve in the face for all his crazy rules.”

“I think I found a way to get around the rules.”

“Yeah? How?”

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out,” I say mysteriously, because I want everything to be worked out before I tell him the news. I’m not entirely sure Steve is going to buy into this, so I don’t want to get Reed’s hopes up if I fail. “Val and I are working on a secret project.”

“What kind?”

“I just told you—a secret one.”

Reed rests an elbow against the car hood. “Should I be worried?”

I run a hand down his chest to rest on the top of his belt. Somehow Reed manages to make a pair of black cargo pants and a blue sweater look as hot as if he was shirtless.

“You should always be worried,” I tease, giving his belt a tug. I’m tired of being stressed, scared, and unhappy all the time. I’m going to enjoy Reed and all my moments with him. Screw the rest of the world.

He allows his body to press into mine until we’re pancaked against the side of the car. His hand skims down my side until he reaches the top of my ass. My lips part, waiting for another kiss, the mingling of our breaths, the moment we shut out the entire world—

“Look at them,” someone says as they pass. “Perfect trashy couple.”

Reed’s head flies up. “Got a problem with me, Fleming? Come say it to my face.”

I see a short, dark-haired boy stiffen and then quickly walk away.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Reed mutters.

“Jerk,” I say angrily.

Reed takes my chin between his fingers. “Don’t worry about it, baby. Let them run their mouths. It can’t hurt us.”

He pinches me lightly before dropping a kiss on my lips. I’m tempted to linger, but if I do, I’ll be late. I push him away regretfully. “I’ve got to get back to the hotel. If I’m not there at four o’clock sharp, Steve might lock me in a dungeon.”

Reed snickers.

“Call me tonight?”

“’Course.” He leans down to give me one final kiss, and by the way his hand digs into my butt, I know it’s going to be one of those long, drugging ones. Oh gosh. I have to get out of his embrace before I turn into a puddle of mush.