chest, her lips pinched. “I’ve got some research to do in the library.”
She’d never used our school library for research. “Lainey—”
See you later,” she said, forcing a smile on her face.
As she walked off, her back ramrod straight, I heaved an inward sigh, knowing I was going to get an earful the moment I walked into her house.
“She’s really not a very good friend, Nara,” Harper said quietly beside me.
In the rapid-fire battle of wills between Lainey and myself, I’d pushed Harper to the back of my mind. I glanced her way. “What are you talking about?”
She shrugged a delicate shoulder. “Why would she try to get you to go to the dance with another guy if you have a boyfriend? I’m assuming, for whatever reason, your boyfriend can’t or doesn’t want to go…”
As she trailed off, I murmured, “He’s not able to go.”
Harper’s eyebrow shot up. “Did Lainey conveniently forget you have a boyfriend then?”
“No, she didn’t forget.” At least I’m pretty sure she didn’t. A fissure of annoyance splintered my thoughts. Harper hadn’t known Lainey as long as I had. Sure she came across self-centered and only aware of her own sphere, but Lainey…well, she was Lainey. She was hard to explain. “Lainey’s complicated.”
Harper curled her upper lip, then muttered, “Seems pretty simple to me.”
Chapter Eight
“Nice jacket,” Lainey said as she closed her front door.
Sheer annoyance fringed her compliment, effectively canceling it. She was really ticked. When I heard the deadbolt slide into place, I tensed, ready for a battle. I turned to her and murmured, “Thanks. It was an early birthday present from my aunt Sage.”
Lainey’s arms were folded across her chest, a scowl creasing her face. “What’s your problem, Nara? I was trying to get you out of having to say ‘yes’ to Harper, yet you threw my help in my face.”
“You mean you didn’t want to go dress shopping?”
“Of course I do.” Lainey rolled her eyes. Sighing, she walked past me into the living room. “But I hadn’t decided what day I was going to go.” Bewildered, she looked at me, spreading her hands wide. “I was just trying to be a friend. You know, look out for you like a real friend would do.”
And I’m here because I’m doing something a real friend would do too, despite what Fate may do to me for going against him ! I wanted to yell at her, but I couldn’t. Instead I focused on something I could talk about.
“I’m sorry if I screwed up your bail-Nara-out plan, Lainey, but I was pissed at you about Matt. I saw the way you looked at Jared after Matt left your side today. Was this that ‘best idea ever’ you were talking about yesterday; to go with Matt to the dance as payback to Jared? That’s really low, Lainey!”
Lainey’s cheeks flushed bright red. “The dance was Matt’s idea,” she hissed. “He asked me, Nara!”
I blinked rapidly and sputtered, “Wh—what? You’re not trying to make Jared jealous? But I saw the way you looked at him this morning after Matt walked away. You had a he’s-wrapped-around-my-little-finger look if I ever saw one.”
Lainey’s eyes fluttered. “Really? That’s how I looked at him?”
I pressed my lips together, nodding. “It was a very ‘triumphant’ look.”
Lainey’s hand fluttered over her hair, a pleased grin spreading up her face. “Well, making Jared and Tarra jealous was definitely high on our list. That part is true.”
“Our? What?” I shook my head, running my hand through my hair. “I’m confused.”
“It was my idea to just flirt and hang out a lot at school.” Her eyes narrowed briefly. “I want Jared to see he’s not the only one who can move on. And Matt, well he wanted Tarra to feel that way too, so we agreed to put on a show for their benefit.”
I spread my hands wide, at a loss. “So you were serious when you said you and Matt are going to the dance as friends?”
She
She’d never used our school library for research. “Lainey—”
See you later,” she said, forcing a smile on her face.
As she walked off, her back ramrod straight, I heaved an inward sigh, knowing I was going to get an earful the moment I walked into her house.
“She’s really not a very good friend, Nara,” Harper said quietly beside me.
In the rapid-fire battle of wills between Lainey and myself, I’d pushed Harper to the back of my mind. I glanced her way. “What are you talking about?”
She shrugged a delicate shoulder. “Why would she try to get you to go to the dance with another guy if you have a boyfriend? I’m assuming, for whatever reason, your boyfriend can’t or doesn’t want to go…”
As she trailed off, I murmured, “He’s not able to go.”
Harper’s eyebrow shot up. “Did Lainey conveniently forget you have a boyfriend then?”
“No, she didn’t forget.” At least I’m pretty sure she didn’t. A fissure of annoyance splintered my thoughts. Harper hadn’t known Lainey as long as I had. Sure she came across self-centered and only aware of her own sphere, but Lainey…well, she was Lainey. She was hard to explain. “Lainey’s complicated.”
Harper curled her upper lip, then muttered, “Seems pretty simple to me.”
Chapter Eight
“Nice jacket,” Lainey said as she closed her front door.
Sheer annoyance fringed her compliment, effectively canceling it. She was really ticked. When I heard the deadbolt slide into place, I tensed, ready for a battle. I turned to her and murmured, “Thanks. It was an early birthday present from my aunt Sage.”
Lainey’s arms were folded across her chest, a scowl creasing her face. “What’s your problem, Nara? I was trying to get you out of having to say ‘yes’ to Harper, yet you threw my help in my face.”
“You mean you didn’t want to go dress shopping?”
“Of course I do.” Lainey rolled her eyes. Sighing, she walked past me into the living room. “But I hadn’t decided what day I was going to go.” Bewildered, she looked at me, spreading her hands wide. “I was just trying to be a friend. You know, look out for you like a real friend would do.”
And I’m here because I’m doing something a real friend would do too, despite what Fate may do to me for going against him ! I wanted to yell at her, but I couldn’t. Instead I focused on something I could talk about.
“I’m sorry if I screwed up your bail-Nara-out plan, Lainey, but I was pissed at you about Matt. I saw the way you looked at Jared after Matt left your side today. Was this that ‘best idea ever’ you were talking about yesterday; to go with Matt to the dance as payback to Jared? That’s really low, Lainey!”
Lainey’s cheeks flushed bright red. “The dance was Matt’s idea,” she hissed. “He asked me, Nara!”
I blinked rapidly and sputtered, “Wh—what? You’re not trying to make Jared jealous? But I saw the way you looked at him this morning after Matt walked away. You had a he’s-wrapped-around-my-little-finger look if I ever saw one.”
Lainey’s eyes fluttered. “Really? That’s how I looked at him?”
I pressed my lips together, nodding. “It was a very ‘triumphant’ look.”
Lainey’s hand fluttered over her hair, a pleased grin spreading up her face. “Well, making Jared and Tarra jealous was definitely high on our list. That part is true.”
“Our? What?” I shook my head, running my hand through my hair. “I’m confused.”
“It was my idea to just flirt and hang out a lot at school.” Her eyes narrowed briefly. “I want Jared to see he’s not the only one who can move on. And Matt, well he wanted Tarra to feel that way too, so we agreed to put on a show for their benefit.”
I spread my hands wide, at a loss. “So you were serious when you said you and Matt are going to the dance as friends?”
She
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