she knows my dad getting married is hard on me. So she’ll be overly sweet and affectionate. It’s the perfect way for her to finally fall for me and forget about Hayes. Added bonus that he won’t even be there.
“Fine. I’ll go,” I say, causing her head to snap up. “But only if you promise that you’ll go with me.”
“I already have.”
I stretch out my hand. “Then it’s a deal.”
“I thought handshakes were boring.” Talia raises her brows.
I chuckle. “If you wanted to kiss me again, you could’ve just asked.”
TALIA
Things are spinning out of control.
When Josh and I started this plan I knew a million things could go wrong. But there was one thing I was sure of. I would have bet my life on it. And that was the fact that I would never fall for him. And I still haven’t.
But the lines have definitely gotten a little blurred around the edges.
It all started at dinner with his mom, and it only got worse when he came to my house. My family fell in love with him. And that was when my plan started unraveling. They were supposed to hate him. Who knew he was such a charmer?
However, this whole thing with the wedding has been the icing on the cake. Why had I ever offered to go? There’s no way this plan will work if Josh and I keep spending all this time together when Hayes and Ashley aren’t even around. He’s getting under my skin, and I’m losing focus.
That’s why I have to get things back on track.
Enough with the plan. It’s not working.
It’s time to take matters into my own hands.
This became apparent tonight at the Panthers’ baseball game. Hayes and Ashley hardly noticed Josh and me at all, no matter how sweet and affectionate we were. It’s clear that they’ve accepted our relationship. Maybe we’d played this whole thing wrong. Perhaps I should’ve come clean from the beginning.
I may not be able to go back in time and redo everything, but I can make things right starting now. And that’s what I’m going to do. Josh left the game already. He had to go pick up his tux. He wanted me to go with him, but I said I had something else to take care of. When I spot Hayes heading off the field alone, my pulse quickens.
It’s now or never.
I can’t sit around anymore. I’m getting impatient. It’s time to take action. To do what I should have done a long time ago. After taking a deep breath, I hurry in Hayes’s direction.
“Hey.” I approach him, heart racing. Shaking out my quivering hands, I pull in a few deep breaths. Hayes bobs his head toward the parking lot. “I think Josh already left.”
No greeting at all. It stings that he so easily dismisses me. But I slough it off. It’s a minor setback. Once he knows everything, I’ll be back in control. “I actually came to see you.”
“Oh?” He raises his brows.
“Yeah.” I nod, filled with a surge of bravery. “I was hoping we could talk.”
His gaze darts around uncomfortably. “Just for a minute. I’m on my way to meet Ash.”
Oh, yes, we wouldn’t want to keep precious Ashley waiting . I fight against the irritation that wells inside of me. Instead, I paste on a gracious smile. “Um…” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about what happened with Josh at the party at the beginning of the year. I shouldn’t have kissed him that night.”
Hayes smiles. “It’s okay, Talia. I forgive you.”
“Really?” My heart skips a beat. Hayes’s smile has always been one of my favorite things about him. When he smiles at me it feels like bright sun rays kissing my face. And it makes me long for the days when he looked at me with awe. No one before and no one since has ever looked at me the way Hayes used to. Once again, I’m struck with how stupid my actions were. How much I messed everything up. And for what? Revenge? Some sick plot to hurt Ashley? It seems that it backfired. She’s now dating one of the nicest guys at our school. The irony is not
“Fine. I’ll go,” I say, causing her head to snap up. “But only if you promise that you’ll go with me.”
“I already have.”
I stretch out my hand. “Then it’s a deal.”
“I thought handshakes were boring.” Talia raises her brows.
I chuckle. “If you wanted to kiss me again, you could’ve just asked.”
TALIA
Things are spinning out of control.
When Josh and I started this plan I knew a million things could go wrong. But there was one thing I was sure of. I would have bet my life on it. And that was the fact that I would never fall for him. And I still haven’t.
But the lines have definitely gotten a little blurred around the edges.
It all started at dinner with his mom, and it only got worse when he came to my house. My family fell in love with him. And that was when my plan started unraveling. They were supposed to hate him. Who knew he was such a charmer?
However, this whole thing with the wedding has been the icing on the cake. Why had I ever offered to go? There’s no way this plan will work if Josh and I keep spending all this time together when Hayes and Ashley aren’t even around. He’s getting under my skin, and I’m losing focus.
That’s why I have to get things back on track.
Enough with the plan. It’s not working.
It’s time to take matters into my own hands.
This became apparent tonight at the Panthers’ baseball game. Hayes and Ashley hardly noticed Josh and me at all, no matter how sweet and affectionate we were. It’s clear that they’ve accepted our relationship. Maybe we’d played this whole thing wrong. Perhaps I should’ve come clean from the beginning.
I may not be able to go back in time and redo everything, but I can make things right starting now. And that’s what I’m going to do. Josh left the game already. He had to go pick up his tux. He wanted me to go with him, but I said I had something else to take care of. When I spot Hayes heading off the field alone, my pulse quickens.
It’s now or never.
I can’t sit around anymore. I’m getting impatient. It’s time to take action. To do what I should have done a long time ago. After taking a deep breath, I hurry in Hayes’s direction.
“Hey.” I approach him, heart racing. Shaking out my quivering hands, I pull in a few deep breaths. Hayes bobs his head toward the parking lot. “I think Josh already left.”
No greeting at all. It stings that he so easily dismisses me. But I slough it off. It’s a minor setback. Once he knows everything, I’ll be back in control. “I actually came to see you.”
“Oh?” He raises his brows.
“Yeah.” I nod, filled with a surge of bravery. “I was hoping we could talk.”
His gaze darts around uncomfortably. “Just for a minute. I’m on my way to meet Ash.”
Oh, yes, we wouldn’t want to keep precious Ashley waiting . I fight against the irritation that wells inside of me. Instead, I paste on a gracious smile. “Um…” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about what happened with Josh at the party at the beginning of the year. I shouldn’t have kissed him that night.”
Hayes smiles. “It’s okay, Talia. I forgive you.”
“Really?” My heart skips a beat. Hayes’s smile has always been one of my favorite things about him. When he smiles at me it feels like bright sun rays kissing my face. And it makes me long for the days when he looked at me with awe. No one before and no one since has ever looked at me the way Hayes used to. Once again, I’m struck with how stupid my actions were. How much I messed everything up. And for what? Revenge? Some sick plot to hurt Ashley? It seems that it backfired. She’s now dating one of the nicest guys at our school. The irony is not
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