me a chance to back out. “I think that one of these days, the sexual tension is going to become too much, and you guys are going to end up screwing each other’s brains out.”
I stop at the foot of my bed and sink down on the mattress. “Trust me; that’ll never happen.”
“If you say so.”
“I have self-control, you know.”
“Ha! Implying that you have self-control means you’ve thought about it.”
“I have not,” I gripe. “So stop saying this shit.”
“Liar.”
“Drama queen.”
“Girl who wants to screw Beck.”
“Wynter—”
“Oh, my God, I think I’m going to pierce my belly button,” she cries out through her laughter.
I roll my eyes. “You so are not. You just didn’t want to argue with me anymore.”
“Maybe, but maybe not,” she teases. “Maybe I’m going to change my whole preppy girl image and become you. I’ll even get a tattoo.”
“What do you mean, like me ? I don’t have any tattoos.”
“But you have a lot of piercings.”
I trace my finger along the multiple earrings lining my ear. “Just in my ears.”
“And in your belly button.”
“Yeah, only because of you.”
“Hey, you didn’t have to accept the dare,” she points out. “And you could’ve taken it out.”
“I didn’t really want to,” I admit, lifting the bottom of my shirt to peek at the diamond glistening above my belly button, “after going through all that pain.”
She laughs mockingly. “That’s so not the only reason you kept it in.”
“What are you getting at? I’m sure you’re getting at something.” I lower my shirt then rest back on my elbows. “You always are.”
“Of course I am. What’s the point of life if you’re not getting at anything?” she asks with a seemingly out of place sigh. “But, anyway, all I was suggesting is that maybe, like our dear, sweet Beck, you have a bit of a rebellious side.”
“I do not,” I protest, probably sounding more offended than I should. “I’ve never done anything rebellious in my entire life.” Then again, my mom has never cared about what I did, so how would I ever rebel?
“Maybe you have a secret dark side, and the piercing is just a subtle way of showing it.”
Anxiety stirs in my chest like a sleeping beast ready to awake and attack me. Beck said something similar last night about going to the dark side. Am I that obvious? If so, I worry over what else they’ve noticed about me lately.
“So, quick question. When are you coming back from New York?”
“Why? Are you planning on throwing me a welcome home party?” she jokes. “Or do you just miss me that much?”
“Of course I miss you,” I say, relieved she didn’t remark at my very noticeable subject change. “Even if you are a pain in my ass.”
“Aw, I love you, too, Wills,” she replies dryly. “And FYI, you’re a pain in the ass, too, which is why we’re such good friends.”
“Yeah, maybe … But seriously, when are you coming back?”
“I fly back Saturday afternoon. Why? What’s up?”
“It’s nothing.” I blow out a loud exhale. “Beck’s just having a party on Friday and is making me go. And I hate the idea of going alone.”
“Well, you won’t be alone. Beck will be there.” Again, a hint of bitterness enters her tone. “And Ari and Luna and probably Grey since the two of them are attached at the freakin’ hip 24/7.”
“They’ll be back from their road trip by then?” I tense when I hear a knock on the front door.
“They should be,” she says. “You can always call them and find out.”
“Okay, I might do that.” I push up from my bed as the knocking grows louder and tiptoe out of my room and to the front door.
“Or you could just go solo,” she continues, “so you and Beck can finally hook up.”
A nervous exhale trembles from my lips as I lean in to peer out the peephole. “Don’t start again.” A relieved sigh gushes out of me at the sight of Beck standing outside. “Hey, I have to go. Beck
I stop at the foot of my bed and sink down on the mattress. “Trust me; that’ll never happen.”
“If you say so.”
“I have self-control, you know.”
“Ha! Implying that you have self-control means you’ve thought about it.”
“I have not,” I gripe. “So stop saying this shit.”
“Liar.”
“Drama queen.”
“Girl who wants to screw Beck.”
“Wynter—”
“Oh, my God, I think I’m going to pierce my belly button,” she cries out through her laughter.
I roll my eyes. “You so are not. You just didn’t want to argue with me anymore.”
“Maybe, but maybe not,” she teases. “Maybe I’m going to change my whole preppy girl image and become you. I’ll even get a tattoo.”
“What do you mean, like me ? I don’t have any tattoos.”
“But you have a lot of piercings.”
I trace my finger along the multiple earrings lining my ear. “Just in my ears.”
“And in your belly button.”
“Yeah, only because of you.”
“Hey, you didn’t have to accept the dare,” she points out. “And you could’ve taken it out.”
“I didn’t really want to,” I admit, lifting the bottom of my shirt to peek at the diamond glistening above my belly button, “after going through all that pain.”
She laughs mockingly. “That’s so not the only reason you kept it in.”
“What are you getting at? I’m sure you’re getting at something.” I lower my shirt then rest back on my elbows. “You always are.”
“Of course I am. What’s the point of life if you’re not getting at anything?” she asks with a seemingly out of place sigh. “But, anyway, all I was suggesting is that maybe, like our dear, sweet Beck, you have a bit of a rebellious side.”
“I do not,” I protest, probably sounding more offended than I should. “I’ve never done anything rebellious in my entire life.” Then again, my mom has never cared about what I did, so how would I ever rebel?
“Maybe you have a secret dark side, and the piercing is just a subtle way of showing it.”
Anxiety stirs in my chest like a sleeping beast ready to awake and attack me. Beck said something similar last night about going to the dark side. Am I that obvious? If so, I worry over what else they’ve noticed about me lately.
“So, quick question. When are you coming back from New York?”
“Why? Are you planning on throwing me a welcome home party?” she jokes. “Or do you just miss me that much?”
“Of course I miss you,” I say, relieved she didn’t remark at my very noticeable subject change. “Even if you are a pain in my ass.”
“Aw, I love you, too, Wills,” she replies dryly. “And FYI, you’re a pain in the ass, too, which is why we’re such good friends.”
“Yeah, maybe … But seriously, when are you coming back?”
“I fly back Saturday afternoon. Why? What’s up?”
“It’s nothing.” I blow out a loud exhale. “Beck’s just having a party on Friday and is making me go. And I hate the idea of going alone.”
“Well, you won’t be alone. Beck will be there.” Again, a hint of bitterness enters her tone. “And Ari and Luna and probably Grey since the two of them are attached at the freakin’ hip 24/7.”
“They’ll be back from their road trip by then?” I tense when I hear a knock on the front door.
“They should be,” she says. “You can always call them and find out.”
“Okay, I might do that.” I push up from my bed as the knocking grows louder and tiptoe out of my room and to the front door.
“Or you could just go solo,” she continues, “so you and Beck can finally hook up.”
A nervous exhale trembles from my lips as I lean in to peer out the peephole. “Don’t start again.” A relieved sigh gushes out of me at the sight of Beck standing outside. “Hey, I have to go. Beck
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