Someone whistles low behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see Jessica watching Brandon’s taillights. She gives me a guilty look. “That boy is easy on the eyes.”
I look away as if I couldn’t care less.
“Is it true?” she asks in her pretty southern accent. “Were you two an item before Sadie came along?”
My stomach knots, but I shake my head. “No. We were friends—that’s all.”
“What about you and Mason?” Anne asks as she joins her cousin.
The girls aren’t catty like Chrissy or Christy, but these aren’t subjects open for discussion.
“Of course not. It’s television,” I answer, hoping to sound bored. “You know how it is.”
They share a glance, almost looking disappointed.
“You ready, Harper?” Linus asks, probably able to tell how uncomfortable I am.
Riley shoots me a sympathetic look, and then she ushers me to her boyfriend’s truck.
“They aren’t dating?”Riley exclaims in a voice that’s far louder than I would like.
I immediately shush her.
“Riley!” I snarl at a whisper. “She’s literally in the room next door!”
We sit cross-legged on the bed, and there are so many junk food wrappers spread out on the comforter between us, we resemble two sugar-hoarding raccoons.
Riley looks appropriately chagrined, and she glances at the wall that separates Sadie’s room from mine. “Sorry…but what do you mean they weren’t ever together?”
As I explain, she pinches the bridge of her nose as if she’s trying to fend off a headache. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. If Brandon’s not with Sadie, then why the heck are you pretending that he is?”
“It’s complicated,” I growl.
“It’s stupid.” She shakes her head. “You two are insane—you’ve been insane for years. This is very simple—he’s single; you’re single. You like each other…make it official. No more messing around.”
“But it will hurt Sadie.”
“Since when do you care?” Riley’s obviously exasperated.
I wrinkle my nose, hating what I’m about to say. “She’s nice.”
My sister’s jaw drops. “You’ve gone and made friends with the enemy!”
“She’s not the enemy.” I roll my eyes.
“She’s faux-dating the boy you’ve loved since kindergarten!”
“I have not?—”
She holds up a hand, cutting me off. “Kindergarten,Harper.”
Has Riley always been this obnoxious? I’ve been at college for several years, so it’s possible I forgot how difficult she can be.
“There’s something else.” I take a sip from a can of ginger ale. I can’t quite look at her—already, I feel my cheeks getting hot.
Riley waits, scowling.
“Mason’s…not what I thought he would be.”
