CHAPTER 7
Amy
The soft bristles of Serena’s makeup brush tickle my cheek. I texted her this morning to see what she was planning to wear to the group date today—an escape room. She said no-makeup makeup, and when I asked what that meant, she immediately invited herself over to do mine for me.
I didn’t put up a fight. It’s fun to have girl time with her. This is the type of thing Harper and I used to do.
“I got a text from Nick last night,” Serena says, her voice low and reflective.
“Really? What did he say?”
Serena’s fingers still momentarily. “It came in late last night. I think it was a booty call.” She smirks, but her eyes hold something deeper.
Vulnerability.
“Tell me exactly what the text said,” I say, “and I’ll tell you if I think it was a booty call.”
She resumes her brush strokes. “It just said, ‘How are you,’ with no question mark.”
I scoff. “What is it with men and no punctuation marks in texts? It’s really not that hard to do one extra thumb tap at the end of your sentence.”
Serena giggles, and warmth flows through me.
I miss this. I almost forgot what it was like to have womanly companionship. Although, I suppose I only ever had teen companionship with Harper.
This is better.
“What did you tell him?” I ask.
She shrugs, her gaze fixed on my eyelids. “I said I was busy with the game.”
“And what did he say to that?”
She smirks. “He said that he hopes I know Tristan is not going to pick me. Not with our history.”
My mouth drops open. “He’s jealous.”
She shrugs. “Maybe. He also said that Tristan’s been acting weird.”
The back of my neck prickles. “Did he explain himself?”
“He says he’s been moody.”
The air in the room grows heavier, and I wonder if she’s thinking the same thing I am.
“Do you think…” I swallow. “Serena, I want you to be straight with me. Do you think he’s planning my downfall?”
She smiles warmly as she takes my face in her hands and guides it side to side, examining my makeup. “I don’t think he’s deep enough for that. If I’m being totally honest, Amy, I think he might have a crush on you.”
Warmth unfurls within me, but I try to fight it. I can’t give in to delusions if I want to keep my head in this competition. There’s no way Tristan has a crush on me, even if he might have seemed like it yesterday when he kissed me.
“If you really like someone,” I say, “you wouldn’t humiliate them publicly. That’s what you do to someone you hate.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Do you mind telling me what he did?”
I exhale a heavy breath. I can do this. Serena has been nothing but kind to me, and if I want to have a real friendship with her, I need to be vulnerable. The way she was vulnerable with me when she told me the story about Nick.
“So I’m sorry I never told you this,” I say in a rush, “but I have a deeper history with Tristan than just knowing him in high school. Harper and I… She used to be my best friend.”
