Her presence turned everything sour in an instant—for me, anyway.
I cannot forget the way she looked at me, as if I were a loser peasant with no business speaking to Easton—WHO, BY THE WAY, she barely speaks to or even acknowledges at school! Whynow?
Why today?!
I type out a response to his text and then delete it.
Type again.
Delete.
“Ugh. Say something, Harper.”
My thoughts are a tangled mess of frustration and embarrassment. Why does Maddie matter? She doesn’t evenlikeEaston. Not really—not the way I like him.
That’s exactly why you had to stop kissing him.
If I had any doubts about my decision, they’re gone now. The problem is, Easton is a guy who doesn’t realize Maddie is probably flirting ’cause she’s bored. She likes a challenge. Maybe she even wants to date down and he’s just another prop in her carefully curated life.
Am I mad?
No.
Not at him.
I’m mad at myself for falling into like with someone unavailable to like in the first place.
I text him back.
Me:Maybe I’m a little mad. But not at you.
It takes a moment before the bubbles appear again. I stare at the screen, my heart doing that stupid thing where it races whenever I see or hear his name. Stupid, traitorous heart…
Easton:Could have fooled me.
Okay, so he’s not entirely clueless.
Granted, I was acting like a B in the gym after you-know-who left, but it’s not like I could help it. I was frazzled! Shook! Jealous!
Easton:Who are you mad at, then?
I bite my lip, debating whether to tell him the truth or change the subject, like it’s nothing. But it doesn’t feel like nothing. On the other hand, I don’t want to involve him in girl drama. Guys hate that crap; it’s so different from guy drama.
Me:Maddie.
There! It’s out.
Let him figure out what that one word means!
Easton:Why?
Briefly I remind myself,Harper, he is a guy. Guys don’t understand jealously and stuff. He’s basically a baby with no understanding of how the world works and doesn’t get that Maddie is only speaking to him because it’s a challenge now that he’s giving me attention.
She sees me as a challenge. I feel it in my bones.
Could that be the truth?
I ponder this as I figure out a way to respond to him.
