“Icame here because I needed a place to hang out, and look what happened.”
“You came here because you wanted to see me. And I wanted to see you.” He runs his hand along the side of my face. “You knew there was something between us. You could feel it. So could I. That’s why you kept coming over.”
“If that’s true then why’d you act like you didn’t like me?”
“Because you had a boyfriend. I don’t try to steal some other guy’s girl.”
And yet he did. He dated Andrea, Braden’s girl, and Kristen, another girl who had been with Braden.
“That’s not really true,” I say, knowing it might anger him, but it needs to be pointed out. He can’t tell me he wouldn’tdo something if there’s proof he’s done it before. “You took Braden’s girl.”
“I didn’t take her. She came to me.”
“You mean Andrea?”
“Who else would I be talking about?”
“Kristen. Didn’t Braden used to date her?”
“They weren’t dating. They just went out a couple times. And it was the same thing. She dumped him and came to me. I didn’t go after her.”
“Does Braden think you did?”
“I don’t know, and I really don’t fucking care. He can think what he wants. The way he treats girls, he shouldn’t be surprised they leave him for someone else.”
Jackson’s phone dings with a text, and then another.
“You need to check that?” I ask.
He reaches across me to pick up his phone and reads the text.
“Secret message from Kristen?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t keep pushing him to tell me about Kristen, but feeling angry that he won’t.
He turns his phone to me, showing me her texts.
They’re fighting.
“Does she mean her parents?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
She brought up divorce. We need to talk.
“What does that mean?” I ask. “Why would she need to talk to you?”
“If her mom gets divorced, Kristen will lose even more of her inheritance.”
“Yeah? So? Why does that involve you?”
“It doesn’t, but it involves Twisted Pine. If Steven gets a huge payout in the divorce, there’s a chance he’ll give some of it to the school, helping their plan to expand.”
“Steven is Principal Edwards, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re helping Kristen make sure Principal Edwards gets nothing in the divorce? What if they don’t divorce?”
“They will. Her mom has never had a marriage last more than five years and she’s on year three with Steven.”
