The phone pulled free from my grip.
This wasn’t how he was supposed to find out.
“Ah-hah!” he crooned.
“Hey!”
He reached out and placed one hand over my shoulder. “Relax. This’ll only hurt a little.”
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I blurted as he clicked open my contacts. Because better from me than him finding out like this.
“Yeah?” he murmured, clicking a couple more keys.
When I tried to see what he was doing, he shielded the screen with one hand, and I braced myself. At any moment, his smile would fade as dawning sunk in.
“I have a secret. You know, sometimes people do things for one reason and then that reason changes.”
I wiped my sweaty palms on the tops of my jeans. “Or, maybe it’s that feelings change. Sometimes a secret becomes a lie, and the lie feels impossible to . . .” I tipped my head back, swallowing, gasping for air. I probably looked insane, and what the heck was I saying? If this was supposed to be a confession, I was failing. Big time.
“What I mean to say is what starts as an innocent secret turns into a huge mistake. Or maybe mistake isn’t the right word, but—”
“P . . . ?” Topher glanced up from the screen, and I waited with bated breath for the hostility that was sure to follow.
“What the heck are you yammering about?” He handed me back my phone.
I took it into my clammy palms, lungs burning like I just ran a marathon. “But I thought . . . ?”
“Sheesh. You can stop the freak-out—”
“I’m not . . .” I snapped my mouth shut because I was totally freaking out.
“All I did was add my number into your contacts. Your delicate sensibilities are still intact. That way, if you want to call or text me sometime, which I hope you do, the ball is in your court.” His gaze met mine meaningfully, and suddenly I was grateful I hadn’t changed his contact name from jerkwad.
“Oh.” My chest deflated and I could breathe again.
But then I remembered his father and homecoming, and I knew the inevitable was only delayed. Eventually, the truth would come out.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
Topher reached out and squeezed my arm. “Are you feeling okay?” He frowned. “It wasn’t your food, was it? You look like you might be sick.”
“Uh, no. No.” I reached up and rubbed the spot beneath my sternum where my heart slowed its marathon pace. “I just . . . heartburn. It’s heartburn.”
He lifted his chin with an unconvinced head nod while my dignity took a nosedive.
Heartburn? God, I was an idiot. Nothing like indigestion to make a boy swoon.
I better leave now before I told him I had gas.
“Anyway,” I said, opening my door with a wan smile, “Thanks again.”
I groaned and flopped onto my back in the grass of the courtyard. Scarlett and I just finished lunch outside so as to avoid Royal interaction.
“You told him you had indigestion? Classic.” Scarlett snickered.
I glared at her. “What am I going to do?” I sat up and plucked a dandelion out of the grass, popping the yellow top off. “Either way, I’m screwed. If I don’t text Topher, he’ll think I don’t want to talk to him. But if I text him, he’ll see that I’m Julie and know I lied. If I go ahead and tell him the truth now, or ever for that matter, he might hate me.”
“Or he might be super stoked. Because from where I’m sitting, it sure seems like he’s falling for both of you. Yeah, he flirts with Julie on the phone, confides in her, and asked her to homecoming, but you’re the one he kissed. Discovering you’re also Julie would be like BOGO on chicks.”
I arched a brow at her analogy, then bit my lip, mulling it over. “No. I still think he’ll be upset that I lied. I mean, I totally played him.”
“Okay, so what other choice do you have?”
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed because I knew the answer, and I didn't like it one bit. “I have two choices. Julie stops texting him, and I tell him I only want to be friends, then further distance myself, so he never finds out.”
“Hate that plan.”
“Or . . .”
“Yes, let’s go with the ‘or.’”
“Julie stops texting him, and I have to hope that doesn’t bum him out so much he loses whatever interest he might have in me, and I somehow convince my father to ask our cell carrier to change my phone number, which will likely result in a million probing questions and a possible ‘no.’”
“Hmm . . . it’s tricky, but I’m all for Option B.”
“And that’s if his father doesn’t do anything about the fact that we were caught hanging out together after his little warning to me.”
“Ugh. His father’s such a jerk.”
“Trust me, I’m aware.” I plucked another dandelion from the grass and picked at the little yellow petals.
“P, you can’t end this. I mean, I was skeptical at first, but he likes you. Like, really likes you.”
“First of all, we don’t really know that, do we? I mean, he likes Julie for sure, but the kiss with me could’ve just been—” I waved the flower around in the air. “—in the heat of the moment or something. We had an amazing night, and our favorite song, which also happens to be a slow, angsty love ballad came on. Maybe the urge just struck him? Maybe I could’ve been literally any female beside him and he would’ve done the same?”
Scarlett scoffed. “I don’t buy that. Didn’t you say he almost kissed you again, after, when you were sitting on the hood of his car?”
“Well, yeah, but after we got busted, when he dropped me off at my place and asked for my number, he acted like it was just a friend thing.
“Maybe he acted like it was a friend thing because you pulled away from the second kiss right before the security guard showed up and proceeded to ignore the fact that the first kiss even happened. He made the first couple moves; it was up to you to reciprocate.”
“Oh, I reciprocated the first move, trust me.”
Scarlett’s smile turned feline. “Tell me how hot of a kisser he was again?”
Behind me, someone cleared their throat and Scarlett’s eyes widened, then subsequently glittered with mischief. Which meant it could only be one person, and he likely heard her ask about his hot kissing skills.
Kill me now.
“Well, lookie who it is,” Scarlett crooned. “We were just talking about you.”
“Really,” he drawled, and I tried my hardest to translate the nuance of his voice to see if he heard or was pretending not to.
Shooting a dirty look in Scarlett’s direction, I then twisted toward him, craning my neck to face him. “Hey.”
“Do you have a minute?”
“Uh, sure.” This didn’t sound good.
I widened my eyes at Scarlett as I stood and said, “Be right back.” Then I followed Topher to where he led me a few yards away underneath the swooping branches of a large Oak.
“Talking about me, huh? What exactly did you say?”
“That your singing voice is nearly as atrocious as your dancing.” I laughed, though my insides danced with nerves. Look at me, being all flirty under pressure.
“Psht. Yeah right. I saw the way you looked at me when I broke out into song. You wanted to jump my bones.”
I made a choking sound deep in my throat while flames ravaged my body. “I did not.”
Topher shrugged, then chuckled at whatever he saw on my face. “You turn all red when you’re embarrassed.” He reached up and brushed a thumb over my cheek. “It’s cute.”
My insides stirred, and I crossed my arms over my chest in an effort to hold myself together.
“Anyway,” he continued, “I just wanted to stop by and thank you for everything you said yesterday. I think I needed to hear it, that no matter what, even if my father makes good on his word, I can make it on my own. And, I wanted to let you know that my appointment is this weekend. Coach just told m
e, and if I like what I see and hear, I’ve decided to give them a verbal commitment.”
“That’s amazing.” I reached out and squeezed his arm without thinking. “I can’t wait to hear how it goes.”
The muscle in his bicep flexed. My palm burned from the touch, and the moment his gaze followed the place where my hand encircled his arm, I dropped it, but not before he took a step closer, and my stomach tied in knots.
“Don’t forget you have my number,” he murmured. “Text me this weekend, and I’ll tell you all about it.” Then he took a step back just as the warning bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said, then winked and walked away, leaving me standing there, staring after him with my heart in fits.
TOPHER
I stared at my phone.
So, tomorrow’s the big day, huh? It was a text from Julie, one I hadn’t replied to yet. Mostly because I wasn’t sure what to say. When I first started texting her, I remembered the girl I hit it off with the night of the bonfire at JT’s house. I was tired of living up to the image everyone expected of me, and the idea of starting fresh, being the man I wanted to be instead of the one everyone expected, appealed to me in more ways than one. And slowly, my intrigue morphed into more.
But then there was Penelope . . .
She was so real. Different than I expected. And I was falling for her. Harder than I thought possible. There was only one problem. I had no idea if she’d ever see me as more than the king, the jock, or the royal. It seemed she’d made her mind up about me a long time ago, and though I’d like to think I had changed that to an extent, I wasn’t entirely convinced it was enough for her to fully trust me, to go beyond the bounds of friendship. Our kiss was proof enough of that. She hadn’t mentioned it since—had acted like it never even happened. And she still hadn’t texted me.
And so there I was, playing both sides of the fence, and I felt rotten for it. It was wrong on so many levels because neither Julie nor Penelope deserved to be toyed with. But the truth was I’d fallen for both of them.
With a sigh, I began to type a reply.
Me: It is. I’m sure my dad will be thrilled.
Julie: Just don’t let him stop you. Remember, this is your future. Only you can live your life.
My mouth flattened into a thin line of determination. I’d given tomorrow a lot of thought, and I was prepared. If Dad tried to get in my way and stop me, I had plenty of ammunition.
Me: I won’t. I have a backup plan in case he tries to prevent me from going. A little insurance.
Julie: Insurance?
Should I tell her?
Penelope’s face, her dark eyes, and bright smile flickered in my head, and I realized she was the one I wanted to tell. Which spoke volumes. The fact that I wanted to tell her everything, share my darkest secrets.
Then again, she knew Ms. Stone. Maybe it was best to keep her out of it. Still, it would feel good to tell someone else the truth. To let them in on the secret I’d been harboring this past year and why I loathed my father so much.
Me: My father is cheating on my mom with one of my teachers.
My stomach clenched after I hit send. Heart pounding, I waited for her response which took several unnerving minutes.
Julie: Are you serious?
Me: Very.
Julie: Wow. I’m . . . so sorry. I don’t know what to say.
Me: LOL Yeah, I was pretty speechless at first, too.
Julie: How do you know? Is it one of your teachers?
Me: He had me get something from his office one day, and I saw an open email on his computer. I think he forgot he’d left it open. And, yeah, it’s definitely one of my teachers. One of the youngest ones at Lakeview, of course. Ms. Stone. She’s that one hot female teacher all the dudes at my school drool over.
Julie: So, what are you gonna do?
Me: I’ve kept it a secret this whole time for a lot of reasons. His reputation and hers. The fact he wants to campaign for mayor. His business. And simply the fact I don’t want to break my mom’s heart. But if he tries to stop me or gives me a hard time, I’ll use it.
Julie: Blackmail?
Me: Maybe. I haven’t decided. Maybe I’ll even tell him he needs to tell my mom or I will. Leave it at that. She deserves to know the truth anyway.
Julie: Definitely. I couldn’t imagine what kind of position this puts you in.
I exhale, the air deflating from my lungs, and as cliche as it sounded, it’s as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I told someone. Finally. And she didn’t judge me for it or think I was a jerk for keeping it from my mother.
Me: It REALLY sucks. But it feels good to finally tell someone.
I bit my lip, thinking about it. Had I never discovered my father’s affair, I may have gone along with his plans for my future, allowing him to guilt me into them. My father had never been the affectionate type. He’d always been headstrong and expected a lot out of me. But it was discovering the infidelity that pitted me against him. If I had never seen those emails, would I have had the courage to stand up to him and pursue my dreams?
Julie: And no one else knows?
Me: Not a soul, so the pressure is on. You hold enough ammunition to destroy my father’s reputation that could affect his business, his marriage, his position on the school board, and some of his friendships. Lakeview doesn’t exactly look kindly upon scandal.
It was the truth. People in Lakeview dropped you like a sack of rocks and fled faster than you could blink at even a hint of soiled reputation, less some of your stink rub off on them.
Julie: I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that alone.
I felt an unfamiliar ache in the back of my throat. It was funny how you could be surrounded by people, yet still feel alone, and it had been years since I felt like JT, Mikey, Luca, Gabby, and our crew were actually my friends. Like real friends, ones you could share secrets with and talk to. Ones who would stick by you no matter what.
But suddenly I had two people I could trust enough to share my secrets. Penelope and Julie. And though Penelope was currently just a friend, and I had feelings for both girls, I knew it would work itself out. It had to. Because I hadn’t felt this way in a long time.
Chapter 24
PENELOPE
Penelope closed her text exchange with Topher after rereading it for the millionth time and turned her face toward her window, staring out into the backyard as her thoughts raced.
Holy crap . . . Ms. Stone and Mr. Elliot.
She worried her lip with her teeth as she thought about all of the implications. Lakeview had strict policies for students and teachers. If this secret got out, Ms. Stone could lose her job. Topher’s family name would fly through the gossip chain faster than an atomic bomb, with as much potential damage. He’d lose business, no doubt. Possibly friends, too. Destroy his marriage. Pit people against him. And kiss any chance of a political career goodbye.
It was a whopper of a secret. Ammunition. Exactly what I wanted when I started texting him as Julie.
And it was all in my hands.
My chest tightened as I dialed Scarlett’s number and waited while it rang. I could trust her to keep this secret, and I needed to tell somebody.
When her voicemail picked up, I called again. And again. And when she finally answered, I wasted no time before I said, “I’ve got it. The secret. The one I wanted from Topher.”
“Whoa, slow down there, Dale Earnhardt. What do you mean? I thought you nixed that plan when you started getting all googly-eyed?”
“I did. I wasn’t even trying to get it out of him, but I was just texting him about his meeting tomorrow, and he told me.”
“Okay,” Scarlett drawled. “So how big of a secret is it?”
“Big. His father is cheating with one of Lakeview’s teachers.”
“Whoa.”
“Exactly.”
“Well, you’re gonna keep it a secret, right? So what’s the big deal?”
/> “Yeah, I’ll take it to my grave, but . . .” I swallowed, forcing down my rising panic. “He’ll hate me even more when he finds out the truth. Think about it, he tells his biggest secret, something he’s been hiding, something that could jeopardize his family, only to find out that the one person he confided in, the one person he trusted, is a liar.”
A brief pause, then: “I see the suckiness of it now.”
“Right? I mean, had he wanted to tell Penelope, he would’ve. He probably figured it was safe to tell Julie because she doesn’t go to Lakeview. She has no idea who Ms. Stone is. So when he finds out that I know, I’m sure he won’t be happy. And that’s on top of the fact that he obviously has feelings for Julie, so he’s going to feel betrayed no matter what.”
“And you. He has feelings for you too,” Scarlett chimed in.
I groaned. “We don’t know that for certain.”
“You guys share an earth-shattering kiss, and you think the guy was just caught up in the moment. That’s insane.”
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have to tell him the truth. Homecoming is only a couple of weeks away, and this is all getting entirely out of hand.”
“Ugh. I’d hate to be you.”
The front door slammed, and my eyes darted toward the hall where the angry baritone of my father’s voice reverberated off the walls, and my stomach dropped. It was rare for him to get rattled. Even rarer for him to be home early on a workday. And the sinking in the pit of my stomach told me something was off.
“Um, hey, Scarlett? I gotta go. Call you later?”
“Yeah. Give me a ring and we’ll come up with a plan of attack for outing yourself.”
“Will do,” I said as I hit END on the call, my mind already focused on my father, whose heavy footsteps clomped around the house.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and headed out into the hallway, following the sound of banging in the kitchen when I found Dad in front of the sink, filling a pot with water.
Hate Notes: A Sweet Enemies to Lovers Young Adult Romance (Lakeview Prep Book 1) Page 17
