A chuckle started in my chest and launched its way out of my mouth before I could stop it. It was so ridiculous. “What? Me?”
Her frown darkened even more. “Yes, you. You with the mysterious accent and the exotic good looks.”
“Exotic?” I laughed. “I’m from Europe. We’re not exactly very exotic.”
She waved it away. “Whatever. What I’m saying is, Tori is special to me and to all of Sweet Mountain. You hurt that girl, and you’ll regret it.”
Nobody in my life had ever laid such an accusation on me. Of course, I’d flirted my way through the courts of Europe, but I had never spent much time fixed on any particular lady. At least not long enough for her to think me sincere in my attentions. No, seeking a relationship was the last thing on my mind. I wanted to be set free, not bogged down with the expectations of another.
I set my snack down on the end table beside me and faced Erin with a solemn expression. “You’ve misinterpreted me. I am most certainly not interested in Tori like that. Such a relationship would only complicate a time in which I intend to be as uncomplicated and thoroughly amusing as possible.”
Her lips hinged into a disbelieving smile. “Hmmm. Right. Whatever you tell yourself.”
Her tone suggested that my message had missed the mark. “I assure you, you are very mistaken.”
“Well, I assure you,” she said, sliding off the stool, “that I know chemistry when I see it. You can check my report card. It’s the only class I’m getting an A in.”
She was across the room before I could correct her. I grabbed my cup and poured a mouthful of the spicy orange snack down my throat, chewing viciously hard as I thought about what could’ve brought this lecture on. Tori was my hostess. Sure, we’d quarreled a bit since my arrival at the beginning of this week, but that was not chemistry.
We were both perfectly at ease now with this truce settled between us. She wanted an elevated position for her grandfather, and I wanted my freedom to be secure. When two shared a secret such as this, there was bound to be some misconstrued notion of chemistry. Tori was most definitely not interested in me, and I would not give in to a romantic entanglement until I’d exhausted every last entertainment available to me.
No, there was most definitely no fear of Erin’s threats.
I watched her grab Tori’s arm and pull her toward me. For one small, alarming moment, I thought she was going to address both of us about this supposed chemistry. Instead, she pulled out her phone and nudged Jeremy, still playing at the table.
“Come on, guys. I want a group photo,” she said. “By the table. We need proof that Tori actually came to one of these parties and survived.”
Tori’s sheepish smile was endearing. Jeremy draped his arm around her shoulders like a brother would and pulled her beside him as more friends gathered around. I took my place on the edge, surrounded by some of the cheerleaders who giggled and waggled their fingers at me. Erin studied the set-up for a moment through her phone screen and then shook her head.
“No, we need to readjust.” Marching toward me, she yanked me from my comfortable position and positioned me forcefully next to Tori. “There. Now, Jeremy, stop hanging on my girl. You’re much too tall. You’re throwing shade on her in the picture. August should put his arm around her, instead.”
I blinked wildly and then held back a hollow laugh at Erin’s master maneuvering. It was slightly head-spinning to have her warn me off of her best friend in one moment and then practically throw me at her in another. Was this a challenge? Or was she simply looking for amusement? I wasn’t sure.
“Come on, August,” Erin said, her eyes flashing as she held up her camera again. “Put your arm around Tori. I promise, she doesn’t bite . . . hard.”
“So sorry about this,” Tori whispered next to me, shifting uncomfortably. “But I’ve learned over the years that the faster we give in, the faster she’ll leave us alone. Better do what she says.”
I could see there was no getting out of this. Whatever challenge Erin had laid before me, I was just going to have to work my way through it and prove to her that there was exactly zero chemistry between her friend and me. I put my arm around Tori, softly gripping her opposite arm. She felt warm in my embrace, the soft floral scent of her silky-smooth hair tickling my nose. With a sigh barely audible above the noise of the crowd around us, Tori leaned in slightly to my chest and smiled for the camera. A strange twinge went through me as I looked down at her, and I had the sudden urge to run my mouth to dispel the strange feelings I was having.
“Having fun, Princess?”
Erin clicked a picture as we all posed. Between shots, Tori glanced up at me, and I could see a hint of the old stubbornness there. The stubbornness she saved only for me.
“So. Much. Fun. Remind me again why you’re putting me through this?”
“For both of our benefits,” I mumbled, moving closer to her. She smelled so good it was hard to keep my mind on the camera currently staring us down. “And maybe, you’ll actually learn to loosen up while I’m here.”
“Doubtful.” She faked a smile for another flash of the camera. “I’m pretty sure the only thing I’ve loosened up on tonight are my notions of my classmates’ personal hygiene. Did you see the guys throwing cheeseballs at each other? Pretty sure all of those broke the five-second rule, but they still ate them off the floor.”
My face hurt from holding back a laugh. Erin declared us finished, and Tori looked up at me to see my strained expression.
She sighed and pushed away from me. “You’re judging me.”
“Never.”
“Right.” Her lips twitched slightly. “Can we go home yet? I’m beat, and my pillow is calling my name.”
I stared at her for a full second, studying the gentle curve of her cheekbones and the sleepy, tired droop of her large eyes. She really was something else. Far more beautiful than the girls I’d met in Valta. If I weren’t here on a self-fulfilling mission, then Erin might have had something to worry about.
But that was out of the question. Just the fact that she’d put it out there in the air was the only reason why I was having this manner of thought about Tori. If she hadn’t even mentioned it, I wouldn’t have been so distracted at this moment, wishing Tori hadn’t stepped out of my embrace so quickly.
“Yes, we can go home,” I said, taking pity on my housemate.
Her sigh of relief was like music to my ears. “Finally. If I get a second wind, I might even get in a little interview practice before bed.”
I threw my hands up in the air. So much for her loosening up. “Fine. Stay up all night practicing. No skin off my nose.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” she said, backing away from me, trouble brewing in her eyes. “Because you’re the one that’s going to interview me. I’ll meet you at the car. We’ve got lots of work to do.”
“What? No! Come back!”
She grinned and then turned away, hurrying toward the door. Suddenly, it was clear that I’d been tricked. There was no way I would’ve agreed to leave this party to help her study. Not a chance. Still, I had forced Tori into two unpleasant events for her in one night. I supposed it was only fair.
My jacket still hung from the stool I’d occupied moments ago. I went to grab it, and that was when Erin came walking by, sipping casually on her drink.
“Remember . . . chemistry,” she said with a wink.
I simply shook my head and made my way to the exit. Interview practice was one of the last places I expected to ever find chemistry, so I was pretty certain both Tori and I were safe.
If I accomplished one thing in America while I was here, it was seeing that young woman finally learn how to enjoy herself. It might have been a tall order, but I was certain of my abilities.
Tori Thorpe was going to forget about what the world thought about her.
And I was most definitely not going to fall for Erin’s trickery.
10
Tori
I pounded o
n the bathroom door, my fluffy pink robe pulled tightly around my waist. Frustration boiled up inside of me as I watched steam creep out from beneath the door. Another pounding of my fist on the door, and I was about ready to break it down.
“Come on, August. If you don’t get out of there, I won’t get a shower before school.”
That boy was really getting on my nerves this morning. It was as if he was determined to remind me of why I’d hated him in the first place. We’d spent a surprisingly pleasant weekend together. After surviving through the basketball game and the after-party, I’d made August pay by pretending to interview me for my NHS application. He was the perfect coach. All of his years of learning how to help rule a country had come in handy. We’d spent hours together, with him reading carefully prepared questions for me and helping me answer them until I could’ve nailed this interview in my sleep.
He hadn’t even complained . . . too much. I even thought that we were finally getting on the level with each other, but this morning was reminding me all too well why I couldn’t wait for August to go home.
“Come on,” I said, rapping my knuckles once again.
Immediately, the door swung open, revealing a cloud of steam and the seventies-style pink tile bathroom my grandma had designed when my mom was still living here. August strolled out, wearing a fitted tee and jeans. His bared skin was shiny and slick, his curls wet and tousled effortlessly. He fixed me with an ornery grin, his gaze flicking down to my robe.
“Hello, Princess! Splendid robe.”
I pulled it even tighter around me and glared at him. “You were in there all morning.”
“Not all morning.” He looked down at his watch. “You have at least ten minutes until the bus arrives. That should be enough, correct?”
Growling an ungrateful reply, I pushed past him into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. The sound of him laughing behind it did nothing but raise my hackles. And when I turned on the water and stepped into the freezing stream, I couldn’t help but scream my frustration.
Yep. That prince could go straight back to where he came from.
When I’d finally rushed through the shower, dressed in jeans and a sweater, and finished by tying my sopping wet hair into a twisted bun on top of my head, August was waiting for me by the front door. He leaned against the doorframe, looking effortlessly cool in the American Eagle jeans we’d picked out for him at the mall. My blood boiled as a drop of water trailed down the back of my neck, a reminder of this morning’s frustrations.
“Is this your idea of forming positive international relationships?” I asked, grabbing my backpack from its hook.
His lips quirked in a smile. “My apologies, Princess. My brain seems to have shut off from all of the interview practice this weekend. The time just got away from me. You’ll have to forgive me.”
A strangled laugh burst from my mouth. I should’ve realized August was going to punish me for holding him hostage this weekend. Apparently, it was too much to hope that he’d help me out of the goodness of his heart.
“In that case, maybe I need to make you practice with me more this week,” I stated as I went to open the door.
August followed close behind me, his feet crunching on the rocky path that cut from our front porch to the roadside. “Certainly. That shouldn’t be a problem.”
Shock drew my feet to a halt. I looked back at him, wondering if he’d meant what he said. “Wait . . . what?”
“I’d be honored to assist you, Princess.”
August grinned and then draped his arm over my shoulders. The strong, masculine scent of his shampoo surrounded me in a way I could only describe as . . . surprisingly pleasant. I stood strong beneath the weight of him, although my knees trembled a bit. The last time we’d been this close had been at Jeremy’s party—the moment when Erin had forced us to stand next to each other for the picture.
Her aim had been obvious. All week, she’d been dropping hints about how cute August and I would be together. And how this was like a sign from the heavens that I needed to put myself out there. She was relentless.
It wasn’t going to work. Sure, August was hot. And I liked the fancy way he talked. And sometimes, we’d catch each other’s eyes across the dining table when Olive and Grandpa were in the midst of a ridiculous conversation, and we’d both laugh silently. But August was still the irritating invader of my home. I couldn’t imagine what would happen if I allowed myself to fall for him.
And besides, August belonged with someone who had class. That would never include the small-town girl abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandfather. It just wasn’t me.
“Okay, what’s the catch?” I asked, suspicious of August’s cheery tone. I’d managed to keep him occupied for most of the weekend, but I knew pretty soon he’d be wanting to bust out again. There was no way he was doing this only out of the goodness of his heart.
“Well, you see . . .” He dropped his arm from around me and shrugged innocently. “One of the boys on the basketball team is having a get together this Friday. I heard from another that he throws the best events of the season. It would be a shame to miss it.”
There it was. The reason he was suddenly being so sweet. I began walking down the road, doing anything to put distance between us. I should’ve figured he had an ulterior motive. After the party this past weekend, I shouldn’t have been surprised. August had been in the thick of it. He’d jumped off the roof with the other boys, joined in their games, even danced with some of the girls on the living room couch.
I’d been there, in the background, hoping he didn’t do something that was going to get him killed or expose his real identity. August probably hadn’t even remembered that I was there. Why would he? I was completely boring to a guy like August. I didn’t like to party. I liked rules. I preferred quiet evenings at home and not getting into trouble. All it took was one Google search to figure out that August was the complete opposite. He had a history of getting into trouble. He liked it. He craved it. And that just wasn’t me.
The kids around here knew that well enough. They never even bothered to ask me to come to their parties anymore. Only Erin did. I had to admit that it hurt, but I couldn’t be surprised. It was the painful part of scratching out my mother’s reputation.
“Right. Have a good time,” I said over my shoulder.
“Tori, wait.” His sneakers made a scuffling noise on the ground as he hurried to catch up. “I cannot go to this event without you.”
I stopped when I saw the bus turn onto our street up ahead. “Yes, you can. You’re a big boy.”
“What if they start asking me questions again?”
He reached for my hand, holding it tight and drawing my eyes to his face. He wore a puppy-dog expression complete with chocolatey brown eyes slanting down with sadness. It was almost comical. I would’ve laughed, too, if the touch of his hand on mine wasn’t sending pulsing little shocks up my arm.
“Y-y-you’ll be fine,” I stammered.
“But, I need you to keep me in line.” He moved closer and looked deep into my eyes, the intensity of his gaze practically swallowing me whole. “Come with me, Princess. You’re the only one who can make certain I don’t blow this whole operation sky high. I need you.”
It wasn’t often that a guy told me he needed me. Especially not one that looked as completely gorgeous as August. His silly request had left my heart palpitating as if he’d just confessed his undying love for me. It had to be the accent. No girl could resist a guy with an accent like that, telling her that he needed her. It was a universal truth that no teenage girl could resist a cute European boy.
Especially one that just so happened to be a prince in disguise.
“I-I’ll think about it,” I said, suddenly forgetting the reason why I didn’t want to go out in the first place. What was my reasoning? Did I have to water my plants? Watch the dust collect on my bookshelves? What was so important that I had to say no to those eyes?
“Are you all coming,
or not?” a gruff voice suddenly asked.
I yanked my hand out of August’s grip and turned to see the school bus parked next to us and Earl sitting inside the opened doors. Half a dozen little faces were glued to the inside of the windows, looking down on us like visitors in a zoo. My face heated as I climbed the stairs and swiftly made my way to the back of the bus.
August wore a grin that looked like he’d just won himself a massive prize. He dropped himself into the seat next to mine and stared out his window the entire drive to school. I was determined to do the same but kept glancing over at him, wondering why he was so adamant that I join him at this party.
He’d done well enough at Jeremy’s. Unless he was planning on getting sloppy at this next one, I was pretty sure he’d be just fine. With the fake backstory we’d planted and the new wardrobe, he already fit in far better than he’d done on day one. No one seemed to care much about where he came from—they all just wanted to be around him. Whether that was in the hallways, at the lunch table, or after school. August had no problems being accepted. And I envied that about him.
How had he managed just to show up and automatically be adored? Why had I tiptoed for years around here and still felt like I wasn’t good enough? When did it stop? I was so exhausted by all of this effort.
I closed my fists tight and glared at the seat in front of me. No way could I give up now. I was so close to the finish line. With the NHS interview coming up, I’d finally prove my worth. Prove that I wasn’t a screw-up. After that, I could finally relax.
And then, I might be able to finally have some of this fun that August had been teasing me about all weekend long.
The bus pulled into the school parking lot, and I hurried after August to get off. The moment I stepped on the pavement, a mass of multi-colored zebra print mauled me, practically taking me to the ground. It was my best friend in a sweater that was as colorful as her personality. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d had one too many cups of coffee this morning. The last time that happened, she nearly fainted in choir rehearsal. Some people just weren’t meant to have caffeine.
My Royally Cute Enemy: A YA Sweet Romance (Sweet Mountain High, Year 2: A Sweet YA Romance Series Book 3) Page 8
