Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 100612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“Pink power.”
My phone vibrates, and Macy’s selfie fills the screen. She’s grinning, her makeup perfectly applied, her dress a light lavender. It hugs her figure in a flattering way, a contrast to my full skirt.
Me: WOW WOW WOW. Marcus’s jaw is gonna be on the floor!
Macy: It better be, bwahahaha. I feel like a goddess. Am I allowed to say that?
Me: Obviously.
Me: I’m so happy for you! You look stunninggg! I cannot wait to see you!!!
Macy: You are literally my hype queen. I’ll take the compliments—keep them coming.
Me: Gorgeous. Glowing. Sexpot.
Macy: LOL thank you. SAME. Also: Promise me a dance.
Me: YES! You better text me as soon as you walk in. Don’t leave me standing in the corner by myself.
Macy: You won’t be there by yourself—you’ll be with the rest of the crew. And you know there’s still time to eat with us…
I would rather not—for obvious reasons. Marcus is friends with Easton, so chances are Easton will be there with his date. And I do not want to eat with them.
Is he already with Maddie? Are they laughing and flirting while he drives her to dinner and I get ready to attend the dance alone? The thought stings like never before, so I look down at my phone again, determined to drive them away.
I swallow, fingers hovering over the screen.
Do I confess to my best friend that I have a swirling mix of excitement and dread building inside my chest—despite pep-talking myself only moments ago?
Ugh! I am a mess!
Me: No, I’m okay—my dad made me a cute dinner. Confession: I feel like I’m holding myself together with duct tape and good vibes. Is this normal?
The three dots appear as she types her reply.
Macy: Duh, it’s prom. It’s a whole THING. But you’re gonna crush it, I swear. You’re the moment tonight.
The moment? That’s not true, but I’ll take it.
Me: You’re the best.
As soon as I hit send, Mom shouts from downstairs, “Harper! Are you coming? We want pictures!”
We.
Meaning her and Dad.
I let that word marinate, my heart happily snagging on an emotion. We.
It’s such a small word, but one I haven’t heard her use in months—not when referring to her and Dad, anyway. Usually, it’s “me,” or “your father” in a frosty tone that leaves no room for interpretation. Could she be thawing? Could they be trying to make it work…
I blink, shaking myself out of it. Now isn’t the time to dissect that tiny glimmer of normalcy.
“Coming!” I shout back, grabbing my clutch and stealing one last peek in the mirror. My heart pounds in my chest as I take a deep breath.
Ready or not, prom night is here.
Chapter 35
Easton
“Why did you do it?”
The question slips out before I can stop myself, my hands white-knuckling the buttery leather steering wheel of the car I borrowed for tonight.
It’s a sleek black sedan with polished silver rims, a showpiece designed to turn heads—especially hers. Dan, our neighbor, handed over the keys with a warning: “If you so much as scratch this car, kid, I’ll personally kick your ass.”
Dan is a big dude, so I believe him.
My date shifts in her seat, tilting her head toward me to reveal her flawless profile, like her every angle and curve was designed to catch the light just right.
“Why did I do what?” Maddie barely spares me a glance.
When I picked her up, her bougie parents didn’t take photographs. Instead, she grabbed my hand and dragged me out to the car, hardly sparing them another look. They stood in the door listlessly waving, their daughter unmistakably ruling the roost, à la Regina George.
“Why did you ask me to prom?” Inquiring minds want to know.
My date had zero interest in dinner, so we’re heading straight to the dance, and honestly? Conversation has been a nightmare.
So yeah. I need her to enlighten me.
Maddie’s laugh is more of a tinkle. “I assumed you wanted to ask me, so I beat you to it.”
She assumed I wanted to take her to prom.
Wow.
That is some arrogant bullshit, but also: She’s not wrong. I would have wanted to ask her, before I accidentally fell at Harper’s feet and turned my world upside down.
I grip the steering wheel, forcing myself to keep my eyes on the road instead of giving Maddie’s perfect profile another sidelong glance. Unbothered, she twirls a strand of her long blond hair around her index finger, looking utterly bored, as if she’s stating universal truths: You like me. I didn’t have a date. I did you a favor by agreeing to be yours.
“You assumed I wanted to ask you,” I repeat, tone neutral, her words running on a loop through my addled brain. Trying to make sense of it.
Trying not to feel like a fucking idiot.
“Duh.” Maddie leans back in her seat, pursing her glossy lips in my direction. “I mean, isn’t that what guys like you do? Lie in bed praying a girl like me will give you the time of day? Honestly, Easton—you’ve had a crush on me since, what, middle school?”