Page 149

I cringed. “It was a very real possibility that terrified me.”

“But you’re not your mom.” Sophie patted my shoulder. “Thank goodness.”

“I still can’t believe you read my mom’s books. And oh God. All our parents hate each other now, don’t they? Or...maybe they always have?”

“Uncle James kind of went on an apology tour when you ran out of the room crying,” RJ said. “I think everything is fine. That guy is a real piece of work. It’s so weird that our dads are brothers. My dad is nothing like yours.”

“Tell me about it.”

Sophie laughed. “Kind of like how RJ and I are nothing alike.”

We all just stared at her. They were exactly the same.

“And I can’t believe we didn’t know it was Axel the whole time. Of course it was. I read your mom’s books years ago, but I totally remember your dad hating Axel’s dad now. Such a shame I didn’t wait to read them until more recently and then it probably would have all clicked. Uncle James is so vengeful. Also...your mom and dad are kinky as hell in those books...”

“Ew, stop it,” I said.

“I have a question,” Axel said. “RJ, why did you break into my room?”

“Those three did it first.” He pointed to me, Soph, and Parker. “But they left up the feed of the locker room on your computer...”

“Did you seriously put up cameras in the men’s locker room?”

“Yeah,” RJ said. “They made me.”

“We hardly made you,” Sophie said.

RJ shrugged. “If I had my way, I would have put them in the women’s locker room.”

Liam laughed.

And then Parker kicked RJ.

He yelped.

“We broke into your room to look for clues to see if you were my kiss thief,” I said. “And we found that countdown in your notebook. Have you really been counting down the days until you could be with me since sixth grade?”

Axel nodded.

“Just like a serial killer,” RJ said. “And I have about a million more questions...”

Parker kicked his shin.

“Stop kicking me, you little twerp.”

“Just let them live happily ever after too,” Parker said.

“What the hell do you mean by ‘too’ there? Who else is living happily ever after here?”

“Us,” Parker said.

“Help me,” RJ said to Axel.

Axel shook his head. “Parker, RJ is too old for you.”

“No, I think he’s just right.”

“But you hate me,” RJ said. “Clearly. Cut it out.”