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She was right though. I needed a friend. The whole time she fixed my face, she kept up a small running patter of conversation. Including asking me about Homecoming. When I told her Cheryl had already demanded I go dress shopping with her, Rachel grinned.
“Good, Cheryl’s got a good eye. I’m not bad, but—I’d want to dress you for me and not them.” Her wink pulled another laugh from me.
“Okay, you flirting with me is going to take some getting used to.”
Dropping her chin to her chest, Rachel let out a sigh. “This is the other reason I told you about the untouchable thing. I’ve been flirting with you for months, and you really never saw it.”
Wait. What? “Is that why you’d start those nutty debates?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Sometimes I just liked to rile you up. Though—I really did need help with the poetry homework, and I do appreciate it.” Tipping her head critically, she studied me and then took a step back. “I think that works, can barely tell you have it on and you can’t see the reddened skin. What do you think?”
A glance in the mirror, and I let out a relieved sigh. “You’re really good at this.”
“No, I’m not. But most of my stuff at least matches your skin tone.” She packed her stuff away, and I grabbed my coffee.
“Seriously, thank you.”
“Glad to help. Can I go rock your guys now?”
“You keep calling them my guys.” It was a little on the uncomfortable side. For that matter, she’d said them instead of Ian earlier, too.
Another dramatic sigh, and Rachel shook her head. “Okay, so which of them are you pretending to date? Cause I know all of them want to date you, and I’m pretty sure based on what I’ve seen, you’re into all of them.” Cosmetic bag stored away and her backpack strap over her shoulder, she folded her arms and stared at me. “Don’t worry. I’m definitely not judging.”
I groaned. “It’s complicated.”
“The best things in life are complicated.” Pushing away from the other sink, she hooked her arm through mine and we headed for the door. She pulled it open with a flourish. “Here she is guys, looking better than ever.”
All four of them turned in our direction, even as their conversation cut off abruptly. Coop glanced from me to Rachel, then back again. “Looks good,” he said slowly. “You still look like you, too.”
I felt a bit better about everything. I hadn’t been kidding about not wanting anyone to stare at me. “All Rachel, she’s a life saver.”
“Happy to help,” she said, her arm still hooked through mine. “By the way boys, to save Frankie the angst, I’m the person who sent the roses and the letters.”
If I had the foresight to lift my phone, I’d have been able to catch four, almost comical expressions varying from disbelief all the way to downright suspicion.
“Huh,” Archie said after a beat. “Well, you’ve had a crush on her almost as long as I have.”
“Wait—you’reMr. Thorns,” Coop stated, eyebrows gathered in a fierce frown.
“Mr. Thorns?” She cocked her head and looked at me.
I shrugged. “I didn’t know your name, and you gave me roses, so… yeah. Thorns.”
“How very Jane Austen of you.” Once upon a time, that dry remark might have irked me, but today, I only grinned. Because of all the bombshells of the last twenty-four hours—Hell, of the lastweek!—Rachel’s was the easiest to swallow.
“Thank you,” I said with a salute of my coffee mug.
Jake didn’t say anything for a long moment, then seemed to nod to himself before he eyed Rachel. “All right… she’s taken though. You got that, right?”
With an indelicate snort, Rachel squeezed my arm. “As long as you four lunkheads don’t fuck it up anymore, than you already have.”
“Wait… you were the one who told her we made her untouchable.” Coop was still wrapping his head around it.
“Yep.” Rachel gave them a little wave with her fingers. “So be aware, I’m watching you. I like Frankie, she needs a friend, and I fit the bill nicely. So, she wins, you don’t. Keep it clean and don’t screw up, and I won’t have to destroy you. Toodles.” She set off down the hallway, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Light tone or not, Rachel had looked deadly serious. About half a dozen steps away, she turned and lifted her thumb and pinky toward her head like she was making a phone call. “You need me, just call. And if you ever get tired of them being dicks, lemme know.”
Ian snorted, then swung his head to look at me. “She’s Mr. Thorns.”
I lifted my shoulders. “I didn’t realize.”
