AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dad turned with his mug in hand and lifted it to his lips, eyeing me over the rim. “You look extra happy this morning.”
My spoon dropped in my bowl with a clang as I glanced up at him, blinking. “Huh?”
He grinned. “You. Usually, you’re groggy in the mornings and frowning.”
He caught me there. I’d never been a morning person.
“What? I’m not that bad.”
“You are.” He moved over to the table where he took a seat in front of his own breakfast—a heaping plate of scrambled eggs—and picked up his fork, then pointed at me. “See? You’re smiling.”
I made a concerted effort to train my face into a neutral expression. “Can’t I just be happy to be alive? It’s a nice day out—” I waved toward the window and prayed it wasn’t storming. Blue skies, thank goodness! “—and it’s my senior year of high school. What’s not to be happy about?”
He arched a brow and dug into his breakfast. “Whatever you say.”
The truth was, maybe I was a little happier than normal. I had spent half the night talking to Topher as Julie, and I still couldn’t believe we talked that much. It amazed me we even had so much to say, but as it turned out, he was kind of nice to talk to, and we had a lot in common. It almost made me feel bad about the fact that I was lying to him. Although it wasn’t really lying, was it? Everything I told him was real. It just happened to be me he was talking to and not Julie.
“This doesn’t have anything to do with a boy, by chance, does it?”
I groaned. “Dad . . .”
“What?” He glanced to my cotton candy pink nails with a smirk before it faded as he asked, “It’s not the Elliot boy, is it?”
“What?” I swallowed a piece of cereal whole and nearly choked, wincing as it stabbed its way down my throat. “No, of course not.”
“Just . . . be careful there,” he said with a soft smile, then returned to his breakfast.
Be careful there.
I tried not to let Dad’s words get under my skin as Scarlett pulled up to the curb. After all, they were just words. And it’s not like I had a thing for Topher. We were friends. Nothing more.
“Whoa. Look at you, hottie.” Scarlett wiggled her brows as I slid into her car.
I laughed. “Shut up.”
“No, seriously. You got the cat-eye going and the red lip. And that outfit is fire,” she said, looking me up and down.
“You like it?” I asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious. I hadn’t expected her to make such a big deal out of it. “It’s not too much?”
I glanced down at the black top with the swooping neckline. My skirt was fingertip length with a thin black and white chevron pattern. It had been my mothers, which made it even more special. A year after she died, when Dad went through her stuff, he had me pick out a few things I thought I’d want. I saved a handful of items that had a youthful edge for wear and then several items as keepsakes. This skirt was one of the items.
“Um, no way. I love it.” She started to pull away from my house when she did a double-take and yanked my hand off my lap, then held it out. “Pink?” She eyed my nail polish, gaping. “Now I know something’s up.”
“Um, eyes on the road, please.” I waved toward the windshield, out to the road as my stomach churned.Was I that obvious?
“The pink is . . .” I stalled, searching for an excuse. After all the grief Topher and the Royals had given me over the years, how could I explain I may be having a change of heart? Besides, I still had a lot to learn about him. I still had no idea which was the real Topher. The king from Lakeview or the boy he’d revealed to me these past two weeks.
“The pink is flirty and happy. Pink is the color of unicorns and hearts. It’s girly. I know you too well, P. What gives?”
I sighed and sunk back, further into my seat. “Fine. Topher and I talked, is all, and I think maybe he’s not who I think he is. Like maybe there’s more to him, and he’s not just the guy that walks down the halls of Lakeview like he owns the place. He’s . . . different.”
Her eyes turned to saucers as she blinked over at me. “I don’t believe it.”
“Seriously. He even gave me a ride home . . .” I trailed off at Scarlett’s open-mouthed stare. Someone honked behind us, and a glance at the light revealed it had turned green. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“O-M-G.” She drew her fist back and punched me in the arm.
Honk.
