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“Don’t forget you have my number,” he murmured. “Text me this weekend, and I’ll tell you all about it.” Then he took a step back just as the warning bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period.
“I’ll be waiting,” he said, then winked and walked away, leaving me standing there, staring after him with my heart in fits.
TOPHER
I stared at my phone.
So, tomorrow’s the big day, huh?It was a text from Julie, one I hadn’t replied to yet. Mostly because I wasn’t sure what to say. When I first started texting her, I remembered the girl I hit it off with the night of the bonfire at JT’s house. I was tired of living up to the image everyone expected of me, and the idea of starting fresh, being the man I wanted to be instead of the one everyone expected, appealed to me in more ways than one. And slowly, my intrigue morphed into more.
But then there was Penelope . . .
She was so real. Different than I expected. And I was falling for her. Harder than I thought possible. There was only one problem. I had no idea if she’d ever see me as more than the king, the jock, or the royal. It seemed she’d made her mind up about me a long time ago, and though I’d like to think I had changed that to an extent, I wasn’t entirely convinced it was enough for her to fully trust me, to go beyond the bounds of friendship. Our kiss was proof enough of that. She hadn’t mentioned it since—had acted like it never even happened. And she still hadn’t texted me.
And so there I was, playing both sides of the fence, and I felt rotten for it. It was wrong on so many levels because neither Julie nor Penelope deserved to be toyed with. But the truth was I’d fallen for both of them.
With a sigh, I began to type a reply.
Me:It is. I’m sure my dad will be thrilled.
Julie:Just don’t let him stop you. Remember, this is your future. Only you can live your life.
My mouth flattened into a thin line of determination. I’d given tomorrow a lot of thought, and I was prepared. If Dad tried to get in my way and stop me, I had plenty of ammunition.
Me:I won’t. I have a backup plan in case he tries to prevent me from going. A little insurance.
Julie: Insurance?
Should I tell her?
Penelope’s face, her dark eyes, and bright smile flickered in my head, and I realizedshewas the one I wanted to tell. Which spoke volumes. The fact that I wanted to tell her everything, share my darkest secrets.
Then again, she knew Ms. Stone. Maybe it was best to keep her out of it. Still, it would feel good to tell someone else the truth. To let them in on the secret I’d been harboring this past year and why I loathed my father so much.
Me:My father is cheating on my momwith one of my teachers.
My stomach clenched after I hit send. Heart pounding, I waited for her response which took several unnerving minutes.
Julie:Are you serious?
Me:Very.
Julie:Wow. I’m . . . so sorry. I don’t know what to say.
Me:LOL Yeah, I was pretty speechless at first,too.
Julie:How do you know? Is it one of your teachers?
Me:He had me get something from his office one day, and I saw an open email on his computer. I think he forgot he’d left it open. And, yeah, it’s definitely one of my teachers. One of the youngest ones at Lakeview, of course. Ms. Stone. She’s that one hot female teacher all the dudes at my school drool over.
Julie:So, what are yougonnado?
Me:I’ve kept it a secret this whole time for a lot of reasons.His reputation and hers. The fact he wants to campaign for mayor. His business. And simply the fact I don’t want to break my mom’s heart.But if he tries to stop me or gives me a hard time, I’ll use it.
Julie:Blackmail?
Me:Maybe. I haven’t decided. Maybe I’ll even tell him he needs to tell my mom or I will. Leave it at that. She deserves to know the truth anyway.
Julie:Definitely. I couldn’t imagine what kind of position this puts you in.
