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“No?” I hated the hope rising inside of me.
“Come on.” She slung her arm around me. “Why don’t we get you something to eat? Maybe with a full belly, things will look different.”
I snorted as we exited my room, because it was something Mom always said, and no amount of food seemed to be helping the outlook on her marriage. “Fine, but only if you make me French toast.”
“I can try,” she said with a straight face. “I just can’t promise it’ll be good.”
I laughed at the same time the doorbell rang. “You head to the kitchen. I’ll get it.”
Taking the last couple of stairs, I turned down the hallway and headed to the front door and swung it open. “Scarlett?” I asked, more than a little surprised to see her standing on my doorstep.
“Hey, Ella. I know we’ve never really talked much, but . . . I just came by on Barry’s behalf—”
“Stop.” My blood went cold, and I held a hand up as I shook my head. “Don’t make excuses for him.”
I began to shut the door when she stopped me, planting her palm on the door and pushing back. “They’re not excuses.”
“Really?” I cackled out a bitter sound. “So, you expect me to believe some guy decided to magically steal Barry’s suit and mask? That the clothes just flew off Barry’s body and onto someone else's before he sucked face with another girl.”
“That’s exactly what I expect you to believe.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed with the trajectory of our conversation. “Well, I don’t buy it.”
“Hear me out. Barry went to the bathroom and called me and Thorne to bring him a change of clothes. He didn’t explain why, just that he was wet and headed somewhere with you after the ball. While we were talking to him, apparently JT or Luca or one of them must’ve followed him in there, overheard him, and snatched his suit. My guess is Lucawantedyou to see him kissing someone else in the hopes that you’d think it was Barry and bail.” She arched a brow at me. “Looks like his plan worked.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn’t find the words, because it sounded exactly like something the Royals would do, especially to Barry.
My mind raced with details from last night. At the time, I thought it weird he had put his mask back on, but I’d been too worried about finding him, and then too dumbstruck when I saw him kiss another girl to think it through. But now it made perfect sense. The lighting was poor. He was mostly obscured. I’d never realize it wasn’t him.
Leaning against the doorframe for support, I reached a hand to the tension blooming in my forehead and kneaded, thinking about how Barry must’ve felt when he came looking for me and I was gone. “Does Barry know what happened?”
“He went looking for you and saw Luca himself, in much the same way I imagine you did. He put two and two together. Luca was drunk and smug and admitted to it.”
My stomach roiled. Suddenly, I felt sick. “Oh, Barry . . .” I whispered.
“Don’t worry. From what I heard, he has a surprisingly good right hook.” Scarlett grinned.
“Barry?”
Scarlett nodded with a laugh.
“Oh my gosh.” I covered my mouth before I murmured, “Well, good for him.”
The moment the words left my lips, a red sports car pulled up to the curb of the road and stopped. Both Scarlett and I glanced at the driver as he stepped out and closed the door.
Barry.
I smiled and my skin prickled with goosebumps as he leaned back against it, feet crossed at the ankles while a song played in the background. One I recognized from the end ofSixteen Candles,one of my favorite teen romance movies.
“Well, I guess my job here is done.” Scarlett shot me one last smile, then turned and headed for her car, but I was too busy staring at Barry to watch her go.
He lifted his hand in a small wave, and I grinned like an idiot. Remembering the way the movie ended, I glanced around me, then pointed to my chest and mouthed, “Me?”
“Yeah you,” he said, then he turned and reached inside the door, but I didn’t wait any longer. I couldn’t.
I jogged toward him, making it across the lawn just as he turned back around with the biggest bouquet of bright blue hydrangeas I’d ever seen.
Worry creased his forehead, and I inhaled, ignoring the frantic pace of my heart as I closed the gap between us and smoothed the lines in his skin with my finger. “Scarlett told me everything, and Barry, I had no idea. I’m so sorry I believed—”
