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Her gaze sharpens as she tilts her head. “Who are you here to watch? Austin or Jasper? Maybe both?”
That last question is like a punch to the gut. Is that really what she thinks? “I’m here for Austin.”
Her gaze crawls over me, silently probing for answers. There’s something strange about staring into eyes that are the exact same vibrant shade as Austin’s.
I’m used to seeing them all heated up.
Even when they’re full of distrust.
Hers are colder.
“I don’t understand what’s going on between you two. And he won’t say a word. Care to explain?”
Unable to hold her probing stare, mine slides to the field and fastens on Austin. That’s when I realize he’s watching us. I blow out a steady stream of air as his words from this morning echo throughout my head. He doesn’t want his sister knowing what he’s up to. Probably because she’d put the kibosh on it. Much like his twin, Austin is a force to be reckoned with.
I rack my brain, trying to pull a story out of my ass.
Something she’ll believe.
Even if it’s reluctantly.
But what?
“The rumors flying around school are true,” I blurt. “We’re seeing each other.”
Her brows skyrocket across her forehead as her expression turns ferocious. “Why would he want anything to do with you after the shit you pulled at the fundraiser?”
It takes effort to keep my voice from trembling. “That didn’t have anything to do with me. It was all Jasper. I would never purposefully hurt Austin.”
“That’s not what your ex has been telling anyone who’ll listen.”
“He’s a liar.”
A humorless laugh falls from her lips. “Funny you would say that when you two were dating for half a year and you seemed to be in on the setup.”
“I know,” I admit. The optics are terrible. “I’ve wanted to break up with Jasper for a while. I just had to work up the courage to do it. I knew he’d make my life hell and that’s exactly what he’s done.”
Summer’s brow furrows as she studies my face. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to believe.” A few seconds of silence slowly tick by before she says, “When we first got here, you were one of the few people who were nice to us.” Her gaze gets drawn to the field. Even though her boyfriend is there, I know she’s watching her brother. “The rest of them were ruthless assholes.”
“I know. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more,” I murmur.
When it comes down to it, I’m nothing like Summer. She’s so much stronger. Maybe that’s because I’ve spent years trying to be invisible. Breaking out of my shell doesn’t come easy.
When Austin’s sister clears her throat, my attention snaps back to her. “If you hurt him, I’ll kick your ass. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly.”
I don’t bother telling her that I suspect it’ll be Austin who inflicts the pain. For him, there aren’t feelings involved. For me…
That’s no longer the case.
I can lie all I want to him, but I refuse to hide the truth from myself.
Now that she’s issued a warning, I expect Summer and Everly to take off. It’s a surprise when they remain seated. It takes a while for the thick tension to dissipate and for Summer’s expression to soften as she becomes absorbed in the practice.
What’s obvious is that she only has eyes for Kingsley. They share several heated glances that make me feel as if I’m a voyeur intruding on a private moment. Everly catches my eyes before rolling hers with exaggeration. My lips twitch in response. It feels good to loosen up. It only makes me realize how much I miss having girlfriends. I haven’t had true ones since middle school. Sloane and her minions were never my friends.
What’s that old saying?
