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I was about to get out, but everything had lined up so perfectly that it had to be fate, right? What the hell? I might as well just let it out.
“Would you like to hang out later to celebrate?” I asked him.
He looked confused.
I let my voice drop like I had heard Bethany do a bunch of times. “It’s a beautiful day. Maybe we can go to the water tower?”
I bit my lip, and I saw Clark grip the steering wheel.
“Oreo, you’re like an annoying fucking little sister to me,” he barked.
My face blanched. I didn’t know what else he would say, because I slammed the door and made my way to class with tears in my eyes. I had never felt more stupid.
After that, I made sure to come out at a different time than the Carsons and made sure I never ran into him again.
CHAPTERTEN
The charity galaseemed like the perfect distraction to get me out of the funk I had found myself in. I tried not to think too much about what happened the other day, but my mind kept drifting back to that kiss.
I hated Clark and I hated that stupid kiss because, before all of that, I didn’t know what it was like to gaze up into his eyes as he leaned down and looked me in the eyes. I didn’t know how it felt like to have his breath fan my skin or those soft lips on mine. Before the other day, everything had been pretend and in my head. Now it all was very real, but also more confusing.
“I hate him,” I groaned as I fixed my earrings.
I moved back so I could look at myself in the mirror. The pale gold dress I wore was long and form-fitting. Tighter than anything I usually wore. It had two thin straps and a square neckline. Since my boobs were small enough, I decided not to wear a bra. The dress was long enough that even with the high heels I wore, it still touched the floor. The slit on the right side was higher than I was comfortable with, but I reminded myself that today had a purpose.
My short hair was extra wavy and with more volume. Since this was something fancier than a strip club, I decided it was okay to put my contacts in. I looked confident, but I still felt like myself, which was something I had struggled to balance whenever I tried to do more. It was like I kept trying to be Beth, not realizing she wasn’t the best role model to have.
“Come on, Lucas. You’re spending time with Sammy!” I yelled, and he came running.
Making sure I had the ticket and my clutch, I made my way next door, where Oscar whistled as he opened the door.
“Ohhh, you look hot,” he hyped me up, and I blushed.
His reaction was good. That meant that Mayor Callahan would also maybe notice.
“Thank you so much for watching Lucas. I promise I won’t get arrested tonight.”
Oscar laughed and shooed me away.
On my way to the gala, my phone pinged, and two things happened simultaneously. My heart skipped a beat…and butterflies I thought had been dead stirred to life, as well as my everlasting anger that flared wherever Clark was concerned.
Clark:What are you up to?
“He did not!” I yelled as I put my turn signal on.
Prior to getting arrested, I did not have Clark’s phone number on my cell. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the fact that Mr. Detective had put in some work. That was an invasion of privacy. I was equally impressed that he had done it and annoyed because he was still talking to me.
The past was better left in the past, and I wasthepast. Why was he still talking to me?
I shook my head of those thoughts and let the valet take my car. I was annoyed, and anger was a good motivator, if I did say so myself.
I felt odd being here. No one had taken me to homecoming or prom, and clubbing wasn’t so high on my list of priorities. When I was in college, I had been trying to stay on top of my scholarships, so this was all new to me. Galas and events like this weren’t on my work roster, but since Callahan was involved, I guessed I’d better start getting used to stuff like this.
Much like I had at the strip club, I figured faking it until I made it was the way to go. So, I shimmied my way to the nearest waiter and grabbed a glass of champagne, hoping it made me look like I belonged.
Discreetly, I looked for Mayor Skeevy, hoping that having a conversation with him might throw some light into what we were dealing with. The party was already in full swing, and I noticed some people out on the dance floor. I went toward the back, where there was a post I could lean on so I could watch the dance floor. I wondered if looking lonely would help me with the mayor or make things worse.
I was beginning to think getting this case was not the blessing in disguise I was hoping for. Surely there were other things I could do to make things more comfortable for Lucas and myself.
