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“Can I ask what you were thinking about?” Chloe asks.
I press my lips together. The last thing I want is to make them feel bad about their relationship statuses and mine. Especially because I know they feel guilty when they hang out with their boyfriends and leave me all alone. But I don’t mind being alone…right?
I force a smile. “Just how awesome it would be if I demolish everyone at the coding competition,” I lie.
“What’s the selfish thought?” Lily asks.
“Everyone else worked hard, too. They deserve a chance at the prize.”
“No they don’t,” Lily says. “You deserve to win.”
“Yeah,” Chloe and Ava agree.
Their frankness makes me chuckle. “Thanks. I guess we’re all selfish, then.”
Chloe’s phone dings with a notification. She bites into a cookie as she fishes it out of her pocket. Her eyes soften with love. “He’s so sweet.”
“Who?” Lily asks.
“Your brother. He commented on my social media post. I put a link to the latest article I wrote for the online newspaper.” She scrolls through her feed. “Aw, he writes the sweetest things—” She cuts herself off as she sits up. “Whoa. Did you see what Colton posted about you, Willow?”
“What?” I get up and zip over to her.
She hands me her phone and I scan the screen. Colt posted on Spill It! a photo of me sitting at my desk with my computer, staring at it in deep concentration. Looks like I’m working on code. The caption reads:
My beautiful girlfriend looks so at peace doing what she loves. I hope I can one day be lucky enough to be like her and know exactly who I am and what I want in life.
I read it a few more times because…well, I don’t know what to make of the words. But a warm, tingly feeling enters my stomach and spreads to my extremities. What…why did he post that?
“Oh my gosh!” Lily grabs my arm. “How sweet is that?”
“That’s such a good photo of you,” Chloe says. “He captured you exactly as you are. It’s perfect.”
“Are there good comments?” Ava cranes her neck to look over Chloe’s shoulder. “They’re pretty good. Some bitter comments, of course. Losers.”
I return to my seat and take a bite of my Rice Krispy Treat, pushing that weird tingly feeling out of my body.
“Willow, you have to admit that what he wrote was super sweet,” Lily says with a frown. Like she’s upset I’m not melting into a puddle on the floor.
“Yes, I admit it was sweet.”
“Colton is a good guy,” Chloe says. “He sees Willow for the amazing person that she is.” She smiles as she wraps her arm around me.
“Thanks,” I say.
“What do you think he means by what he wrote?” Ava asks. “Seems personal, doesn’t it? He wishes he knew who he is and what he wants in life?”
They all turn to me.
I shrug. “No clue. He’s not my real boyfriend, and we’re onlysortof friends. He doesn’t confide in me.”
All I know is that for some reason, he puts on an act and hides who he truly is. I wonder if he really means what he says or is just trying to get Vanessa jealous.
But a part of meknowshe really means it. And that makes that warm tingly feeling invade my insides again.
“Whatever, guys,” I say as I push the sensation away again. “Who cares about him? He’s just my fake boyfriend. Let’s do something fun.”
“I’d rather sit here and dissect his words,” Lily mutters.
