AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And I fulfilled the contract! It’s not my problem if you aren’t satisfied with the results! It’s not on me!” I gritted my teeth, knowing very well I was lying. I did sabotage her. It went against my entire business ethics, but in this case, it was necessary. Ali was my best friend, and I had to protect him at all costs.
Aria folded her arms over her chest, looking up at me. “Oh yeah? Let me check.” She leaned to the side, glancing over my shoulder. “Ali? Did Una tell you to go to Tremaine’s tonight?”
I froze, every fiber of my being turning icy. She put me on the spot and all eyes were on me.
“She said we were canceling and meeting here. Why? Were you coming with us?”
His voice was not joyful. There was confusion mixed with an underlying seriousness rarely seen from Ali. I knew if I turned around, his face would be scrunched and he would be scratching at his head.
Aria’s face also contorted. She sneered and glared at me again. “See! You didn’t even tell him! I amnotpaying you, Una! You messed it all up! On purpose!”
“Paying her for what?” said another familiar voice.
Turning, I found exactly who I thought it was—Charlie.
“Stay out of this, soccer boy,” I seethed, scowling at him. He was the last person I wanted to deal with at a time like this. I thought accepting the ride from him the other day would fulfill whatever complex he had after learning about Dad, but apparently not. He was stilleverywhere.
But Charlie merely shrugged. “It’s my house. If you’re going to start a fight, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
I blinked. A few times, actually. “Your house? This isyourhouse?” I turned my attention to Malia. “You said ‘some jock,’ nothim.”
She didn’t even look fazed. “I had an address, not a name. What’s happening here, Una?”
Aria jumped back into the conversation. “I asked for Una’s help. I gave her a contract. And she screwed me over.”
Ali took a step forward, standing next to me, but facing Aria, which enraged me. “Why would you do that?”
Malia spoke at the same time, asking the question I didn’t want anyone asking. “What did you ask for?”
Aria’s eyes bounced between me, Malia, Charlie, and Ali. She ducked her head, her hands fidgeting with each other. “Help getting a date with Ali…” she whispered.
Ali’s shoulders sagged and a goofy smile replaced the frown he had on. “You didn’t need her help with that…”
I wanted to punch the love sick look off his face. Couldn’t he see he was already falling for the nonsense?
Charlie stepped forward, opening his arms wide and ushering both Ali and Aria into them. “Let’s find you two a drink and a place to hang out.”
They both agreed, but Ali looked over his shoulder before they turned the corner. He shook his head and frowned. I had never seen an icier look on his face before and it shook me to my core.
The crowd thinned now that the drama ended. Charlie stood at the end of the hallway, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes never leaving me. It gave me the shivers, but I didn’t have time to deal with him.
Malia stared me down, a disappointed look on her face, too. “Not cool, Una. I know you have something against love, but that was low. Just because you don’t believe love exists doesn’t mean others don’t. You don’t mess with people’s love lives. Especially not your best friend…”
Chapter 9
Charlie
Watching Una stormout of my house with a huff, her friend Malia trailing behind her, was not what I thought would happen tonight.
Then again, I wasn’t expecting to see her walkintomy house a short while ago. The party was open to all, as they always were, but she had never come to one. From my limited knowledge, she and her friends usually went to the Wolves’ parties. But now that they weren’t as much of a pack anymore, the parties were few and far between.
The Queens and the Wolves fizzled out recently, leaving a gap in the hierarchy of Fairy Tale High. While I was on the more popular side, top dog wasn’t quite the spot I wanted to take.
I was, however, more than willing to keep hosting as long as they didn’t get out of control with newcomers.
When I got wind of people yelling in a hallway, I booked it across the house to see what was going on.
And all plans of telling Una the good news about her car had crumbled right before my eyes.
