Page 65 of You Said I Was Your Favorite

“You don’t want these dirty hands on you.” I hold them up, though they don’t look that bad. “Not when you’re wearing that pristine white shirt.”

She laughs. “I get the sense that all you ever want to do is dirty me up.”

“You don’t even know the half of it,” I murmur.

Her laughter dies, her expression turning serious. “What are you doing, Arch?”

“What do you mean?” I frown.

“What are…your intentions? Toward me?”

I gulp, turning her words over in my mind. Intentions? Such an old-fashioned word. “I thought we were just living it day by day. I’m not the type to think about the future.”

“Ever?”

I slowly shake my head.

A sigh leaves her and she averts her gaze. “It must be easy, to feel so comfortable in your existence that you don’t have to plan for anything coming up.”

My frown returns. “What are you saying? That I’ve got it easy?”

She shrugs. “Easier than anyone else I know. You just…exist, and everything falls into place. There are no challenges, no worries. You are the perfect eldest Lancaster son. The sun rises and sets on your head.”

“You have no clue what my life is like. And it’s nothing like that.” I’m fucking offended she would assess me like that. “My life isn’t that easy all the time. I’m dealing with a tremendous amount of pressure. My parents have expectations on me that I will never meet, no matter how hard I try.”

“I’m guessing you don’t try very hard.”

Anger rises, and I tell myself to calm down. Don’t blow up on this girl. “What does that mean?”

“You’re so smart, Arch. You barely apply yourself and you get perfect grades. You’re number one in the class and you make it look so easy, while I’m over here working my butt off by studying day and night, trying to keep up.” Her voice rises. Clearly, she’s a little heated too.

“Are you accusing me of coasting?”

“I’m not accusing you of anything. We all know you’re totally coasting! Handsome Arch, charming Arch, smart Arch. No one is going to argue with the Lancaster. No one dares cross him. Your life is easy.”

I’m shaking my head as I walk away from her, bending down to grab my jacket where I left it on the floor. “You don’t like it when I assume things about you, Daisy. I don’t like it either.”

Before she can say a word to me, I’m out of there, practically running to the door. Pissed that she would be so dismissive of me. Like I don’t have any feelings. Like I’m inhuman.

I may act that way sometimes, but it’s easier to be the smart, untouchable Lancaster than let my guard down and let anyone in.

See how it worked out just now? I try to give this girl a glimpse of my real self.

And she stomps all over me.

Fuck that.

* * *

By lunchI’ve calmed down, but I’m still hurt by what Daisy said. I avoided her earlier in class, which isn’t hard because she avoids me as well. No wonder I never really had any interactions with this girl until recently. She slips in and out of the classroom like a ghost, never uttering a word or even looking at anyone the entire time.

Must suck to move through life like you don’t exist. I can’t even imagine. I’d rather have all eyes on me at all times then that sort of lonely existence.

Shaking my head, I walk into the dining hall with JJ, pasting on a smile and laughing at the stupid joke he just told.

“You better now?” he asks me after my laughter dies.

“I’m good,” I confirm with a nod.

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