Page 20 of The Enemy of My Enemy Is… My Fake Boyfriend?

It had to be Ethan. I would have remembered adding that contact for sure.

I tapped on it, studying the 212 area code and number. Manhattan area code with an unfamiliar number. Not that I really knew anyone's number by heart except for my own.

With a smile on my face and an oddly lighter heart, I made my way out the door, ready to head home and crash. Looking around at the dark street, I definitely wasn't looking for a devilishly handsome man. Nope, never.

It'd be a cold day in hell before I ever calledhim.

Seven

Aria

Annalise gasped. "What on earth have I done?"

"It looks amazing!" Astrid said, putting her usual positive spin on the situation.

But even she couldn't quite muster up the enthusiasm required to salvage my older sister's pride.

We both stared at Annalise who stared at her reflection in horror. The new platinum blonde color of her hair made her look washed out unfortunately.

"The new length is adorable," Astrid tried again. "Chin-length bobs are super chic and fresh."

"They really are," I agreed. "It's just a shock going from a deep brunette to this color. That's all."

"I need to get a tan clearly."Fingering her hair, she groaned. "And what about my brows? Do I keep them dark?"

Astrid and I studied her a long moment before I finally replied. "Maybe not a matching color but just a few shades lighter?"

"That's a good idea," Astrid chimed in. "And just think... you've accomplished your goal already. You don't even look like the same person."

She made a humming noise low in her throat. "That's true, I guess."

Astrid nudged her shoulder. "And once you add glasses and that hairy mole, well... no one will recognize you."

It took a second for that to sink in, with Annalise still transfixed by her image in my bathroom mirror and me not being one-hundred percent all here.

"Hairy mole?" Annalise laughed. "I'm not going that far with this."

Astrid poked our sister's cheek. "Right there. That'd be the perfect spot."

Annalise grabbed her finger and twisted, the two of them getting into a wrestling match complete with shrieks of laughter.

The doorbell rang, and I went to grab our lunch. After giving the guy a generous tip, I spread everything out on the counter then yelled at my sisters who were currently chasing each other around the living room. And people thought brothers were bad. Sisters could be just as crazy. Maybe even crazier.

Forever the middle child and mediator, I shook my head and brought out some spoons and napkins before finally shouting at them. "Oh, my God, you guys. The food is here!"

That got their attention finally, and the three of us grabbed our smoothie bowls, headed to the couch, and sat in our usual spots.

I couldn't stop looking at my sister's new 'do as I scooped some of that tangy, sweet goodness into my mouth, the tropical flavors vibrant on my tongue.

"So," Annalise began, watching me carefully, "what are you going to do about all this bad press?"

Unfortunately, Chase's hit pieces had kept on coming, nothing new but more of the same about my alleged cheating.

"I finally talked to Mom, and Dad too in the background..." He never wanted to miss out so their latest thing was putting me on speaker whenever I called my mom and he was around. "Dad waspissed."

"Don't mess with his girls," Astrid said.

"Exactly. But Mom talked him down. She's consulted with her PR person and they think I should take the high road, that Chase's lies will eventually catch up with him."

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