Page 21 of I Hate You More

But she shook her head, her gaze unyielding and her eyes as hard as steel. “No truce, Chase,” she replied. “I’m not going to pretend you’re not the world’s biggest jerk just to make your life a little easier. I’ve handled your crap for years, I think I can handle one more year of it.”

She was acting all brave and tough now, but we were only in day two of what was going to be a tortuous senior year. I hadn’t been certain I could handle a truce with her. Ally drove me wild, so chances weren’t high that I’d be able to hold my tongue for a year. But at least I’d been willing to give it a try. She was completely stubborn, and the fact she wouldn’t even attempt to come to a truce only proved how immature and impossible she could be.

I folded my arms over my chest as she turned to leave. “Don’t ever say I didn’t try to do the right thing, princess.”

She froze for a brief second before her shoulders stiffened, and she continued to walk away. She thought she could handle a year of our hostility, but I doubted she’d last a week. Whatever happened this year, it was on her. I just hoped she’d come to her senses sooner rather than later.

7

Ally

“Chase has to go.”

My friends looked up at me as I slammed my tray down on the table to emphasize my point. The cafeteria was almost empty because it was a beautiful day and most kids were outside eating in the sunshine. I wasn’t complaining because Chase and the others who were usually at his table had decided to eat out there too.

Tessa gave me a knowing smirk. “Well, that lasted all of two days. What happened?”

“You don’t want to know,” I said. “But let’s just say he’s an even worse houseguest than I thought he’d be. He says he wants a truce, but I just know there’s no way it will last. I don’t have a choice, the guy has to go.”

“I thought you said you could handle it,” Miles added.

“Well, I was wrong. Maybe while he was away for the summer I forgot what he’s really like. I mean, he’s already turned my home into his own personal bachelor pad, and that’s the least of my concerns!”

Mia started to laugh, but I turned my glare on her. “It’s not funny.”

“Except it kind of is,” she replied.

I huffed out a breath and rested my head in my hands. “I’m completely doomed, aren’t I?”

Tessa reached out and gently rubbed my back. “Notcompletely.”

I groaned as I realized what she was getting at. “Your plan is not an option.”

“It might be our only way of getting you through this year in one piece,” she protested. “I know you don’t like the idea of pretending to date Chase, but it will be short-term pain for a long-term gain.”

I looked up at Tessa, my eyes pleading with her to understand. “Surely, we can come up with another way…”

Tessa shrugged. “It’s the best idea I’ve got.”

“Don’t look at me,” Miles said when I turned my gaze on him.

Mia started smiling though when I looked in her direction. “You could always plant drugs in his room,” she suggested. “Since your dad’s so strict, I’m sure he’d throw Chase out if he found them.”

I sat up straight. “You want me to plant drugs in his room?”

“I mean, you hate the guy, right?”

I paused as I considered Mia’s question. “Where would I even get drugs?”

Tessa thumped my arm. “You’re not seriously considering this?”

I shook my head as I realized how desperate I was. A part of me actually had been thinking about it. “No, of course not.”

“Good, because your dad would call the cops, and he’d probably end up in jail.”

Mia didn’t seem all that bothered by the prospect. “At least he’d no longer be living with Ally. It would solve the problem.”

We all fell silent and stared at her for a moment, like we’d just realized our friend had a little bit of crazy in her. She burst out laughing. “Man, you should see your faces. I wasn’t serious, guys.”

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