Page 36 of My Twin Sister's Ex

I could feel his respect for me in every touch. Who was this amazing boy? We sat for a few moments like that, kissing.

I heard raised voices outside the car, and I looked past Bennett to see a familiar flash of blonde hair. My stomach dropped. Jackilyn. What was she doing here?

Bennett pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

“Jackilyn’s here.”

His face paled. “Do you think she saw us?”

“She’s coming this way.”

She strutted up to Bennett’s window and knocked on it. He rolled it down. She had her group of friends, the MGs, standing behind her.

“Bennett, what are you doing here?” She looked past him, and her eyes locked with mine. “Jessilyn?” I could hear the shock in her voice. She’d seen Bennett kissing someone, but clearly, she hadn’t realized it was me. Until now.

“We were just grabbing some food,” I said.

Jackilyn crossed her arms. “You can drop the act. I saw you two kissing.” Her friends snickered behind her. Apparently, they thought this situation was hilarious.

“So what?” Bennett said. “What does it have to do with you?”

“That’s my twin. It haseverythingto do with me.” She looked at me with an accusation in her eyes. “Jessilyn, I thought you said you weren’t dating Bennett.”

There was no hiding it now. So much for keeping things on the down-low. I looked straight at her. “I am now.” I used a flat tone.

One of Jackilyn’s friends gasped. I doubted she was actually surprised. She was just getting wrapped up in the drama of the moment, filling the role of the supportive friend. I had a feeling if Jackilyn told her to do anything, she’d obey her every wish.

Suddenly, I felt bad. I knew Jackilyn wasn’t fully over Bennett. I didn’t want to hurt her. She was my sister, and I cared about her feelings. Was I making a terrible mistake by agreeing to date Bennett? Had I just earned the position of worst sister ever?

“I didn’t know you had that level of betrayal in you, sister. I guess I didn’t know you as well as I thought.”

All this time, I’d been so focused on how mean Jackilyn was and how she always made everything about her. I hadn’t stopped to think that maybe I would end up hurting her. There was no triumph in that. It just made me a crummy human being.

“I’m sorry, Jackilyn. I never meant to hurt you.”

“You know what we talked about the other day,” Jackilyn said. “I don’t wantyougetting hurt.”

I felt my face blanch. I thought back to our conversation where she told me he was still hung up on her. He’d said he wasn’t, but what if it was true, and Bennett didn’t want me to know?

“First, I would never hurt her,” Bennett growled. “And second, you don’t get to play the victim.” Bennett looked at Jackilyn with a furious expression on his face. “You broke up with me. You decided you were done with our relationship. That means I’m free to date whomever I want. And that includes your sister.”

Jackilyn stared at him with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open like she was shocked that he dared stand up to her.

He turned to me with a fervent look on his face. “You don’t have anything to feel bad about. Your sister is manipulating you into feeling guilty. Don’t let her do that. If she wanted me, she wouldn’t have ended things between us so she could move on to another guy. She was clearly finished with the relationship.”

I looked back to Jackilyn. Was that true? Had she really been manipulating me? How could I tell? It was possible that Jackilyn really was sad that I’d started dating Bennett, but she did break up with him. I felt torn. I really liked Bennett, and I wanted to go to prom with him and be his girlfriend, but I didn’t want to hurt my twin. Why did life have to be so hard sometimes?

“So you two are together now?” Jackilyn demanded like she couldn’t quite believe it the first time.

“We are,” Bennett said like he was challenging her to say something to change his mind.

Jackilyn put her hands on her hips. Her midriff was exposed. Dad would hate to see her dressed like that. Not like she cared. “Since when?”

“Since tonight,” Bennett said.

She looked at me. “Were you planning to tell me?”

I stared back at her with wide eyes. I didn’t know what answer to give her. It felt like anything I said would only make her more upset.

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