Page 42 of The Accidental Beauty Queen
Buttercup wiggles out from under the covers on Ginny’s bed and scurries toward me, wagging her stumpy little tail in glee. I can hardly believe my eyes. It’s a breakthrough. She’s finally decided I’m tolerable. She might actuallylikeme now.
But it’s the worst possible time for the dog to have a change of heart. Ginny’s brow crumples as Buttercup flops onto her back at my feet.
The bulldog’s sudden and over-the-top adoration nearly kills me. I don’t deserve it. Not today. “I’m so sorry, Ginny. I screwed up. I...”
“You made new friends.” She sniffs. “I get it. You were having fun, and you forgot we had plans.”
She’s only partially right.
Iwashaving fun without her, and I’m also guilty of ignoring her texts and calls. It’s not the entire story, though.
I want to explain things to my twin. I want to confess. No one understands me the way that Ginny does. Even though the entire episode was my fault, she’d still find a way to make me feel better about it. She’d tell me there was no way I could have known what kind of man Gray Beckham actually is.
She’d take my side, just like always.
But I can’t tell her. Too much has happened. I’m in too deep, and trying to unravel the mess I’ve made would shine a bright, glaring light on all the things I’ve been keeping from her the past few days.
“Please forgive me.” I scoop Buttercup into my arms and sit down on the edge of Ginny’s bed. “I’m sorry. Truly.”
She shuts her eyes again, but I don’t budge.
I’ll sit there all night if I have to. I can’t go to bed until I make things right with at least one of the people I’ve hurt.
Don’t get me wrong. I know Ginny isn’t perfect. She’s said plenty of things to me in the past few days that have stung. But she’s my sister. My twin. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love Ginny. And even though I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if she wasn’t my other half—if I hadn’t been a twin at all, but just a regular person, just me—I’d never change the way things are.
I give her a gentle poke. “Please? You’re the reason I’m in this pageant in the first place, remember? I’d much rather be spending my time reading by the pool.” Or better yet, with my head buried under the covers so I’d never have to see any of these pageant people again.
“Fiiiine.” She drags her eyes open. “I forgive you. Happy now?”
My gaze flits to the chocolate cake. “Not yet, but I will be once we clean those plates. And don’t try to tell me you’re not hungry. I haven’t seen you eat a full meal in two days.”
“That’s because I’m scared to eat.” She waves a hand at her face. “Look what happened last time I feasted on room service.”
“You can’t starve yourself, Ginny. The pageant isn’t worth your health. Nothing is.” I give her a little nudge with my hip. “We could always go home, you know. It’s not too late. We could leave tonight if you want. You could see an allergy doctor tomorrow, and then you wouldn’t have to worry anymore.”
It would all be over...
Including Ginny’s dream of being Miss American Treasure.
“No.” Finally, she sits up. I haven’t managed to talk her out of this painful charade, but at least I’ve stirred her back to life. “We’re so close. I can’t give up now.”
I nod. “It’s your call.”
She presses her fingertips gently against her cheeks. “How does my face look? Any better?”
“A little bit.” I smile. “Let’s not worry about that now. We’ve got almost twenty hours until talent prelims tomorrow. Anything could happen.”
Ginny nods. “You’re right.”
My smile widens. “I know I am.”
She rolls her eyes and pelts me with her pillow. I breathe a sigh of relief. My twin has forgiven me, and everything between us is back to normal.
For now.
We wake up the next morning to chocolate icing in our hair and the sobering realization that Ginny’s face doesn’t look any different than it did the night before.
“I don’t get it.” She peers closer to the mirror to inspect her reflection. “Last night I thought I was getting better.”
