Page 10 of Faking Summer
“I’ll be right back,” I said, tossing my bear in the trash.
As I wandered back toward the bathroom, a sharp poke jolted me from behind. The annoyance came with a voice, grating yet familiar. "What the hell was that?" Caroline asked, accusingly.
I turned, the low flicker of an overhead light casting half her face in shadow, the other half illuminated just enough to reveal those piercing blue eyes. "What?"
She was small, but her presence filled the space like she could command the room with nothing more than her fiery spirit. "Why the hell did you pay forour dinner?"
The corners of my mouth twitched into a smirk. My eyes locked onto hers. "I guess that's one way to say thank you."
Caroline's lips parted, ready to launch another verbal missile. "Did you spit in the manicotti? Was that the joke?"
"We left before the chef even started making it," I shot back.
"Then why did you do it?" Caroline asked.
"I don't know," I said dryly, shrugging. "Consider it a birthday present. Trust me, it didn't hurt my pockets."
I saw Caroline's posture tense, her shoulders locking in like she was bracing for a battle she'd been through a hundred times. "We didn't need you to pay for us like we're some charity case," she snapped.
Whoa. What the hell is that response? Charity had never crossed my mind. "Charity?" I echoed, while a sly grin played at the corner of my mouth. "Nah, think of it more as... community service." I leaned against the rough brick wall behind me, hoping this would continue on. I had come to love these sparring matches with Caroline.
I could tell my words had hit their mark, ruffling her feathers just enough. We played this game well over the years. I annoy her to no end, and it somehow warmed my cold heart.
"Community service," she repeated. "You’re such a prick. We don’t want anything from you."
"Too late," I exhaled, sharply. "It's already done."
"How do you do that?" she asked, her voice sharp. "Just walk around being the most aggravating person that ever existed?"
"One of my many talents," I replied, the words rolling off my tongue effortlessly. “You should see what else I can do.”
"What was the total?" Caroline asked, all serious and businesslike. "I'm paying you back right now."
There was something recklessly wild that always seemed to cling to her. I shook my head, the smirk never quite leaving my face. "Nah, I don't need your money." I paused, letting the anticipation build. "But you can pay me back in another way. I need a favor."
five
Caroline
"If you’re about to ask me for a sexual favor, don't even waste your breath."
He leaned back, that infuriating smirk etching deeper into his tanned complexion. "Really?" he asked, the word oozing with sarcasm. "Because obviously, any person who buys you pasta expects you to get down on your knees."
"Fine then," I crossed my arms over my chest, preparing for whatever was coming. "Let’s hear it. This"—I motioned at him with a flick of my wrist—“should be good."
"You teach cheerleading." The dim overhead lights cast a soft glow on his annoyingly perfect features as he studied me, searching for my reaction. Every move he made seemed intentional, from the way he adjusted his watch to the way his fingers tapped against his wrist.
"Well, thanks for that useful information," I said, matching my sarcasm with his. "Let me guess… you want to join the squad?"
He chuckled, the sound low and unexpectedly warm. It wasn’t quite as annoying as the cocky grin of his—the one that had a way of getting on my last nerve.
"Actually," Reese said, leaning in closer, "my little sister needs to make the cheer team at Elite."
"Interesting," I said, tapping a finger against my lips.
"It means a lot to her," he said, before he took a sip of his drink. "Maybe you could help her out?" He smirked, thinking he was in control. "I would ask Blair but I'm sort of trying to avoid her at the moment."
Blair, with her perfect hair and movie star looks, had plastered photos of her and Reese together across every social media platform for years. His ex-girlfriend and I had never really got along, even when we cheered together, but now that I thought about it—I didn’t think she really got along with anyone.
