Page 35 (1/2)

Hanna’s gaze flitted to a quote in the main body of the article "He’s definitely a charirlfriends froirl in the universe Said that he’d never felt this way before except withme to one of his family’s châteaus in France or Italy It definitely made me feel specialuntil I realized he did that with every girl he dated"

Hanna reached to the rabbed a piece of toast frorabbed another piece, and then a slice of bacon, even though she hadn’t eaten bacon in years Lias to her, too He’d made those same promises So it was just aline? A ruse? And she’d fallen for hiht at her father’s house She’d jeopardized her father’s career

Her legs wobbled beneath her as she stood The rooh the whole house was on a rocky ocean Liah her s he’d said The passion that had snapped and crackled between theered out of the kitchen and into the living roo and rang, once again going to voice mail "Nice article about you in the Sentinel," Hanna sputtered as soon as she heard the beep "Don’t callup, the phone slipped froers to the cushion of the couch Hanna sank down and hugged a pillow to her chest, biting down hard on her tongue so she wouldn’t cry Thank God she hadn’t told Lia important about her father Thank God she hadn’t told him about Tabitha

"Ahem"

Hanna turned Kate stood in the doorway There was an unco rooe of the patterned slipper chair across from Hanna, and waited Kate knew She’d pushed the Style section to Hanna’s place so Hanna would see it, after all

"How did you find out?" Hanna said in a low, hateful voice

Kate fiddled with a pearl choker at her throat "I saw you guys together at the flash ht, in your room I kneas here"

Hanna winced "You’re going to tell Dad, aren’t you?" She glanced into the kitchen Her father was now pacing around the island, his phone to his ear

Kate turned away "He doesn’t need to know"

Hanna blinked at her incredulously This was a perfect opportunity for Kate to be Daddy’s favorite again Her father would never forgive Hanna for this

"I’ve been cheated on, too," Kate said quietly

Hanna looked up in surprise "By Sean?"

Kate shook her head "Not by him By someone I dated in Annapolis, before I moved here His nah Facebook that he had another girlfriend"

Hanna shifted in her seat "I’m sorry" She found it hard to believe perfect Kate could’ve ever been dued She raised her green eyes to Hanna "I think we should take them down Not only has that family messed with Tom, but they’ve messed with you, too"

Then Kate rose and strutted out of the roo, her shoulders back Hanna slowly counted to ten, waiting for Kate to turn around and say, Just kidding! I’ on you, bitch! But after a entle clunk of her bedroo Huh

"I’ll call you back in a bit," Mr Marin said loudly in the kitchen, and Hanna heard the beep of the call ending She stood, the tips of her fingers prickling Kate was right Maybe Hanna should take Lia vital about her father--besides typical divorce stuff every fa stories about her weight--but Liam had told Hanna a whopper of a secret about his fa that would cut Tucker Wilkinson out of the caood

"Dad" Hanna padded into the kitchen Her father was now standing at the sink, washing his dishes "There’s so I need to tell you About Tucker Wilkinson"

Her father turned, one eyebrow raised And then everything Liam had told Hanna spilled out of her: his father’s affair, the woed with every word His jaw dropped lower and lower The words felt like poison spilling froossip she’d ever spread, but then the photos froh her mind once more They made her think of that line from some randolish class last year: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

Liam totally deserved it

Chapter 35

WHO CARES ABOUT PERFECT, ANYWAY?

"Mike, cereal isas she, Aria, and Mike sat down to breakfast in the sun-filled nook The rooe juice, and the slightly wilted wildflowers Thaddeus had sent Ella the other day

Mike begrudgingly grabbed an antique silver spoon from the drawer and slumped back to his seat Then Ella turned to Aria "So what happened to you at the cast party last night? I turned around and you were gone"

Aria pushed the big Ray-Ban sunglasses higher on her nose She earing the over Ezra, Kelsey, A, and everything else "I had some stuff to take care of," she mumbled

"You should’ve stuck around" Mike chewed his Kashi flakes loudly "The director got really smashed People say that’s why he had to come and work at a random private school in the suburbs--he’s a boozer And Spencer Hastings freaked out on this randoed out his eyes