Page 14 (1/2)

I felt h school He’s eighteen"

Oh My God As if this otten all an had been working and receptive--if I hadn’t seen Reece first and fixated all h school boy Eighteen or nothe was still in high school!

I shook es of a bad dreaht"

"But you caaze cut into me, merciless and deep

As a rule of thuly or uncomfortable I’d faced a lot A father dead A mother who chose her addiction overI couldn’t handle His opinion or judg He was just one step getting me closer to Hunter That’s all he was supposed to be

Even telling myself this, I couldn’t stop myself The time had come to retreat

The tide of people shifted Bodies burip slipped offout the back door, I spotted Emerson with her phone to her ear

"There you are," she said when she sawto reach you"

"Let’s go," I growled, latching onto her ar lot

"What’s wrong? Iout we confused your hottie for the other hottie" She laughed "C’mon It’s kind of funny"

I slid her a look

She bumpedto Annie, Reece is the elusive one And he kissed you"

"Reece just cornered ot separated"

"Ooh" Her eyes flared "What did he say?"

"Oh, he knew all about it"

She winced "Aard hteen and still in high school"

"Oh, that’s aweso her hands "Wait till I tell Annie"

"Yeah, Reece pretty"Iedly, ravel "You should have seen the way he looked at me"

"Well then he’s a jerk Screw him Who needs hier side door I sank down onto the seat with a heavy sigh

"You can hone your skills on any guy you want"

I laughed brokenly and corrected her "No Not any guy I want"

I wasn’t one of those girls who didn’t knohat she looked like when she stared at herself in the h, but with thousands of other pretty twentysos around who dressed ) thanextraordinary

"Yes! You’re the full package, Pepper Hunter’s already noticed Hell, you don’t need Reece or any other guy for that o for it, Pepper Stop beating around the bush and go after Hunter"

Nodding, I stared out the windshield as she pulled onto the street and left the strip of bars and restaurants behind "You’re right It was a dumb idea"

"No, it wasn’t And even if it was, I think it was my idea, so blame me"

A smile brushed my mouth I looked over at her She frowned as she stopped at a red light, and I could tell she was feeling bad

I relaxed back against the headrest "No oneI know you credit yourself with mad skills of persuasion, but I decided to do this"