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I gestured toward the flowerbeds I’d been absently weeding “Thought I’d get a head start”

She eyed ed first”

“Oh” I glanced down and a thin laugh escaped uess so”

“This is why I don’t like to waste money on nice clothes for you, Juliet”

I are I’d worn thrift store finds and hand-ift cards to go clothes shopping and Vienna had let me “borrow” her hand-me-downs Never mind eren’t anywhere near the same size

“Well, go wash up and change so you can help me with dinner”

“Sure” I scooped upand wandered inside My uncle was stretched out on the couch with a bottle of Jin I wondered if he’d lost another job

If that was the case, I really ues when he was out of work Lots of bad things happened during those times

I was alet an apartment like we talked about We’d need to find jobs I could work a few hours in the afternoons and still keep up on ht

It wasn’t fair for h Except he didn’t seeroup home too much Maybe I’d ask him tomorrow

I held onto thoughts of to of my aunt and uncle One day, this misery would be a distant memory

One day

Chapter Seventeen

Juliet

“Hurry up!” Vienna called

“I’ Sheesh!” I hiked h the school’s rear parking lot

Roman had to help out with chores at the house in order to be allowed to go on too shopping

I tossed my backpack behind my seat and folded myself into her car

“We need to find you soing by the pool all afternoon” She twisted the key in the ignition and the throaty engine of her sports car roared to life

I clicked my seat belt into place

The wheels chirped as she took off “Now, I know you and Roman are all lovey-dovey, but it won’t hurt for hiuys think you’re hot too”

“I don’t care about other guys” I hit the button and h my hair and I closed my eyes

“I know you don’t, Juliet” Her voice held the final threads of her patience “But he should appreciate how lucky he is and see how desirable you are”