Barbie Btch (Rejects Paradise #3) - Sheridan Anne Page 0,17

that these rumors have been bouncing straight off me. I mean, after spending my night fretting that I was maybe a murderer and having Nic and the boys tear my life apart with the truth of who I am, a little scandalous rumor isn’t going to hurt me.

“So, you were screwing the old PE teacher and then dobbed him in when you thought you were going to get caught, but instead of having the Dean kick you out back then, you started screwing him too and that’s why he allowed you to stay there for so long.”

“Ewwwww. Dean Simmons? He’s balding, fat, and has a sweaty, body odor issue.”

“I know,” she laughs. “but don’t worry, that one won’t stick either. As if anyone is going to believe you were dropping your panties for them when you were screwing around with guys like Milo, Charlie, and Colton.”

“You know I never actually screwed Milo, right? We’re just friends.”

A knowing grin spreads across her face and she gently nudges me with her elbow. “Uh-huh. Really, really good friends.”

I roll my eyes. Clearly, she thinks I’m holding back on that one but whatever, it really doesn’t matter. The more girls that people think Milo’s been with, the better for his whole ‘hiding out in his closet’ thing he’s got going on.

Realizing I'm not about to give her anymore to go off, she moves the conversation along but the excited sparkle in her eyes instantly puts my nerves on edge. “You know, I think our parents really hit it off at the Gatsby party. Who knows, we could be sisters one day.”

“Oh, geez,” I laugh. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. They danced for a little while and had dinner together. It’s not as though they were planning their wedding.”

“I don’t know,” she says with a shrug, looking down at her lunch. “You don’t know my dad like I do. He was so into her. To him, that’s pretty much a done deal.”

I raise my brow as I look back at Hendrix with a million thoughts roaming through my mind, every single one of them wondering if Mom is even ready for something like this. “Are you sure? Because I haven’t seen my mom like that for ages. She was practically shining with him. My dad only died eight months ago, and that’s still really fresh for her, for both of us, but at the same time, I want her to be happy. If your dad could make her happy …”

A seriousness comes over her and she looks at me as though she’s diving right into the bottom of her heart to find the right words. “You know, my dad is a real genuine guy and if your mom isn’t ready and whatever they felt on Saturday night is real, then I really think he’d wait. He's not the kind to screw a woman around and to be really honest with you, I haven’t seen him happy like that in a really long time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she whispers. “As long as your mom feels the same too, then I think this could actually turn into something.”

“All this from just one night together?”

“Just think about how romantic it would be. It’s literally a Cinderella story. They met at the ball and everything.”

“I’d hardly call the Gatsby party a ball.”

“True, but around here, it’s probably the closest we’d ever get.”

“Bullshit,” I laugh. “If I even hinted to Colton that I wanted to go to some fancy ball, he’d have the party planners and caterers there within minutes.”

“Good point,” she laughs. “That guy has got it bad for you.”

I can’t help the warm, fond smile that stretches across my face. “Yeah, he kinda does, doesn’t he?”

“Understatement of the year,” she tells me. “We might not have really known each other during that masquerade ball but I was there, and I saw the way he danced with you, everyone did. And then that kiss … fuck me, if only I was that lucky. Everyone here knows what you mean to each other. There’s no denying it. At every party and even on that boat right at the beginning, he watches you. He’s so aware of everything that you do. You two are like a real-life Romeo and Juliet.”

I gape at her. “Romeo and Juliet died at the end of the story.”

“Yeah, well, take out that part and the whole families at war thing and then ...wait. I’m pretty sure there was an arranged marriage in there somewhere too. You know what, screw