Eventually she shrugs. “I don’t hate you. Hating means I’d have to care.”
Even though her words are sharp, there’s a twitch in the corner of her mouth. It might even be a smile.
I don’t know what to make of it.
So I cross my arms and say the next best thing I can think of. “And I can’t believe you’d actually turn down Beyoncé. Even hypothetically.”
Maggie raises a brow. “I told you—I’d have said anything to make Simon listen.”
And then she turns away, and I retreat back to the shadows of the big top, watching her train and imagining what it could’ve been like if we’d started out as friends instead of enemies.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Dexi moves across the high wire like she’s under a spell. Her dark eyes never lose their focus, even when she’s halfway across the tightrope and she sinks slowly into a split.
Everything is slow and calculated at first, her solo almost as captivating as Maggie’s.
And then Zhìháo and Guānyǔ—cousins from Taiwan and two-thirds of the high-wire act—appear on opposite ends of the tightrope. They step closer to Dexi before crouching low, and then Dexi leapfrogs over the tops of them like it takes no effort at all.
The act moves quickly after that. Zhìháo rides a unicycle across the wire, a long pole firmly wedged in his hands, and when he comes back for round two, Guānyǔ is upside down on his shoulders.
Then Dexi is across the rope again like a spider, her feet moving so quickly, it hardly looks like she’s walking at all. And then she’s jumping rope—on a tightrope—and my mouth feels permanently ajar.
She’s amazing. They’re all amazing.
When the three of them stand on one another’s shoulders like a human tower and Zhìháo takes the first step onto the wire, I cover my mouth with my hand like I’m too afraid to breathe.
And then I feel my phone buzz from within my pocket.
I hurry out of the rehearsal tent before anyone notices the distraction, and when I look down at the screen, I see Chloe’s name and the photo of the two of us.
“Hello?” I answer.
“Hey,” she says hesitantly. “It’s me.”
I grin, realizing for the first time how much I’ve missed her voice. “I’m glad you called. I feel like we haven’t talked in forever.”
“Yeah, well, one of us has to make an effort to stay friends.” There’s an edge to her voice that makes my shoulders stiffen, and I get the feeling she isn’t just calling to catch up.
My smile fades. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re really bad at this whole ‘keeping in touch’ thing, you know. I feel like I’m losing my best friend,” she says.
“Oh God, I know, and I’m so sorry. Things are just so hectic here, and I don’t always remember to check my messages.” I pause, feeling like I’m bracing for a lecture. “But we’re still best friends. That hasn’t changed.”
Chloe hums like she’s tired. “So I guess this means you’ve officially gone into hyperdrive?”
“I appreciate the Star Wars reference, but what do you mean?”
“When you get in one of your moods and get so wrapped up in whatever it is you’re doing that you forget about everything else going on in the world.”
My stomach tightens. “I don’t do that.”
She laughs into the phone, but she sounds more irritated than happy. “Yes, you do. You even forget about me. You know—the person you used to talk to every single day and now text maximum once a week?”
She’s angry. Why is she so angry? “I swear, I’m just busy. I don’t have a hyperdrive that makes me forget about you.”
It’s quiet for three long seconds.
“You don’t see it. You never do,” she says finally.
“Where is this coming from? I said I was sorry. What do you want me to do?” I ask, and my voice is beginning to match her irritation.
“It sucks, okay? It sucks being the only person in this friendship that tries to stay in touch.”
“I know I haven’t been the greatest friend lately, but I feel like you could cut me a little slack. If you were the one who had just moved away and were starting out at your dream job and things got a little busy, I think I’d be more understanding.”
“But this isn’t even the first time you’ve done this!” Chloe snaps. “This is your ‘thing.’ You get excited about something and it takes over your whole life. You start ignoring me. It feels like you want a new life—like