My Know-It-All Nemesis - Maggie Dallen Page 0,38

said. “And there was no doubt in my mind that you would win.” He leaned in close. “You deserve every win, fair and square.”

My smile felt shy. “You deserve yours too,” I said. “I get that now. Neither of us has it easy all the time.”

He nodded, his eyes thoughtful. “Yeah, but you were right that a lot of my actions lately have been for the wrong reason. They’ve been about proving something to other people and not about what’s right for me.”

I felt a sense of awe at the sincerity in his tone. Who knew the great, cocky Miller Hardwell had it in him to be earnest? “Funny,” I said. “I was thinking something very similar myself this morning.”

He arched a brow in question.

“I think I need to take a long look at how much I’m living for the future.” I licked my lips as his gaze grew intense. “I’m starting to see that maybe I’ve been missing out on things.”

“Things,” he repeated, a mischievous glint in his eyes as his hold on me tightened. “What kind of things?”

“Um…you know, parties,” I offered, a laugh bubbling up in me at his darkened gaze and his knowing smirk.

“And?”

“Friends,” I offered.

He nodded. “Friends are good.”

“I heard there are a lot of good shows on Netflix,” I said, trying not to laugh as his expression grew exasperated.

“And?” he said again, his voice little more than a growl.

I started to laugh, but he cut off my laughter with a kiss that stole my breath.

Maybe even my heart.

By the time we came up for air, I was so not laughing. In fact, I wasn’t entirely sure I was standing on my own two feet. “And that,” I managed to say as I caught my breath.

“Good answer.” He laughed, his forehead pressed to mine. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

Another bell rang, and we pulled away from each other reluctantly. “We should go,” I said. “We shouldn’t be late.”

He nodded. “We are the whole reason they’re holding this assembly.”

And yet we both continued to stand there. Maybe we both realized that once we entered that auditorium we’d be rivals again.

Which was fine by me.

I kind of loved our rivalry, even if he drove me nuts.

“Shall we?” he asked.

I nodded, but much as I loved our rivalry, I still knew what I had to do because I wasn’t about to fight for something I didn’t want just to win a battle. That would be just as bad as winning by default.

Our relationship, if that’s what you could call it, was based on mutual respect, and that was what I loved about it. If Miller really wanted this position, then he deserved it.

More than that, he’d do a great job with it, which was more than I could say since my every second was already eaten up with other obligations. When we reached the main hallway and the entrance of the auditorium, I slipped my hand from out of his and started to back away.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

I smiled. “You go on ahead. I’ll be right behind you. There’s just something I have to talk to Mr. Gentry about.”

“Okay.” He swung open the doors and headed in, turning back to give me an infuriatingly cocky wink. “See you on the battlefield, Andrews.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was laughing as I turned away to seek out Mr. Gentry.

12

Miller

I already had the crowd eating out of the palm of my hand when I saw Kate slip through the side door offstage.

Good. Just in time.

“Now,” I said, looking down at the flash cards I wasn’t reading from. “With all that being said…I think we can all agree that my leadership is essential at this school.” I cocked an eyebrow and flashed the crowd a smile. “Some might even say I’m indispensable.”

As predicted, I got an appreciative chuckle for my hubris. I caught Kate rolling her eyes, but she wore the cutest little smile as she did it.

My heart swelled in my chest at the mere sight of her. I’d never felt luckier than I did at this moment. I might have worked hard for good grades, and fought to win a position on the football team, but none of that compared with knowing I’d earned the respect and trust of the girl I most admired.

A girl who was watching me now with a knowing smile because she got it—I wasn’t nearly as confident as I liked to pretend. I didn’t have it all together, and while