The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play #3) - B.B. Reid Page 0,46

thoughts about my resemblance to Annie, the obvious taunt still made my cheeks flush.

“Holy shit.” Vaughn gasped. It seemed to be his new catchphrase. “Are you blushing?”

“What? No!”

Ignoring me, Vaughn grinned at Jason. “I think she likes you, bro.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jamie’s lips flatten. My stomach tightened, and I lost my breath. I didn’t know which way was up as my world spun out of control. How was such a powerful reaction to such a simple gesture possible?

Once again, I dismissed the thought of a boy liking me—of Jamie actually being jealous—as quickly as it had come. Since arriving, Jamie had done nothing else but make me feel unwelcome in my own town, my own crew.

Not wanting to hurt Jason’s feelings, I said nothing, which only seemed to piss Jamie off more. Did he think I liked Jason?

Shrugging, I told myself I didn’t care. It was weird that he’d be mad, anyway, since we hated each other.

Ever’s bored sigh drew my attention. Keeping him entertained was getting to be a full-time job. When Ever got bored, Ever got reckless, and his mother… his mother seemed to be at her wit’s end. His parents had just kept him from being sent to juvie last month when he went joyriding in our math teacher’s car and all because Mrs. Lynch had given him detention for getting gum in Becky Marsh’s hair. He hadn’t done it on purpose. The boys had a stupid contest to see who could spit their gum the furthest. Unfortunately, I’d been in social studies at the time, or I might have prevented it from happening.

“What do you guys want to do first?” Ever asked.

“Bumper cars.”

“Turkey legs.”

“Ferris wheel,” Jamie and I said at the same time. He looked at me, and I wondered if my expression matched his—curious but wary.

“Why don’t we just split up?” Vaughn suggested. “I’m starved, and I don’t want to ride some fucking wheel. Since the bumper car line is long as shit, Ever and Jason can hold our spots while Jamie and Bee do whatever they want.”

Whatever we want, my mind echoed.

What did I want? The answer should have been ‘nothing,’ but my heart felt like it was doing cartwheels at the opportunity.

I started to argue when I realized it was actually a good plan and one I would have thought of if I hadn’t been making eyes with the enemy. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I’d heard it in a movie once, and until Jameson Buchanan, I hadn’t understood. I used to think of Tommy as my archnemesis, but he had nothing on Jamie. Tommy didn’t keep me up at night or make me toss and turn whenever I did find sleep, and his presence didn’t do weird things to my insides. He didn’t make me want to run and hide.

And then hope he found me.

“Sounds good to me,” Jason said before he and Ever took off.

I gritted my teeth because the last thing I wanted to do was be left alone with Jamie. Vaughn hadn’t stuck around, either, to make sure I was okay with his plan, and was already halfway to one the many turkey leg stands.

Don’t be a chickenshit, Bee. You can do this.

One glance at Jamie and his cocky smirk, and I nearly choked on those words. I didn’t say a word to him before storming away. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know he was following me. I could feel his gaze burning hot on my back as he effortlessly kept up with my lengthy strides. My long legs allowed me to stand shoulder to shoulder with my crew. I knew one day they’d tower over me, but it wouldn’t matter. By then, their respect for me would outweigh the laws of biology. I’d make sure of it.

“You can run, but you can’t hide, pretty girl.”

I nearly bumped into Jamie when I whipped around. “What did you say?”

He stared back at me with a bland expression. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes, you did,” I bit out. “You were being a creep.”

“I don’t have time for this. Get your ears checked,” he spat before moving around me.

Refusing to follow him, I matched his lazy strides until we arrived at the Ferris wheel. There were only a couple of people in line, so in no time, we reached the operator. I slapped my forehead when the pudgy man held out his hand, and I realized he was waiting for