A Love Song for Liars (Rivals #1) - Piper Lawson Page 0,18

distance before I learned Tyler hit Kellan. Before he untangled my hair as if it was his job.

Oh yeah, and before I walked in on him naked.

Tyler Adams is hot. The well-tailored prep school clothes don’t do him justice.

The boy I grew up with is a man, imposing and beautiful and dangerous. Anyone who’s ever made the mistake of thinking Tyler Adams is all brooding prettiness with nothing to back it up needs to think again.

Would he even fit?

Some part of me is desperate to know the answer, but I’m sure as hell not about to ask him.

I’d gone to the pool house already upset about rehearsal and left even more confused.

It wasn’t seeing all of him that threw me, it was the shock on his face when I told him what I’d heard back in January.

That single expression has me wondering if I’m missing something that would explain why Tyler’s been so secretive all year.

I thought he might’ve been about to open up to me until that girl showed up and every spark of hope in my chest extinguished.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” my dad asks as I jump out of my chair.

“I was working on some things for rehearsal last night.” I grab a piece of bread and drop it in the toaster. I check the clock and, on second thought, take the bread back out. “Uncle Ryan gave me some trade secrets, and I kind of missed doing my calculus homework.”

Dad slings an elbow over the back of his chair. “Rehearsal doesn’t take precedence over homework.”

I pat my father on the cheek. “Tell it to your Grammys, Dad.”

For good measure, I tap Sophie, now in her high chair, on the nose. “Can you say Grammys? Gram-mys.” She gurgles and beams, which is the most positive response I’ve gotten from the universe all week. “Make good choices,” I tell her before turning for the door.

Three hours later in second period, I’m cursing calculus, wishing for the life of me Pen was here.

Jenna leans over. "You stuck? I can help. No one should suffer proofs in silence.”

I glance up at the front of the class. The teacher's gone for a few minutes.

Jenna shows me how to work through the proof, and I try to keep up.

“What do you even need this class for?” she asks.

“Pen and I are going to Columbia together. She wants to do journalism. I’m going to start in liberal arts and niche down later.” I want to do something that helps people, but I can’t decide if it’s through journalism or social science or even psychology.

“I’m going into engineering at Stanford. I need math. You don’t. Are you taking the musical for credit?”

I shake my head. “There’s an evaluation component if I want credit, and I didn’t think I’d have time.”

“If I had the lead in the musical and an extra course, I’d for sure drop calc and get the credit for drama instead.”

I’m still turning that over when the bell rings and she falls into step next to me on my way to my locker.

“I don’t mind suffering for my craft, but I’m not gonna lose sleep suffering for someone else’s.”

I’d never thought seriously about getting credit for the musical, but given that I’m at risk of losing the lead, it’s time for desperate measures.

“I’m sorry about what happened with Kellan.” Jenna’s voice pulls me back. “I was with Carly, so I didn’t see what went down, but I can’t picture you hitting on him and him prying you off.”

“Thanks. Are you and Carly hanging out now?”

She shrugs. “We’re not best friends or anything, but she’s nicer to me than she has been. She’s pissed at you, though. More than usual. Tyler was crazy-fierce Saturday night when he kicked everyone out.”

I’d been so caught up in the fallout with Kellan I hadn’t thought about that.

I hug my books and glance down the row of lockers to see Tyler’s friends at their lockers without him because he’s at home, suspended.

It still means nothing.

But after school, I scan my first-period English notes and leave the copies on the doorstep of the pool house.

“Got your speech?” Haley asks my dad in the back of the limo that night. “Tell me you’re not winging it.”

“I’ve played sold-out shows at Horseshoe. That’s a hundred and five thousand seats. I think I can manage a room full of rich donors.”

She stares him down until he pulls the marked-up sheet of paper from his pocket. “So, you