have the wrong number.
I go to place the phone back on the chair, but it chimes again.
Unknown: I don’t think so. I’m looking for the cute and sassy girl. The one with the dark eyes, pouty lips, and curves that could turn a saint into a sinner. She goes by Gwen. That you?
Panic fills my veins, my eyes scanning the wall of mirrors as if someone’s in the room with me.
Me: Who the hell is this?
Unknown: Don’t freak out. It’s Cory.
I let out a long breath and save his number.
Me: You might want to lead with that next time. How did you get my number?
Cory is a decent guy, but I’m not even the slightest bit interested in him.
Cory: Mia gave it to me. She said you could use a night out.
Cory: What do you say? Want to go see a movie or something tonight?
Oh my god. I’m going to murder her.
Me: That’s very sweet, but I can’t tonight.
It’s a brushoff, and not even a good one. I could at least give the guy a reason.
Cory: How about tomorrow?
Damn it. Cory is definitely persistent. I’ll give him that. He’s been asking me out since freshman year.
Me: Maybe. I’ll text you.
Cory: You better. I’m not giving up.
My jaw tics as I pause my playlist and dial Mia’s number. Her cackling laughter greets me when she answers.
“What the fuck did you do?” I demand. “This shit isn’t funny, Mia. He’s never going to leave me alone now.”
Her laughter calms. “Oh, don’t be mad. I’m only doing what you refused to do.”
Mia caught me in a weak moment the other night. I spent hours waiting to hear something from Cole and was in the middle of a breakdown when she called. Until then, I’d been lying to her. She thought everything was going great. And this is exactly why I didn’t want to tell her the truth. I knew she would go and do something crazy.
“And what exactly is that?” I quip.
“I’m simply giving Cole a little shove in the right direction.”
I squeeze the bridge of my nose, shaking my head. “Trust me when I say he’s not someone you want to push, Mia.” This shouldn’t be news to her. She’s never seen Cole’s temper, but she’s heard the rumors.
“Whatever. I’m not afraid of Cole Masterson.”
I laugh. “You should be.”
“He doesn’t get to fuck around with my best friend’s heart and get away with it. Besides, it’s not like he’d know I had anything to do with Cory asking you out.”
I snort, plopping down in the chair. “Well, your plan didn’t work. I turned him down.”
“You don’t think I anticipated that?” she mocks. “That’s exactly why I invited him to your house on Friday. We’re going to throw a kickback while your parents are out of town.”
My back straightens, my stomach taking a freefall. “You invited him here? Are you crazy? Cole is going to lose his mind if he comes home and finds me with Cory.”
It doesn’t escape me that I referred to this as Cole’s home too or that I’m acting like he’s my boyfriend. When the bitter truth is, I don’t know if he even likes me. This could all be some elaborate scheme to hurt me the way I hurt him.
“I’ve missed you so fucking much.”
There was so much raw emotion in his voice when he spoke those words to me. Not even the most skilled actor could fake something that well. But no matter how much truth was in that statement, it doesn’t change what happened. It doesn’t mean he’s willing to forgive and forget.
Even if by some miracle he could absolve me for breaking his heart, we couldn’t be together anyway. The circumstances are still the same.
I’m playing a very dangerous game of Russian roulette. The closer we become, the more likely it is I’ll be found out.
“Duh. That’s the point, silly. The guy flipped out over you wearing Cory’s shirt. When he sees the two of you together and loses his shit, you’ll know for sure how he feels about you.”
The inmates must officially be running the asylum if I’m even considering this idea. So many things could go wrong. People could get hurt. Hearts could get broken. Again.
“And what if he doesn’t?” I force out around the lump in my throat.
“Then you finally give Cory a chance and get over that other bastard. He’s been jerking you around long enough. It’s time for him to either shit or get off the damn pot.”
The knock on