“Do you still have something to say, Ti?”
ARGH, I can’t believe I lost track of the conversation because I’m too busy remembering his kiss.
Concentrate, Ti!
When Icelle asked me earlier about having an ulterior motive, I said ‘no’ (like,duh, I’m never that subtle for one), and Icelle being Icelle, she looked at me with RBF for two seconds (a novella’s worth of explanations, but I’m just not the one who can translate it), and then she grabbed my hand and told Arkane very seriously—
“Don’t seduce her again.”
Four words.
And Arkane’s response to those four words?
He smiled.
He actuallysmiled, and I wanted to snarl at him for it, but I never got the chance because Icelle was already dragging me out of the room like Arkane was emitting some kind of love virus and I was in danger of being seduced another time if I stayed in the room one more second.
Which, fine. Fair enough. I can’t even argue with that, given what just happened.
But wait.
Wait a minute.
What if I’m the one who misunderstood? What if Icelle wasn’t just protectingme?What if she dragged me out so fast because she’s just as susceptible to the virus—I mean, to her stepbrother’s charm?
The thought makes me go still.
Because if that’s the case, then...
Then I might have just kissed the guy my best friend is in love with.
Oh no.
I shove the thought aside before it can take root. I can’t deal with that right now. One crisis at a time, Ti.
Those four words of Icelle’s are something I haven’t yet made up my mind about. I mean, for all I know—the kiss was only what it was because I thought he wasn’t real. So now that I know he is, who knows? Maybe the next time I see him, my heart will go moreughthanaww.
It could happen.
But anyway, that’s stuff for me to figure out later on.
Right now, I need to just focus on saving my friendship with Icelle. It matters to me a lot that she could’ve called me a liar to my face. She could’ve asked for evidence, and I wouldn’t have anything to give her.
Even though I wasn’t lying when I told her that I had no idea about how rich she was, much less who’s who in her apparently expansive family tree—there’s just no way to prove the truth.
Sometimes, our words are all we have, and there’s simply nothing we can do to prove it. All we can ask and hope for is that the other person knows us well enough to believe.
And thankfully, Icelle did choose to believe me. And I really am grateful for that. For real. And that’s why...
I’ve made up my mind. In order to preserve Icelle as the only real friend I have in my world—
“I am never going to trust your stepbrother again!”
Icelle slowly nods, and just as slowly and thoughtfully asks, “But you’re still okay with kissing him?”
Aaaargh!
“Will youpleasestop talking about that!”