Sky blew a bubble with her pink gum. What was she even doing in here? “English Prep? No shit? I was just there a couple of weeks ago.”
Hayley looked confused. “Why?”
“Oh, I was there delivering a message from my man to this little rich redhead bitch who owes him money. She looked like she was going to shit herself.” Sky laughed, and it pissed me off.
I stepped out from behind the dressing room door. “She’s referring to me.”
Hayley’s confusion quickly turned to anger. If there was one thing I knew about my best friend, it was that she loved fiercely. She didn’t cling to people often, but when she did, she clung for life.
Sky’s mouth turned into a snarl when she saw me standing there with my dress draped over my arm. “You again?”
I bit the inside of my cheek as I walked over to Hayley. “Come to try and scare me again?”
“Depends if your little boyfriend knows how to follow directions.”
I hid my confusion.
“Directions for what?” Hayley asked.
My spine straightened as I kept my gaze on the girl in front of me. I almost felt bad for her. What a shitty life she must have had to end up with Tank.
“As long as Jason comes out unscathed and you leave us the fuck alone after this is done, everything will be fine.” I hardly recognized my voice as the words came out. I sounded confident and angry. And I was. A wave of protectiveness came over me when she mentioned Ollie.
Sky’s dull eyes sparked when my voice rose. Even Hayley glanced over, clearly astounded by my outburst.
Another voice sounded from behind me. “Wow. So she does have a backbone.”
I spun around quickly and found Madeline standing with several red dresses hanging over her arm. Her platinum hair fell in luscious waves, framing her perfect face. It was a shame she was so callous as she truly was pretty.
“A bigger backbone than you, some would say.” Hayley’s tone was neutral, but I knew deep down she was holding back a snarl. She and Madeline didn’t get along, but did anyone get along with her?
“It seems we hit a sweet spot with this one.” Sky casually walked past me, her unkempt hair brushing my arm because of how close she was. I didn’t move a muscle. She was trying to intimidate me, but it wouldn’t work. I was too riled up.
Madeline raised a perfectly arched eyebrow when Sky came to stand beside her. Why is she hanging out with Sky? Something didn’t add up with her. She was always appearing in places she didn’t belong and clearly hanging out with a bad group of people.
“Sky, tread lightly,” Hayley warned.
“Oh, so it is true, then. You are with the rich folk.”
Madeline stayed quiet, and it surprised me. Did Sky not know that her new BFF was rich also?
Madeline and I locked eyes as Hayley and Sky did. Something unreadable crossed Madeline’s features, and she immediately dropped her gaze. “Come on, Sky. Let’s just go.”
Sky huffed, moving her stare from Hayley. When she sliced her gaze to me, I got goosebumps. “You better hope your little boyfriend keeps his word.”
Panic was settling into my belly. What word?
I kept my mouth shut and my face unmoving as she twisted around and walked toward the door. Madeline was turning on her heel to do the same, but I stopped her at the last second. “What did you get yourself into?”
Hayley’s arms crossed over her dress, waiting for her to answer.
For a moment, Madeline looked like she wanted to confide in us. Her pink lips fell, and her light-blue eyes dropped to the floor. But then she snapped to attention as Sky yelled for her.
I watched her push past the vulnerability as her words cut through the air. “None of your fucking business.”
Then, she dropped the dresses to the ground in a lumpy pile, and the bell chimed as she and Sky left the shop.
It only took Hayley half a second to look at me.