Dear Love, I Hate You (Easton High)

Even if something else did happen between them, it’d never be anything more than physical. There’s no way Ashley will let Theo get close enough for anything real to sprout. Especially now that she’s this close to leaving town with her manager Rob and taking over the music industry.

“That’s her.” I nod.

“Not to be too forward, but… isn’t the whole point of having a famous sister that you don’t have to worry about money?”

I snort out a laugh.

He sure doesn’t know Esther Harper.

“In a normal family, maybe. My mom thinks it’s pointless for me to get a job. If it were up to her, I’d stay Ashley’s errand girl for the rest of my life.”

Xavier cringes. “I take it this scholarship is your ticket to freedom, then?”

“Ding, ding, ding!” I confirm, and he laughs.

We don’t speak again for a short moment, staring up at the sky and the million stars masked by dense clouds. If it weren’t for the few lampposts casting light upon the area, we wouldn’t be able to see shit. I feel calm. Peaceful. Until I sneak a peek in Xavier’s direction, and guilt gnaws at me.

“There’s something you should know,” I feel compelled to say. He deserves the truth, to hell with the consequences.

His eyes jump to mine.

“I wasn’t entirely honest with you before…” I need a breather to get a hold of my nerves. “I broke the pact. I figured out who you were long before we agreed to meet in Finn’s bedroom.”

Xavier sits up, his features darkened by shock and anger.

“You what?” he spits.

“I’m so sorry,” I word vomit. “I know I should’ve told you, but it was an accident. I never meant to find out, I swear.”

My apology doesn’t ease his anger in the slightest.

“Xav, say something, please.”

Stiff as a board, he inhales a long, steadying breath.

Then he dies laughing.

What the hell?

“I’m just fucking with you, Vee,” he says, breathless from laughing too hard. “I’ve known for a while.”

“What?” I blurt out. “How?”

“After I kissed you in Finn’s garage, I started thinking of all the times your identity was right in my fucking face, and I realized you had to know. It was the only thing that made sense. Take senior prank night, for example, after we got stuck together. Love—” he uses air quotes, “—conveniently started asking me about the girl I was with. If she was pretty and if I liked her. You’re probably the least subtle person on earth, Harper, you know that?”

“Says the guy who didn’t figure it out until the last second!”

He laughs. “Hey, in my defense, you were misdirecting me left and right. Pretending like you didn’t go to senior prank night to confuse me and shit. I still can’t understand how you found out about me in the first place.”

“Easy, I went to work.”

His confused gaze flicks to me.

“I work at the school library.” I elaborate.

“Shit, really?” He’s stunned.

“Really.”