9781250209153

“Are you talking about me?”
She narrows her eyes. “What, you think I’m, like, gossiping? I spend
half my time with you now. You’re obviously going to come up in
conversation.”
“She said you talk about my favorite songs.”
Irene laughs in the back of her throat. “More like I complain that you
play the same five songs over and over.”
I look over at her as we turn back onto the main road. “So you’re not …
like…”
“Obsessed with you?” She snorts and strains against the seat. “No. Were
you worried I was catching feelings?”
“No,” I say hastily.
“Okay, good. Because I’m not.”
“Good. Neither am I.”
We fall silent. I turn the music up. She turns it back down.
“You don’t have to act like the idea is so horrible, though,” she says.
“You sound like you’ve contracted bird flu.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I say quickly. “It’s just … this is purely a
business arrangement.”
“I am well aware, Zajac.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “I
wouldn’t want to date you, anyway. You love drama too much.”
“What? I don’t love drama.”
“You totally do.”
“In what way?!”
“Um—” She gestures meaningfully between us. “This way? Paying
someone to be your girlfriend so you can emotionally manipulate the ex
who doesn’t care about you? Talk about a performative gesture. It’s exactly
the kind of thing I hate.”
I feel my heart rate rising, my cheeks flushing. “You’re really pushing
my buttons, you know that? What was it you said after Charlotte’s party—
something about how I was arrogant to think I understood your enemies?”
She pops her lips. “Point taken. I’ll stay in my lane.”
“Thank you.”