Jealousy (19 page)

“The Frosty Freezes?” Brielle referenced them by the nickname Ana had given Mr. and Mrs. Frost when we'd first met them. She shook her head. “No. They left, like, an hour ago, Taylor said. But I thought the same thing at first—that Taylor was coming to the parking lot to see them. But he told me he was following me to your parents' SUV.”

This was
not
the Taylor I knew.

“I can't believe it. I mean, there's been a little
something
off with Taylor since he got here. But nothing that would make him act like that. What did he want to talk about? What was such a big deal?”

Bri looked down at her caramel-colored boots. “I did something dumb a couple of months ago. It happened and Taylor froze me out until he left Yates for Canterwood. I said I was sorry on the phone, but apparently that wasn't enough.”

“Brielle. What? Tell me.” I couldn't decide if I wanted to shake the answer out of her or hug her.

“Lauren, I feel so bad.” Brielle sniffled, and she wrapped her arms across her chest. “A couple of days after you left for Canterwood, Taylor, Ana, and I were supposed to go to the movies.”

“Okay . . .”

Brielle took a ragged breath. “Taylor was supposed to be at his dad's office that day, but he told Mr. Frost that he was sick so he could go out with Ana and me. Mrs. Frost was off having a spa day, so my mom and I were supposed to pick him up, and Mom was going to drop us at the mall to meet Ana.”

The volume of voices in the parking lot and the sounds
of engines started to fade as more and more parents left Canterwood. I looked across the lot, and Mom, Dad, and Becca waited patiently by our SUV. I held up a finger in the
give me one minute
gesture. Dad nodded and he, Mom, and Becca climbed inside to wait for Brielle.

“About an hour before it was time to pick up Taylor, I got sick for real,” Bri said. “I threw up and got the chills.” She snapped her fingers. “It happened just like that. I couldn't go, but I still wanted him to see the movie with Ana. Plus, I had to let him know I wasn't coming. I tried his cell, and it kept going to voice mail. I left him a bunch of messages before I started getting worried that he'd miss the movie because he wouldn't know that my mom couldn't pick him up because she had to take care of me.”

“Wait.
Wait.
You're not going to tell me that Taylor was that upset because he missed a movie, are you?”

Brielle shook her head. A cold breeze blew leaves across the parking lot. I shivered, zipping up my jacket.

“I wish. I thought he was home alone, and I wasn't getting through on his cell. He'd told Ana and me that his mom wouldn't be back until after dinner and same for his dad. So I called his home number. It rang and rang, and the answering machine picked up. I told him that I was sick and he needed to call Ana or he'd miss the movie.”

A sick feeling lurched in my stomach. I knew what Brielle was going to say. I just knew it.

“I was two seconds away from hanging up, and midsentence someone picked up the phone,” Bri said. She rubbed her forehead with her hand. “Mr. Frost. He asked me how it was possible that his son was going to the movies, because he was sick in bed.”

“Oh God.”

“I know. Lauren, I tried to fix it! I told Mr. Frost that I knew Taylor was very sick and we'd gotten in a fight a few days ago. I lied and said I was trying to make Tay feel bad that Ana and I were going to the movies and was throwing it in his face that he could have come if he just called Ana for a ride.”

I groaned. “Mr. Frost didn't buy it.” Now I rubbed my forehead with my hand. A headache started to form behind my eyes.

“He didn't say anything after I finished talking,” Brielle said. “Just ‘Thank you, Brielle,' and he hung up. Days went by, and Ana and I didn't hear from Taylor. When we finally did, he instant messaged me that his dad had come home because he'd forgotten something and figured out Taylor was faking being sick when he heard me on the answering machine.”

“Poor Taylor,” I said, groaning.

Brielle nodded, her brown eyes teary. She tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear. “Taylor said he got in so much trouble that I almost ruined his chance at coming to Canterwood. I felt sick about it, Laur. I really did apologize a million times, but Taylor wouldn't talk to me until today.”

I let out a huge breath. “Wow. I'm so sorry for both of you. Bri, of course you felt bad, but you made a mistake. I know you apologized a zillion times—that's who you are. I understand Taylor's side too, if he was still angry and wanted to talk it out in person, but he
never
should have come after you like that. Are you okay?”

I reached out my arms and hugged my friend.

Brielle nodded into my shoulder. “Yeah, I'm fine. I feel bad all over again.”

I let her go but squeezed her hand. “You've felt bad long enough, Bri. You've apologized and that's all you can do. I'm sorry that Taylor got in trouble, but he
did
end up here. He was a jerk to blow up at you.”

Brielle shrugged. “It's okay. I'm glad he got it off his chest, and I really don't want to talk to him for a while.”

“You won't have to,” I reassured her. “You'll be at home
and he'll be here. And you can bet I'm going to talk to Taylor about what happened today.”

I motioned toward my parents' direction with a head tilt. “The timing's really awful, but I need to go say good-bye. Mom and Dad have been cool about waiting.”

Brielle nodded. “Don't worry about it. Your parents
have
been awesome.”

She followed me to the SUV and stood near the backseat, where she'd sit next to Becca on the ride back to Union.

Mom, Dad, and Becca got out of the warm vehicle and took turns hugging me. Mom and Dad knew better than to ask me what had just happened with my friends. Becca, however, mouthed
talk later,
and I nodded at her.

“I love you,” I said to Dad. He kissed the top of my head.

“You're my girl, Laur. I love you and we'll see you soon,” Dad said. I hugged him a second longer, taking in the feeling of his arms around me. I missed him more than I'd ever admit—more than I ever thought I would.

“Bye, Mom,” I said. We hugged and exchanged I-love-yous before she got back in the SUV with Dad, leaving me with Becca and Brielle.

“C'mere, LaurBell,” Becs said. My sister wrapped her
arms around me. Her hug felt loving, protective, and big sisterly all at once. “BBM you when we get home, 'kay?”

I nodded. I didn't want Becca to leave. My older sister was one of my best friends. I missed her every single day and still wasn't used to being away from her.

“I miss you,” I said, holding back tears.

“Me too. But you're coming home really soon. We'll hang out so much that you'll be like, ‘Oh my God. I can't wait to get away from annoying Becca and get back to school!' ”

“No, I won't,” I said, smiling at her.

“Mwah,” Becca said, blowing me a kiss as she got into the backseat.

I turned to Brielle. “I hate saying good-bye,” I said. “I miss seeing you every day.”

Bri smiled. “I hate good-byes too. Not seeing you in the Yates halls was really weird.”

“Was?” I made a pretend-offended face. “So you're used to it and over not seeing me around anymore?”

Bri shook her head. “No way. I said ‘was' because it really won't be weird anymore.”

“Why?” I tilted my head.

Bri smiled. “Well . . . because I won't be walking the Yates halls anymore. Oh, and you're not going to have to say another good-bye.”

I stood in the parking lot. Just stood there and stared at her. My brain must have been fried from Parents' Weekend activity overload, because I had
no
idea what Brielle was saying. The family dinner, the sitting in on classes at weird times, and the teachers I'd introduced my parents to must have made me more tired than I'd realized.

“I don't get it.” I shook my head.

Brielle's smile turned into an ear-to-ear grin. “Let's see if I can say it more clearly. You don't have to say good-bye to me. I won't be in the halls at Yates because I'm going to be in the halls at Canterwood.” Bri reached out and squeezed my forearms. “Lauren, I got accepted to Canterwood as a midseason transfer!”

“What?” It felt like the cold air had snatched away my breath.

“I'm serious!” Bri let go of me and bounced on her toes. “
This
is really the big surprise! Your parents and Becca are in on it too! They brought me like I was coming to visit you, but they were really dropping me off. I'll explain all of the deets to you when we're not outside freezing, but I'm staying!”

“Omigod! Omigod!” I squealed and mimicked Bri's bounce.

This was insane.

This was almost incomprehensible.

This didn't feel real.

Taylor wasn't even settled in yet, and now I had a second friend from home at my school. Brielle was more than a friend—she was one of my best friends.

“And guess who's Clare's new roommate?”

“No. Way.”

My brain felt as though it was going to explode from shock and excitement. Barely two minutes ago I'd been steeling myself to say good-bye to one of my best friends who had surprised me by visiting. Now Bri
shocked
me by revealing that she wasn't climbing in the SUV with my family.

Brielle wasn't a Yates student.

Brielle was a Canterwood Crest student.

This was going to change
everything.

Bri grabbed me in a giant hug. “Now your bestie from home is here!”

Other books in the

CANTERWOOD CREST SERIES:

TAKE THE REINS

CHASING BLUE

BEHIND THE BIT

TRIPLE FAULT

BEST ENEMIES

LITTLE WHITE LIES

RIVAL REVENGE

HOME SWEET DRAMA

CITY SECRETS

ELITE AMBITION

SCANDALS, RUMORS, LIES

UNFRIENDLY COMPETITION

CHOSEN

INITIATION

POPULAR

COMEBACK

MASQUERADE

This book is a work of fiction.
Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously.
Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author's
imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead,
is entirely coincidental.