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“Seriously?” Iris seems shocked, but pleased. “He knows what he’s doing then.”
“He does.” It’s like I can’t stop nodding. “He definitely does.”
“Brooks was pretty good too. The first time. Though we did plenty of other things before that.”
“Same.”
“Lucky bitch.” Iris is grinning.
“Right back at you.” I’m grinning too.
She joins me on the bed, her butt perched on the edge of the mattress as she slips her arm around my shoulders. “My little girl is growing up.”
“Oh my God.” I groan, but I rest my head against hers, glad that she came over. I like that we’re talking about it, but she’s not pushing for too many details. And while it feels like so much is changing for all of us, I still have her. My cousin. My best friend.
“We’ll have to go on a double date sometime,” Iris suggests. “The homecoming dance is coming up soon.”
“Homecoming dance?” I’m already groaning. Yet another change. “We never had one of those before.”
“Right, because this school was lame. But we had one last year and we had so much fun. Nominees will be announced soon.”
“Seriously? Like for queen and king?” I knew this was a thing at high schools all over the United States but we’ve never done it at Lancaster Prep.
“Yes. And then there are princes and princesses for the other classes. Your man is a shoo-in for king this year. I wonder if that means you’ll be nominated too.” Her smile is sly when she glances down at me. “Guess I’ll be campaigning against you.”
“Will you be nominated too?”
“Of course, I will. We’re Lancasters, darling. We rule the school.”
We both laugh and cling to each other, then sit in silence for a moment. I can’t help but think of Rhett, and wonder what he’s doing right now. Is he thinking about me?
I hope so.
“He told me that he’s in love with me,” I admit, my voice soft.
Iris shifts, and I pull away from her so we can face each other. “Oh my God. What did you say to him?”
“I told him that I loved him too.”
“Seriously?” Her voice is a squeak. “Do you think you actually love him?”
I nod. “I know I do.”
“But it’s so soon …” Iris shakes her head. “I haven’t even told Brooks I love him yet.”
“Has he ever said it to you?”
“No, and I don’t expect him to.” She peers into my eyes, like she’s trying to figure me out. “How do you know that you’re in love with Rhett? What does it feel like, to be in love?”
“I don’t know. It’s hard to describe.” I shrug. “It’s just … it’s a feeling. One that’s something I can’t contain. It’s overwhelming, but not in a bad way. He’s all I can think about. Like, it’s almost obsessive, how much I think about him. And he truly seems to feel the same way about me. I’m pretty sure he’s just as obsessed with me as I am with him, and that’s such a great feeling, you know? I don’t feel like I’m alone or wasting my time.”
It made the moment we shared earlier that much more special too, knowing that we’re in love with each other.
“You mean it, don’t you?” Iris sounds truly surprised. “You’re in love with him.”
“I’m in love with him,” I say firmly. “I’m in love with Rhett Bennett.”
My phone buzzes in the pocket of my sweatpants and I pull it out to see I have a text.
