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“It was magical.” A wistful sigh leaves her and she immediately shakes her head, like she’s trying to rid herself of every romantic thought she has in regards to Brooks. “And then I ignored his texts, which means he of course sent me countless messages. He was relentless, but he eventually stopped and now here we are. Pretending it never happened.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
“I don’t know. Brooks Crosby is a big deal.” Iris has covered her face with countless dots of foundation and now she starts vigorously blending it into her skin with a brush. “His family is powerful. Political. The perfect match for a Lancaster. My parents would be thrilled to know I’m dating Brooks.”
“But you’re not dating him.”
“No, and I won’t. A week-long affair is all we’ll ever be. Isn’t that romantic?” Another sigh leaves her and I swear her disappointment is a living, breathing thing in the room. I can feel it swirl all around us, but I’m guessing she doesn’t have a clue, which is kind of funny. Silly Iris.
“Why are you trying to look extra good for him tonight then?” I’m curious as to her motive.
“To make him want to eat his heart out and see what he’s missing.” She rolls her eyes at me in the mirror’s reflection, but I don’t take offense.
“You’re the one who ghosted him.”
“Right, but since senior year started, he’s completely avoided me and pretends that week never happened.”
“I’m sure he acts that way because you ghosted him,” I repeat with extra emphasis this time around. “He’s just following your lead by pretending nothing happened.”
“I suppose so, but I don’t know. Maybe I made a mistake. I should’ve kept it up with him. Wouldn’t an illicit affair be so much fun right now? Sneaking around, praying no one catches us? Feels dangerous.” Iris’s eyes gleam. “I like danger.”
She’s terrifying when she talks like this. If I ever killed someone by accident, she would be the first person I call to help me bury the body. She’d agree with no hesitation.
“Doesn’t Taylor Swift have a song called that? Illicit Affairs? That should be my new theme song.” She grabs her phone and scrolls Spotify, a song starts seconds later and I realize it’s the very song she just mentioned, which is on my favorite album, Folklore. “Ooh this is moody. Fitting since I’m in a mood and so are you.”
“I told you, I’m not in a mood.” God, I’m in a total mood, but I don’t want to tell her why. If she can keep secrets, so can I.
“Fine, whatever. Keep living in denial.” She faces the mirror once more and starts applying blush to her cheeks. “Are you going to wear makeup?”
I shrug. “I’ll put on some mascara. That’s it. Oh, and lipstick.”
“So bare faced.”
“I don’t have a man to impress.”
“Right. Sure, you don’t.”
What Iris said only a moment ago really hit home. An illicit affair. Sneaking around and how fun that can be. Maybe that’s what I can do with Rhett, at least at first. We can build up to being public by taking our time and seeing each other without anyone knowing. It’ll be difficult, but I think it’s possible.
Will Rhett want to do that though? He doesn’t seem like the type to hide much. He’s very upfront with his feelings so I assume he’d almost be offended by my suggestion.
Guess it’s the chance I’ll have to take.
“Are you going to talk to Brooks tonight?”
“Absolutely not.” Iris smiles. I think she enjoys torturing him. “That’s why I want to look as beautiful as possible, so I can torture him and make him regret every single one of his life choices.”
“Oh, Iris. You’re beautiful no matter what. I’m sure he’s completely smitten with you.”
“Smitten? I like that word. So old-fashioned.”
“You know me. I’m always full of nostalgia.”
“Romanticizing your life, bestie? I know you’re all about that too.”
There’s nothing romantic about keeping my feelings and thoughts about someone all bottled up inside, is there?
Hmm. Maybe there is.
