Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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"OKAY," MARTSIA SLURS while her eyes are dead-set on Amber. "No homo, but I have to admit, you're kind of hot."
I snort as Amber's mouth falls with shock. "I-I...thank you?"
"Don't think you're special, Tucker," Lena grumbles while looping her arms around her girlfriend's waist. "She thinks everyone is hot."
"It's true." Martsia bobs her head. "Everyone is hot." She squints at Amber for one long minute. "You're straight, right, Amber?"
Before she has a chance to answer, the front door opening echoes from downstairs, and Miss Marino's fairy-like call for us resounds throughout the house.
"Food is here," Martsia declares and stumbles to her feet. "No worries about the drinks." She wags a finger in the air. "Since Italians can drink at a younger age, Mom is totally fine with a little drinking. As-as long as I don't abuse it." She jumps forward before scampering into the hall.
Amber snickers and scampers after her. I struggle to get to my feet and with a little help from Lena, manage to stand on slightly miscalculating legs. We stagger into the hall before she stops me by the arm and pulls me to the side. "Pepper," she mutters lowly, "you need to be a little more careful."
I frown and lean my head back. "What?" Laughter slips from my lips. "I'm totally fine. I-"
"No." Her light expression morphs into something dauntingly serious. "You need to be careful about the truth between you and Lucas."
The tipsy buzz in my veins sobers up, and anxiety wastes no time taking its place. I wring my suddenly sweaty hands together. "Wh-what are you talking about? I haven't said anything to...expose us...have I?" The way the words come out of my mouth makes me feel like the guiliest person on the planet? How cruel am I to befriend a girl who likes the boy I'm forced to be with?
"Amber is very attentive and can pick out a lie without even trying." She blinks rapidly for emphasis. "Be careful about what you say around her."
"What have I been saying?" I pant and claw at the front of my sweater as aching fills my chest. "D-do you think she'll hate me? Am I a bad person for even being here?"
"No." A heavy smile drains her expression upon viewing my overt fears. "Whatever is going on between you and Lucas, I'm sure you're not too content with it. He's pretty hardheaded and you're overly passionate, so I know you have the right idea in mind. Whatever it is that you're doing. I can just sense something odd going on in Amber's posture and expressions as the night goes on."
"Am I...too easy to read?" I wonder. My heart roars against my ribcage, yearning for freedom.
"Pepper, you're a major open book." She gives me a sympathetic look. "You wear your heart on your sleeve and express all of your emotions like they're bursting inside of you. You're not good at hiding how you feel or think." She scratches her cheek that's slighty flushed from drinking. "I don't think the alcohol is helping either."
