Anything to Have You. Paige Harbison

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СКАЧАТЬ didn’t know exactly what I was feeling. Relief, I suppose, that no one had said something like, Oh, yeah, Natalie and Aiden were being completely weird together.

      It was upsetting and strange, not being able to tell her something. Aiden was probably feeling the same way, since I doubted he had ever lied to her or withheld anything from her, either.

      “Well, that’s good, I’m glad he wasn’t too pissed at you.”

      “Definitely. But I am going to do what you were talking about, and be a better girlfriend. You’re so right. I need to stop trying to get attention from other guys. Aiden is everything I ever wanted. He’s smart, protective, hot as all get out and, I mean...he’s all about me. And you know what I love?”

      “What?”

      She smiled and bit her lip. “Sometimes when he’s pissed or drunk or tired or whatever? A tiny bit of that Texas accent comes out. And God, it’s hot. Because it’s not like a redneck accent. It’s like...like a Southern gentleman accent.”

      I bit my lip, remembering how, only an hour ago, I had heard that very accent.

      Brooke looked proud of herself. “I really need to stop acting like he’s not enough.”

      “Yeah. Probably a good idea.”

      “I’ve been freaking out, because no matter where I go next year, I won’t be near him. Or you. Unless I go to Towson.” She mimed a gun at her temple. “He’ll be at College Park being all successful and busy with his vet program, and I’ll be a million miles away. It’ll never work unless I stay here.”

      “Right...but I’ll only be here because I’m an idiot who hasn’t figured herself out yet. And my dad only gave me one semester to figure it out, and then he’s reportedly going to start applying to places for me.”

      Brooke groaned. “Maybe I’ll stay here, get knocked up and live off Aiden and his vet money, have beautiful children and spend my afternoons at, like, Bikram yoga or something.”

      I took the throw pillow from next to me and tossed it at her face. “You are a lost cause.”

      “I know it!” She squeezed the pillow and bent over it with a groan. “Okay, but point is! I’m not breaking up with Aiden, because even if we are doomed for a breakup, I’d like to enjoy the rest of the year with him. I love him, ya know?”

      “Are you in love with him?”

      She opened her mouth to speak, but evidently couldn’t bring herself to say that, yes, she was in love with Aiden. She started smiling, and I shook my head and said, “That’s what I’m saying.”

      “Ugh, Nattie...I mean, if we were older, yes, it would be selfish. But what, am I holding him back from meeting someone new or something? No, there’s, like, three months left in high school. I’m pretty sure he knows who he’s going to know until next fall.”

      I became suddenly conscious of my facial expression.

      “And what would the point be in being single now,” she went on, “right when you find a boy?”

      “I did not find a boy!”

      “Yes, you did, and he’s superhot, named Eric Hornby, and I’m so excited!” She spewed the words quickly and bounced up and down. “Which is why—” she stood up and went into her purse “—we’re going to have a spa night.”

      “Spa... What did I say? I said no movie-style makeover!”

      “It’s not a makeover! At all. It’s a spa night. We’re going to refresh ourselves. I’m not saying you need to do anything to look better, but every girl feels better with freshly buffed skin, shiny nails and perfect eyebrows.”

      We both knew that she was a magician when it came to all things appearance-related. She nodded at me, knowing I was going to let her do her magic.

      I sighed, resigned.

      “Yay! We’re going to beautify ourselves. I repeat...it’s a spa night, not a makeover.” She squealed and ran over to hug me. “This is going to be the best time ever. Ohmigod. We can double date. How fucking cute is that? Ooh, game night!”

      “You are getting way, way ahead of yourself,” I said as she went over to her speakers and put on the new Black Keys album.

      The music wasn’t on for a full verse before Brooke’s mom came into the kitchen looking irritable but perfectly put together, as she always did. It must be where Brooke got it.

      “Brooke, turn that down, honestly. I’m scrambling to get my things together, I really can’t listen to you blast music right now.”

      Brooke rolled her eyes at me, but said, “All right, sorry.”

      “Now, I’m gone until Wednesday, I need you to really get on this college thing. If you don’t make up your mind—”

      “Mom, I am, I told you. I went to the guidance office, but I have to go back at the end of the week when I have an appointment with my counselor.”

      She shook her head and pulled her Kindle and its charger from the wall by the desk. “It’s so incredibly last second. You should have been on top of this a lot sooner.”

      “I know that, you already yelled at me about this a hundred times, what’s the point in continuing to talk about it? I’m doing what I can now, so just stop.”

      Her mom raised her eyebrows in a signature move that had always intimidated me. “You want to adjust your attitude?”

      “I can’t do anything about it right now, regardless, so I don’t see why we have to go on and on about it.”

      “Because if I don’t bring it up, you will choose to forget about it, and then you’ll end up loafing around here next year.”

      “That is not true! I—”

      “Look, Brooke, I don’t have time to argue about this right now. I have to make sure this flight is still taking off because of the weather.”

      “You brought it up! Jesus.”

      “Watch it, Brooke.”

      Brooke took a deep breath that filled her chest, and then sat on the couch next to me. She stared at the wall with her arms crossed, saying nothing but gnawing on her thumbnail until her mom left, talking loudly on her cell phone about a layover she wanted to avoid.

      Once she was gone, Brooke popped up, said nothing about the verbal squabble and went back to being her normal self. Like always. I had come to know and expect this.

      “I’ll be right back,” she said, and disappeared upstairs and out of sight as I turned up the music. She returned with the Tiffany Blue crate full of bottles, lotions and tools that usually sat on the bottom of her bathroom shelf.

      The first thing she did was slather some horrid oil in my hair and wrap it up in a little terry-cloth turban. The second thing she did was pop a bottle of champagne.

      “I had Aiden get one of his friends СКАЧАТЬ