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  Every time she was around him, she wanted more and more to just end it with Max and find a way to be with Johnny.

  Max shook his head and bit the inside of his lip. Becca knew when he was really mad. And he was getting there.

  “This is so embarrassing, to be arguing outside the dance.” Becca sighed. She didn’t even care anymore.

  “You know what you’re doing, Becca.”

  She stared at him. “What does that even mean? Ugh, I’m not going to sit here and try to figure out riddles.”

  “I realize you’re flirtatious. You flit around the party like the social butterfly you long to be so badly, charming everyone left and right. All I’m asking is that you stay away from Johnny, seeing as he’s my best friend, and that with other people you just keep your hands to yourself. You always take it too far.”

  Becca tightened her jaw with resolve. His words had scalded her. The “social butterfly” she “longed to be so badly”? Was he serious? How dare he imply that she’s just some kind of desperate, friendless fool?

  There was a pang in her chest as she hoped it was only Max who saw her that way.

  “I do not ‘always take it too far.’” She repeated his words in a nasty tone. “And don’t suggest that I’m just some kind of jackass around Johnny. He flirts with me just as much as I do with him. God, it’s not like he just wishes I would back off him.”

  She couldn’t bear the thought of Johnny hating when she was all over him. Max didn’t know what Johnny said when they were alone. And she couldn’t tell him.

  “Are you serious? It’s just not okay to flirt with everyone around you all the time.”

  “You’re so annoying. Just an insecure little boy.”

  He didn’t freak out. He didn’t yell back. He just looked at her, and laughed.

  Panic rose quickly in her chest. He couldn’t break up with her. She couldn’t let him. They were about to win king and queen. Maybe later she could end things, but not right now. Not right now.

  “Something has to change.” His voice was emotionless.

  “Max! Max, please!” She couldn’t get herself to cry, but she was really trying. She took his hand. He tried to pull it away, but she wouldn’t let him. “Look at me.”

  She yanked his arm and gazed sweetly at him, working in as much worry and desperation as she could into her blue eyes. Time for the last resort.

  She’d have to phrase it just right. “But…I mean, I lost my virginity to you…and now you’re just…” She looked as emotional as she could.

  He froze.

  On the inside, she smiled. Bingo. Yeah, she’d told him she wasn’t a virgin, just in case this sort of moment arose.

  He sighed, and looked out to the great hall, clearly trying to decide what to do or think. “You said I wasn’t your first.”

  “I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Shit!”

  “Is that true?”

  She paused. “Yes, it’s true.”

  Max clearly didn’t know how to react. After a moment, he said, “Why would you tell me I wasn’t?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to stay with me because you felt guilty or anything.” In fact, she was one hundred percent sure that was why he’d stayed with her anyway. Lucky her that he wasn’t usually the type to get drunk and sleep with the new girl everyone else wanted already.

  “I wouldn’t. I liked you.”

  “Liked.”

  He breathed in deeply. “Like. But you’re acting different lately. I don’t know if this is who you are or what. Stop trying so hard, just act like yourself again.”

  How many times had her mother begged her to be herself again? It was fruitless. Useless. There was no point in begging Becca to stop or change or be someone nicer or easier to be around. This was Becca. And that was all.

  The only person who’d ever thought she could really change, apart from her hopeful mother, was Dr. Winthrop. He told her it wasn’t her fault, and that if she just took this, this and that medicine for the rest of her freaking life then her moods would level out.

  Screw that. She wasn’t going to do it.

  Dr. Winthrop had tried to talk her through her “compulsive lying” and her “pathological desire” to do what she thought would make people like her, instead of what was right. You have to control yourself, he’d said. Or someone else will get hurt again.

  She shivered and pushed the memory from her mind.

  “Or maybe this is you,” he added after a moment.

  She was realizing now that she couldn’t let him go. She liked being the golden couple. She liked being enviable, she always had. What would she do without him? No one else could give her what Max could.

  The music faded quickly in the dining hall. “And now it’s time for the reveal of Halloween King and Queen.”

  Cheering. Quieting. Drum roll. Max looked Becca in the eyes the whole time.

  “Maxwell Holloway and Rebecca Normandy!”

  She tried to mask her delight, but he knew how important it was to her.

  “Come on, your highness,” she said, grabbing his arm. “Let’s go claim our crowns.”

  They walked onto the stage. Everyone cheered.

  “Would either of you like to say anything to your public?”

  Max shrugged. “Thanks to everyone for voting for me, I’m really flattered, thank you.” He gave an insincere but winning smile and handed the microphone back to Professor Crawley.

  Becca took it. “I’d actually like to take a moment to say something if I could.”

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  Max looked at her nervously. She smiled.

  “First of all, I just want to say thank you to all of you…you’ve all welcomed me to Manderley and I couldn’t be happier to know each and every one of you.” Gag. “And as for you, Max, I just have one thing to say to you.”

  Everyone was quiet as they listened to her. She took her time and smiled at Max, gazing at him as earnestly as she could. “I love you.”

  A bunch of the girls gasped and then there was applause. She knew exactly what she was doing.

  “Oh, he’s embarrassed.” She wrapped an arm around his waist. “I’m sorry, baby.”

  “Kiss her!” said a voice in the audience.

  She smiled. Max tightened his jaw and looked down at her, his eyes furiously questioning her. He kissed her quickly, and she pulled him in for a real kiss. He was mad, and she knew it. She didn’t care.

  More clamor from their onlookers.

  “Thank you so much.” She handed the microphone back, curtsied and dragged Max behind her by the hand.

  He left after that.

  “That was so cute, Becca!” Madison said, running up to her. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us he said he loved you! Oh, my God!” She waved a hand in front of her face.

  That was definitely the implication in the way she’d said it. But it was easy to claim as an accidental inflection.

  “Yeah, it’s really sweet. Look, don’t tell anyone, but I’m sneaking into the boys’ dorms.”

  Julia’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  “Everyone’s down here, so no one will even notice.” She tried to ignore the pounding in her chest. She had to look happy and cool and confident. “Besides, Max and I need to celebrate.” She smiled, but it faltered as she saw Johnny by the entrance. She didn’t look back at her friends, but went to him.

  For once she was lost for words as she looked at him. She hadn’t thought about him when she’d done what she just did. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might care.

  After not looking at her for what felt like a very long time, he spoke.

  “You guys…you’re saying that now?”

  She shook her head, but didn’t know what to say.

  He finally looked at her, and the look in his eyes made her heart skip. “Do you love him, Becca? Really?”

  “I—I don’t know.”

  For the first time in she didn’t know how long, she fel
t her eyes brim with real tears. She took a deep, steadying breath. She did know that she didn’t love Max. Her stomach clenched. Why was she staying with Max? Was it worth it?

  Johnny nodded once and walked past her toward the dorms. She called his name, but he didn’t turn. She looked around to see if anyone had seen. No one seemed to have.

  That was why she was staying with Max—because Johnny could walk away. And when he did, she would feel like this.

  Becca flew down the stairs and into the bathroom. The tears were threatening again; her heart and throat were hot and sore from being in knots. She was on the brink of letting it out when she came upon two girls.

  “Becca! That was so sweet! Are you—are you okay?”

  It took everything she had to look blasé. “Am I okay? Yes, I’m okay. Just…freshening up before I go to Max’s room.” She smiled and tried to blink the tears away.

  She looked in the mirror and wiped any running mascara from under her eyes. She looked pitiful, she thought. The crown looked like it was making fun of her. She left the bathroom and the two girls, whatever their names were, and went up the stairs toward Max.

  What was his room number? He’d said something about it the other day because his parents had sent a letter to the wrong room. They sent it to eight. He was in…ugh, for once she wished she’d listened to him. Eighteen? Twenty-eight? It was one of those two. She’d just have to try both.

  She found door eighteen. She knocked. No response. She tried the knob, and it was open. She peered in and saw an empty, messy room.

  Door twenty-eight. No answer. Locked.

  Dammit. Was it…maybe his room was number eight?

  She found it and knocked. She shouldn’t be here. She should be trying to fix things with Johnny. She was on the brink of running when Max opened the door.

  Becca reminded herself that this was the way to be happy. To have who everyone wanted. And not risk real heartbreak.

  She threw her arms around Max. “Oh, thank God you opened the door. I’ve been looking everywhere!”

  “Becca, what are you doing?”

  “I’m so sorry. I…I just…”

  He stepped back, throwing her arms from him. “Stop.”

  “I love you. And I mean it.” The words sounded unnatural.

  It was the first time she’d said it to anyone. He still looked livid, but she could see in his eyes that he was working to understand what she’d said. She took his hand to squeeze it for emphasis. The emotions from a moment before were threatening to come back.

  “I do…and I know you don’t believe me, Max. But I do. I just…don’t know what to do with it. I’ve never been in love before. I just don’t know how to act.” She let go of his hand and stepped backward. She felt herself mean the words she said. But not toward Max. “I’m so sorry. I guess I just hoped you’d say it if I did that.” Her voice was small. She wasn’t this person. Why was she feeling like this? “I feel like everyone knows you don’t like me that much and it’s so embarrassing.” Becca drew her eyebrows together, and let her hands drop to her sides.

  Her knees felt week. She succumbed to it and sat down. She stared at the floor and tightened her jaw. This wasn’t where she wanted to be. Not with Max, not on his floor, not in love with someone she feared wouldn’t love her, too.

  “Becca, I’m sorry. I can’t…say that back to you.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t need you to. I shouldn’t have said it.”

  There was silence while she breathed deeply and tried to keep the tears at bay. She was using every muscle in her body to not scream and burst into shuddering, pathetic tears.

  “What should we do now?” he asked. “Are we…”

  “I want to stay with you,” she said. “I’m really sorry.”

  “If we do, you can’t do things like that.”

  She nodded and tightened her stomach. “I know.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  IT WAS THE FIRST DAY WE HAD PAINTING SINCE Halloween. It’d be the first time I’d seen Max since he walked me to my dorm. I tried hard not to wonder what it would be like, where our conversations would go now. We’d fallen asleep in each other’s arms, as lame as that sounds, and now…how were we going to act? How was I going to make an idiot out of myself this time instead of being cool and collected?

  I shivered as I thought of Becca. She probably wouldn’t feel nervous at all. She’d probably smile and toss her ribbonlike hair over her porcelain shoulder and say something clever and seductive. I imagined myself trying it, and cringed with my own embarrassment.

  All I’d wanted to do was get under everyone’s skin, and just tell them what had happened. But I didn’t. I kept it to myself.

  A tall, lean boy with Ray-Ban glasses walked in. The girls in the class stopped talking immediately as they took in his good looks. He scooted the glasses up his head.

  “Hey, guys,” he said as he set down a laptop bag. “I’m Isaac. Frank—Professor Crawley—is my uncle, and he had a family thing he needed to do this week, so I’m covering for him. I, incidentally, am thrilled to be avoiding the family thing. So we’ll have fun this week. Just so you know, I’m not just some random nephew, either. I just graduated from Corcoran in D.C. with a bachelor of fine arts. I’ll be headed back in a year to get started on my master’s.”

  The class was silent. The girls were still gaping, and the guys were sizing him up. Max walked in and took his seat next to me while Isaac dug through his laptop bag for the attendance.

  “Who’s that?” Max asked me.

  I nearly seized up. “Uh. Professor Crawley’s son. No, I mean nephew. He just graduated college and he’s covering for Crawley.”

  I didn’t need to be so stupid when I talked to Max. It would be nice if just sometimes, I could say things without stumbling through them.

  Max nodded.

  Once we were given our assignment, which was to paint abstractly using at least two different kinds of brushstrokes, the classroom was buzzing with whispered conversation. Most of it about how hot our sub was. Max was listening to headphones and furrowing his brow at his painting. After half an hour passed, I came to terms with the fact that we wouldn’t be talking today.

  I was just laying Cadmium Red Light to the underside of a Cerulean blue stroke when Isaac approached me.

  “That’s awesome.”

  “Mine?”

  Isaac nodded and squinted as he leaned in to look at my colors. “That’s really awesome. I gotta say, I usually hate the look of colors straight out of the tube, but you’re doing something really interesting here. Is there any kind of inspiration for this? Like, what’s going through your mind as you do this?”

  Max. Just a whole lot of Max. “Nothing really. I’m just…painting I guess.”

  Isaac looked at me through narrowed eyes, chewing on the end of his Ray-Bans. “Are you in love?”