She begins to giggle, her head falling all the way back, the sound of her laughter not as annoying as I would have expected. A remarkable feat since this whole situation is irritating the fuck out of me. I make a mental note to castrate Finn when I see him. Okay, maybe not snip his junk since I’ve got good use for it, but definitely a good tongue lashing.
“Don’t look so worried, Stone. I’m not going to tell you I’m after your man or anything.” She continues to laugh, pulling me toward the dressing rooms where two clerks are already standing with various dresses in their hands.
“I just wanted to thank you,” she adds, her genuine tone taking me even more off-guard.
“Thank me? For what?”
“Isn’t it obvious? For Finn,” she beams, but the confused scowl on my face hints that she’ll have to clarify her statement. “Okay, so you might not know this, but our little group has gone through some hurdles these past few months. Not all of us are dealing with it so well. I guess I’m just glad that Finn, at least, has been able to find happiness throughout all the chaos. One of us deserves some joy in their lives.”
Kennedy’s blue eyes darken with the same sadness her words are tainted with.
“What type of hurdles?” I question, my curiosity piquing at the details of Finn’s life that I’m not aware of.
“One of our best friends tragically lost both of his parents earlier this year, and we haven’t quite moved on from the shock. When one of us hurts, all of us feel the pinch,” she explains.
“The Hamilton murders? I read about it in the paper. I didn’t realize Finn was so close to Ashville’s founding family,” I murmur.
No wonder he was so insistent about me attending his parents’ party tomorrow. It’s pretty boy’s desperate attempt to merge his two worlds together. I just wish this union was going to happen on my turf rather than his.
“Yes. Our families are very close. Lincoln is like a brother to Finn. I’m surprised he hasn’t talked about him,” she states, her brows deepening in disappointment.
“Finn talks about his friends all the time. It hasn’t been a huge topic of discussion, though. The murders, I mean.”
“Right. Of course not. I mean, who wants to talk about such depressing issues when you can spend time making out, right?” she teases, nudging my shoulder, trying to lighten up the mood.
“Right,” I grumble, uncomfortable with the discussion of my sex life with a total stranger, no matter how good of a friend she might be to Finn.
“Are you happy?” she asks all of a sudden, halting our step inside the vast dressing room, her eyes drilling holes into my head.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I know Finn is happy. That you are making him happy. But is he doing the same for you?” she continues to interrogate me.
I unlatch her arm from mine and face her head-on, wanting to make it completely clear to her that we are definitely not going to have a heart-to-heart. We’re not BFFs, and this isn’t some teenage rom-com where we are about to do a montage of the popular girl giving the town’s reject a makeover to impress the jock.
Fuck that!
Kennedy turns around and closes the door, asking the clerks to give us some privacy so that I can try on the first dress. However, when she turns my way again, the look on her face is dead-serious.
“So? Is he?”
“I don’t see why my happiness is any of your business.”
The minute the words fall from my lips, a predatory, feline gaze begins to simmer in her eyes, and a sick sense of déjà vu slaps me across the face—I’ve seen this same vulturous look somewhere before, and it had left me just as unnerved then as I am now.
What the hell is going on?
Have I met Kennedy before today? I mean, I could have. We are attending the same university, so I’m sure I’ve bumped into her before.
But that stare.
The unsettling prick on the nape of my neck is somehow familiar to me. It’s reminiscent of something that, for the life of me, I can’t recall. Or maybe I don’t want to.
I school my face as best I can, trying to look unaffected, so the Barbie doesn’t realize she’s getting to me. But instead of toning down her nefarious gaze, she just amplifies it, twisting her stunning features into something lethal. So much so, I take a step back from her to gain enough room in case I need to throw a bitch down.
“I know coming into our world may be a little overwhelming for you, so I understand you putting up your defenses. Finn, however, is a typical guy. I doubt he has a total grasp on what a big deal it is bringing you as a date to his father’s birthday party. But you and I aren’t that clueless, are we?” I roll my tongue over my teeth, her domineering gaze never faltering as she continues with her rant, “By him bringing you along, he’s telling all of Ashville that you are the woman he wants to be with. All I’m asking is are you ready for such a commitment? Because, honey, I have to be honest with you. If you do this, you can’t be of two minds about it. You’re either all in, or not. And if you’re not, maybe you should reconsider your choices.”
“Tell me something, Kennedy. Did Finn ask you to help me pick out a dress this afternoon, or did you offer to do it?” I ask suspiciously, thinking this chick has an agenda all of her own.
“I offered, of course.” The corner of her lip tugs into a mischievous smile.
“And did you do that because you like shopping so much, or because you wanted to size me up? Or perhaps you wanted to tell me where my place is at?” I ask her, point-blank.
Her snicker becomes a full-blown, carefree laugh once again, the devious glare no longer governing her face.
“He said you were super smart, too. I’m glad to see he wasn’t just blowing smoke,” she replies with a giggle, not denying my suspicions.
“So that’s it. You wanted to check me out and see if I’m good enough for your little group,” I sneer, pissed as hell that this debutant wanted to vet me for their rich club.
Her former grin dissipates from her face, making the serious glower that was previously embedded in her eyes return at full force.
“Not at all. I just wanted to make sure Finn is giving his heart to someone who deserves it. Yes, his family and friends will be in your life, but I’m not worried about them. You can take us or leave us. That will be your prerogative. I just want to be certain, if push comes to shove and we’re too much for you, will you break my friend’s heart? Finn may have the strength of a giant, but he’s frail and sensitive. I don’t want some girl to take advantage of that, no matter who she is.”
“I thought you said you weren’t after my man? It sounds to me like maybe you are. If that’s the case, then you’re in for a rude awakening. Finn isn’t yours to stake claim to. He’s mine,” I growl with more confidence than I actually have.
In reality, my heart is shriveling up inside, thinking of Kennedy Ryland as my rival for Finn’s love. If that’s the case, then how the fuck can I keep him? I couldn’t compete, and she knows it. Being born and bred in the wrong part of town will make it difficult for most people in Finn’s life to accept me as his girlfriend. Which means our relationship is already set up to fail. Add Kennedy to the mix, as the girl gunning for his affections, then I might as well give up now.