The Enemy Lives Next Door (bxb)

Part Twenty-Seven

Part Twenty-Seven

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"You what?" Lilly's voice shrieks, drawing the attention of nearby diners. I force a smile and avoid their curious stares. "What? I mean, what?"

Maya's fry falls from her mouth as she stares at me, wide-eyed. Apparently, my friends are stunned by the revelation that Liam and I have kissed—countless times.

I nod, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. "Yes, can you believe it? It's crazy, right?"

Maya waves her hand dismissively. "But you hate Liam," she says, scowling. "You literally dug a grave in his backyard!"

My eyes widen in shock. "Uhm, what?" I glance around nervously. "That was for an experiment on Mrs. Blackwell's cat."

Lilly frowns, and Maya tilts her head. "You're such a bad liar," Maya accuses, pointing with her fry. "It was totally his grave."

"How do you even know about that?" I ask, rolling my eyes. "That was supposed to be top-secret."

"It's not exactly a secret when there's a giant hole in Liam's yard," Maya replies, raising an eyebrow. "I can't believe—"

"Okay, enough about this boring conversation," Lilly interrupts, clasping her hands together. My gaze shifts to her. "So when did all this happen?"

I swear I see sparkles dancing in her eyes. I open my mouth to respond, but Maya cuts in. "I just don't get it. You hate him, Dale. You always want to kill him. How could you possibly be in a relationship?"

Chuckling, I snag a fry from her plate, avoiding the one that fell out. "I wouldn't label it as a relationship—"

"Yet," Lilly interjects.

"But," I continue, "this is definitely progress. He's taking me out tonight. And to answer your question, Maya, yes, I did hate him, but he's different now."

Speaking of, I haven't seen him this morning. But I'm sure he's around somewhere.

"I knew it!" Lilly squeals. "Oh em gee, this is great!"

Maya groans and throws her head back. "Guys, I don't have a prom date," she complains, blowing out a frustrated breath.

This takes me by surprise. I'd initially thought Adam would be my date, but that plan fell through. Maybe Liam will ask me if he's not planning on taking Celine. Maybe he doesn't want to be seen with me in public.

Prom is a week away, plenty of time to prepare. The girls ask me to go dress shopping with them since I always make the best choices—I happily agree.

It turns out I was wrong about Liam—he's not at school today, which is surprising. He's probably just being lazy.

I text him, and he reassures me he's fine, saying he's planning our date. I'm convinced by his response, but planning a date shouldn't take an entire day. Or is he planning something else? I don't know.

I'm nervous for the rest of the day. When I get home with Lilly by my side, nausea starts to set in. I grab my phone to text Liam that I'm not feeling well, but Lilly snatches it from my hands.