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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"SO ELLIOT IS HAVING A PARTY THIS WEEKEND." Jaden pops a sliced cucumber between his lips and kicks his legs up over the edge of my parent's sofa. "You should definitely come."
"Elliot as in the guy you're just talking to?" I steal one of his cucumbers and pop it into my mouth, relishing in the fresh crunch and burst of juices. "Are you sure you guys aren't dating?"
Jaden scrunches his nose, bringing his freckles closer together, and purses his lips until they disappear. "Nah. He's cute; just not my type. He's more of a friend. Plus, we almost look like brothers with the curly hair and freckles and all that. It's like looking at a white version of myself in the mirror."
I snort. "Okay. What is your type?"
He lifts his small shoulders and runs his fingers through the mess of curls atop his head. "I like tough guys who can throw me around a little."
"Oh, God," I groan and cover my face. Jaden never fails to take it to that level.
"Someone who knows how to take control." He tacks on a dreamy sigh. "Who can conquer me in bed and make me feel helpless beneath their strong-"
"Forget I asked," I rush out with a shake of my head. "I guess Elliot isn't your big, strong man?"
"He's cute." He thinks for a moment. "Like a teddy bear. Plus, I heard that he's not really into romantic relationships, so I don't want to waste my time on guys like that, you know?"
"Sure." I fish my phone out of my pocket and begin searching for something interesting for us to watch on YouTube. "So you're going to this party because..."
"He invited me and he's nice. Also, I think you could stand to get out of this gloomy house." He arches his neck to glance around the walls of my empty home before resting his attention back on me. "No offense."
"None taken." I'm the one living here. I feel the weight of tranquility every day. "Do you know who will be there?"
"Um..." Jaden taps his lips before shoving more cucumbers into his mouth. "Likethewholetheatredepartment?"
"What?"
He swallows hard and his eyes drift away from mine to focus on the ceiling. He begins twirling curls around his fingers, something he only does when he's attempting to be dodgy. "Just...you know...kids from school."
"Okay?" I drag.
"Specifically, kids who are in his field of interest."
"Which means?"
"The theatre department!" he blurts.
"Nope." I shake my head and stare hard at my phone without focusing on a single thing. "Can't go."
"Why?" Jaden rolls off the couch and scrambles the short distance it is to my side of the living room. "You're going for a friend."
"Pepper will be there and it'll hurt to see her. Not while we're in this situation."
