*She wasn't looking for love - just snacks and a nap. But then he smiled...*
~True love? Unexpected. Emotional growth? Unwanted. Drama? Inevitable.~
Veronica D'Costa isn't exactly the main character type just - a regular teen: emotionally avoidant...
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We walked into the party hand in hand, ignoring all the curious stares thrown our way and it felt oddly nice.
"Beer?" I offered. Then winced. "Oh wait, sorry. You don't drink. Uh... sparkling water?"
Tyler grinned. "Yeah, sure."
But before I could lead him to the kitchen, his hand was suddenly yanked away from mine.
I turned around to see Courtney giving him a tight hug. "I have been looking for you, where have you been?" she asked pulling away from him.
"I had something to take care of. Did you just get here?"
"No, it's been a while. Come on, my friends want to meet you." She tugged at his arm like he was hers to parade.
"Court, I'm not in the mood to talk to them," he said.
"Oh, come on. This party's boring anyway. Now that we're here, let's spice it up." Her tone made my skin crawl.
She wore a black figure-fitting dress with a sweetheart neckline. Her gorgeous strawberry blond hair was in a ponytail. She was elegant, stunning and too much.
People don't go out like that. They walked runways.
And standing next to Tyler, they looked perfect. Like some catalogue ad for rich, untouchable teenagers.
I didn't hear the rest of their conversation because I was already walking away from them and neither of them noticed.
The disappointment I felt? Sudden. And sharper than expected. But I shook it off. I didn't have time for petty drama or insecure thoughts. Not tonight.
I found the others where I left them—tucked away in the kitchen. Ash and Jace gave me knowing looks.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"So... you did go look for Tyler," Jace said, casually leaning against the counter.
"Yeah."
"And you convinced him to come."
"Maybe you underestimated my persuasion skills."
Jace gave me a half-smile but didn't comment. That look on his face? Puzzled. Maybe even impressed.
"What?" I asked again.
"Nothing. Just... it's not easy to get him to change his mind about things. He was pretty set on skipping the party tonight. Said he wasn't in the right headspace."
A part of me melted at that. He really did show up for me.
"But why was he so upset?" I asked, lowering my voice.
Jace hesitated. "It's not really my story to tell, V."
Before I could push, Avi appeared with perfect timing. "What are you two whispering about?"
