Page 90 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
“I would understand if you did it. Everyone is under so much pressure, you as the principal’s son most of all. If you didn’t do something to distinguish yourself like get valedictorian, that wouldn’t be a good look for him or the program.”
Josh tries to hide his surprise, but he doesn’t do it well.
“Legacy Lore is grasping, I have nothing to hide,” he repeats. But it sounds more hollow this time.
I zoom in a little. “Kind of seems like an angry ex-girlfriend move, doesn’t it?”
Josh bursts out laughing, picking up on the implication. “No way. Amaya gets enough attention onstage, she wouldn’t do something so pathetic.”
I narrow my eyes as I study his face, trying to discern whether he’s lying. Keeping the shot steady, I inch closer.
“I saw the texts she sent to theMean Girlscast last year. It read like someone who rage texts a lot.”
He rolls his eyes. “I told her not to send that. She hadn’t slept inthree days. But I’ve only ever seen her get that way about theater. She’s literally living her dream life in New York, she couldn’t care less about Woodhurst drama anymore.”
He makes a good point. Which isreallyannoying. I haven’t seen much of her this weekend besides when she was onstage tonight for the show. Like she has better things to do than get caught up in Legacy mess.
“Well, some people think you’re behind the account,” I try. Though I sound a little desperate, even to myself.
He shoves his hands in his pockets. “You meanRousseauthinks I’m behind it. More people assumeyou’rebehind it since you have more against Legacies than anyone. Nicole got your scholarship, and your best friend and ex-boyfriend hooked up. You hate me—it all tracks.”
It does track. Almost too well.
“It’s not me,” I say, thrown by how easily he flipped the accusation. It’s only now that I’m remembering he did really well in debate. Because he’s such an asshole, I forget he’s actually smart.
“I’ve told everyone it doesn’t make sense since you stalk us in plain sight.”
I scowl at him, but he stares past me, as if something catches his attention.
“If anyone knows how to stir up petty shit for no reason, it’s Nicole.”
“Nicole?” I pause, frowning. “What does Nicole have against the other Legacies?”
“She’s not the kind of person who needs a reason to cause trouble,” Josh says ominously, gesturing behind me with a nod of his head. I turn and see Nicole and Reid lying side by side on the blanket. She’s laughing and touching his arm. Leaning down and—brushing her hands through his hair.
Even though we’re not together, even though I don’t even know how he feels about me anymore—to actuallyseeanother girl touch him like that sends an anguished rush of possessiveness straight through my veins. I want nothing more than to sprint over there and smack her hand away.
Which is probably exactly what Josh wants me to do. He’s using Nicole to distract me, since the two of them have always had it out for each other. But I still have more questions. Questions I’veneededanswers to since last year.
Taking a deep breath, I force myself to turn back around and refocus.
“When she saw that video at the assembly, she wouldn’t let it go until Amaya dumped me.” He shakes his head bitterly.
Now that he’s brought up the video again, I can ask him for the real truth about that night.
“Did you ever stop to consider that what happened between us last year had nothing to do with Legacy and was just a drunken mistake?”
He looks up at the sky as his cheeks grow red. After a long pause he says, “Of course I did. It was for me, too.”
I’m barely able to get the next question out through gritted teeth. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”
“I dunno. It didn’t seem like it mattered.”
My heart thuds harder as I try and fail to swallow the sudden lump in my throat. Somehow, he was the one who had the power to fix this. The power of being believed.
And he didn’t use it.
Because of that one rumor, that one mistake, my entire world got turned upside down. My voice shakes with unspent anger when I say, “Well, it did.”
