Page 132 of The Other Side of Green

My cheeks heated a pinch. “They’ve doctored some pictures of me with Jack to look like Brittany. I mean seriously, who is the genius brain in your family? They are almost diabolical.”

Eva clapped her hand to her mouth. “I knew it. I can feel the chemistry coming off you too. Why didn’t you tell us when he got back?”

“Eva? Really?”

“But I’m your best friend. Well, I thought...”

Yay, let’s just lay another layer of guilt onto the already crippling weight of the stuff sucking the life out of me.

“You are, but I’m hardly going to go around shouting about it from the rooftops. I’ve been trying to protect Jack, until this all kicked off again.”

Alex’s eyes widened and he looked a little green. “What? This is ridiculous.”

“I would imagine Brittany has been paid off royally. Or worse, promised something.”

Alex shook his head. “Sorry, Lyra, I really am.”

“It’s okay.” I shrugged. “I mean, I kind of get it. They’re an American dynasty, they don’t want to lose that.”

“Bribing kids though? Jack was one thing, he got himself into that mess with Miriam, but other students?” Alex said, his skin blotching.

The red spots on Alex’s cheeks grew until he looked on the verge of exploding. “I think I should go home and see what’s happening at the home roost.”

“One thing’s for sure, they won’t be pleased with last night’s little show outside Blue’s Bar.” Eva had glanced at her cell and showed it to us. “Lyra, you’ve gone viral.”

“Shit. What am I going to do? I said all that stuff about color, and being united, and now unless I stand with your family, Alex, and say that there has been a mix- up, they are going to ruin Jack.”

Eva leaned down and grabbed up some clothes off the floor, throwing Alex’s scrunched up jeans at him. “Not a chance, Lyra. Not a chance.”

“I don’t know how to fix this. How to make it right for everyone.” I collapsed onto the desk chair, the full force of what I had facing me weighing me down. “How do I get through this and keep Jack, myself, and my integrity in one piece?”

A gentle knock landed against the door and I got back up to open it. Brittany stood at the other side, mascara tracks down her face.

“What the hell?” For a split-second my hand held the door ready to shut it in her face, but I knew Grams would be watching me.

“I can’t take anymore shit today and it’s not even half eight.” I turned back for the room. “Who do you want to see?”

“You.”

“Seriously, Brittany, you are way down the list of people I want to talk to right now.”

She nodded, her bottom lip trembling. “I know. And I want to help.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jack

Evan had a punchability factor most of the time, but whistling at eight in the morning while my head pounded with stress made it ten times worse.

“Seriously, why are you so chipper?”

“Oh, I don’t know. The sun is shining. I’ve found an amazing singer… me… not Simon… and the world is a good place.”

“Maybe found,” I ground out.

He waved the wooden spoon he was using to push eggs around a pan at me. “Don’t worry, I saw Little Lyra and told her there was no rush.”

“You know she nods and agrees in the moment just to get people to shut up. Believe me. I saw her do it enough to Luca over the years.”