it, so I smiled back. "I know that you're lying, and you know that I know that you're lying. So let's dispense with the bullshit, and you tell me what you really want."
She opened her mouth to deliver another sweet lie.
I interrupted her. "Honey, I'm not someone you want to piss off and I'm going to get pissy if you keep insulting my intelligence."
Her mouth closed with a snap, and she reevaluated me. I thought she would've figured me out from her second assessment that morning, but apparently she hadn't. She did now as she smirked. A different look flashed over her face, as if a veil had been lifted. It revealed someone calculative. "It's not personal, but you have connections that we want. The girls want you to rush our sorority."
"What do you want?" Just business.
"Corrigan is the main player in his house. Their president is Dustin Lambers, but Corrigan's the one who calls the shots. He's Bryce Scout's best friend after all, and besides, Corrigan is much smarter and way more charismatic than Dustin could ever hope to be."
I had underestimated this girl just as she had me. Few people realized how smart Corrigan really was; he was practically a genius. This girl had figured it out. That meant this girl was capable of more than I had originally thought. "So do you want Corrigan? Or do you want Bryce?"
Again, I caught a spark of surprise in her shrewd eyes. Most girlfriends would never ask outright if someone was angling for their boyfriend. I wasn't most girlfriends. Let's be honest: Corrigan was a big fish at school, but Bryce was becoming a big fish on a global stage. The real catch wasn't Corrigan, at least not for this girl.
"Are you asking me if I want your lover?"
"He's a lot more than my lover, but you know that. So lay out all your cards."
"Fine," Cadence smiled. It seemed genuine. "I want Bryce, but I don't want him for the sorority. I want him for myself, but I'm not stupid. I am aware of how devoted he is to you. He worships the ground you walk on, but the moment that you turn your back to him, I will be there. My arms will be wide open." She didn't even blink. "I'm showing you respect by being honest. Something tells me you're used to having other women interested in your lover."
She used that word again. I gritted my teeth because it was an insult to who Bryce was in my life.
Cadence continued as she sleeked back her ponytail again. "Don't worry, I have no intention of trying to cause dissension between you two, but once it's there I won't hold back. Like I said before, Bryce is my prize. Corrigan and his house really are what the sisters want. They want you to pledge as a sister because then Corrigan and his house will always do socials with us. Contrary to some beliefs, parties really do wonders for making connections. Everyone has a rich and powerful daddy behind them, if you know what I mean."
Sadly, I did. "Corrigan doesn't have a rich and powerful daddy. His parents are so normal; they'd almost be boring if they weren't so perfect. No one's gonna get connections that way."
Cadence laughed. "Corrigan doesn't need a rich and powerful daddy. He's going to be just fine all by himself. This world isn't new to me, and I know a self-starter when I see one. His act is all party and good times, but his real self is all about business."
My eyebrows lifted. "Does Corrigan know this?"
"He's getting it. Slowly." Then her eyes skimmed me up and down.
I didn't like that look. Hell no. I wasn't lower class to her superior blue blood. "If you've got something to sweeten the deal, you better spit it out because I'm getting tired of this conversation. You want a piece of my life. I'm sick of it."
"Relax," Cadence soothed. "I do have something that you might want. I can give you friends."
"I don't need friends." I could barely handle the ones I did have.
"I can give your friends more friends."
I opened my mouth to snub her once more, but Grace popped into my head. I closed my mouth.
Cadence nodded. "I
She opened her mouth to deliver another sweet lie.
I interrupted her. "Honey, I'm not someone you want to piss off and I'm going to get pissy if you keep insulting my intelligence."
Her mouth closed with a snap, and she reevaluated me. I thought she would've figured me out from her second assessment that morning, but apparently she hadn't. She did now as she smirked. A different look flashed over her face, as if a veil had been lifted. It revealed someone calculative. "It's not personal, but you have connections that we want. The girls want you to rush our sorority."
"What do you want?" Just business.
"Corrigan is the main player in his house. Their president is Dustin Lambers, but Corrigan's the one who calls the shots. He's Bryce Scout's best friend after all, and besides, Corrigan is much smarter and way more charismatic than Dustin could ever hope to be."
I had underestimated this girl just as she had me. Few people realized how smart Corrigan really was; he was practically a genius. This girl had figured it out. That meant this girl was capable of more than I had originally thought. "So do you want Corrigan? Or do you want Bryce?"
Again, I caught a spark of surprise in her shrewd eyes. Most girlfriends would never ask outright if someone was angling for their boyfriend. I wasn't most girlfriends. Let's be honest: Corrigan was a big fish at school, but Bryce was becoming a big fish on a global stage. The real catch wasn't Corrigan, at least not for this girl.
"Are you asking me if I want your lover?"
"He's a lot more than my lover, but you know that. So lay out all your cards."
"Fine," Cadence smiled. It seemed genuine. "I want Bryce, but I don't want him for the sorority. I want him for myself, but I'm not stupid. I am aware of how devoted he is to you. He worships the ground you walk on, but the moment that you turn your back to him, I will be there. My arms will be wide open." She didn't even blink. "I'm showing you respect by being honest. Something tells me you're used to having other women interested in your lover."
She used that word again. I gritted my teeth because it was an insult to who Bryce was in my life.
Cadence continued as she sleeked back her ponytail again. "Don't worry, I have no intention of trying to cause dissension between you two, but once it's there I won't hold back. Like I said before, Bryce is my prize. Corrigan and his house really are what the sisters want. They want you to pledge as a sister because then Corrigan and his house will always do socials with us. Contrary to some beliefs, parties really do wonders for making connections. Everyone has a rich and powerful daddy behind them, if you know what I mean."
Sadly, I did. "Corrigan doesn't have a rich and powerful daddy. His parents are so normal; they'd almost be boring if they weren't so perfect. No one's gonna get connections that way."
Cadence laughed. "Corrigan doesn't need a rich and powerful daddy. He's going to be just fine all by himself. This world isn't new to me, and I know a self-starter when I see one. His act is all party and good times, but his real self is all about business."
My eyebrows lifted. "Does Corrigan know this?"
"He's getting it. Slowly." Then her eyes skimmed me up and down.
I didn't like that look. Hell no. I wasn't lower class to her superior blue blood. "If you've got something to sweeten the deal, you better spit it out because I'm getting tired of this conversation. You want a piece of my life. I'm sick of it."
"Relax," Cadence soothed. "I do have something that you might want. I can give you friends."
"I don't need friends." I could barely handle the ones I did have.
"I can give your friends more friends."
I opened my mouth to snub her once more, but Grace popped into my head. I closed my mouth.
Cadence nodded. "I
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