Page 75 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 11

Tuesday

Sophie tried to get me to snap a sexy photo for my kiss thief right away. But I’d panicked. My kiss thief seemed to know me. Which meant he shouldn’t really expect me to do that. If he actually liked me...he should understand that first kisses didn’t usually leap immediately to texting nudes.

But he’d still asked.

And thoughts of him preoccupied my mind all of last night and all day today. You first. His words rolled around in my head on repeat. He wanted a picture of me. It made me feel desired in a way I’d never felt before. You first.

I’d never been one to back down from a challenge. And I felt myself cracking. “Is it possible to make the pictures tasteful?”

“We’ll make it classy,” Sophie said for the umpteenth time. “I promise.”

I held my books against my chest. “I don’t really have anything that sexy to wear.”

“Guys drool over girls in uniform. We just need to undo a few buttons and roll up your skirt...”

“Sophie, I’m only just getting ungrounded at midnight tonight. I’m never rolling my skirt again.”

“Fair. Well, you can just borrow some of my lingerie,” she said way too loudly for the halls of our school. “I have this really nice lacy black set that pushes my boobs practically up to my chin.”

Why was she shouting? Oh. Never mind. I knew why.

“The last guy who saw me in it was practically drooling,” she yelled as we passed by Mr. Halifax’s open doorway. He was sitting at his desk, but he looked up at her ruckus.

“And I’m going to wear it on my date with Pavel tomorrow,” she added before Mr. Halifax was out of view. Sophie was beaming. “Do you think he heard all that?”

“I think everyone heard all that.” I shook my head. I knew she was more experienced than me, but I was starting to wonder if I should really be taking advice from someone who was trying to seduce her teacher. “Sophie, you are not playing it cool at all.”

“I’m definitely playing it cool. Mr. Halifax is going to be thinking of me in lacy black lingerie while he’s in the shower tonight. Trust me.”

I was too busy gaping at Sophie to see that the Triple Gs had walked up to us. And I definitely didn’t see Gigi’s stupid foot in my way. I tripped and fell to my knees as my books went flying in every direction.

Damn it.

Georgia and Gemma laughed along with their demon lord.

“Gigi, aren’t you late for...torturing kittens or something?” asked Sophie as she helped me pick up my books.

The Triple Gs all laughed.

Even though the joke was on them? These girls were the worst.

“I’m so sorry,” said Gigi in a very fake tone. “I didn’t see you there.”

Sometimes I felt invisible in these hallways. But I knew it was kind of hard to be invisible with red hair. I stuck out whether I wanted to or not. And I knew she’d done it on purpose. Again.

“Maybe you should get your eyes checked,” Sophie said. “It’s the second time in a week that your big feet have been in the way of passersby.”

Gigi glared at her, but didn’t take the bait. “I’m actually glad I ran into you guys. Who do you think you’re going to ask to the Sadie Hawkins dance? Because I certainly don’t want us to accidentally ask the same guy.”

Why did that sound like a threat? I brushed off my skirt and grabbed the books Sophie handed me.

I looked forward to the Sadie Hawkins dance every year.

It was my one opportunity to ask Axel to be my date instead of the other way around.

And then every year I was disappointed. Because Axel had always had a girlfriend around the dance.

But he didn’t have one this year. And I’d be lying if asking him hadn’t popped into my head a few times.

“That dance is like two months away,” Sophie said. “Homecoming is sooner. And I have no idea who I’ll be into by either of them.” But I saw her eyes trail to Mr. Halifax’s classroom longingly. She was only into one guy. And I didn’t think Mr. Halifax was going to make a move.

I was familiar with the feeling. It was like me waiting for Axel. And it completely sucked.

“Well, I know who I’ll be asking,” Gigi said. “Axel Stevens.”

I swallowed hard. What is my life?

“Axel?” Sophie laughed. “Trust me, Gigi. Axel has better taste.”

“He has fantastic taste. I would know. We’ve been texting non-stop since the party on Friday.”

What? I pictured Axel texting yesterday and today at lunch. Had he been texting...Gigi? There was no way. He wouldn’t do that to me. He’d promised...

Crap. No. He’d promised not to hook up with Gigi if I didn’t flirt with his best friend. And I’d actually been doing quite a bit of flirting with Jacob.

“I wouldn’t get too comfortable in that jacket,” Gigi said. “It’ll be mine by the end of the week.” She blew me a kiss and then she and her minions strutted off in their high heels.

I looked down at my flats. I’d never felt so insignificant in my life. “He’s been texting her?” I whispered.

“Stupid boy games. I hate high schoolers. You should really only date guys that are at least in their twenties. It’s science.”

“You have a date with Pavel tomorrow.”

“It’s just for show. Obvs. But I am excited to see if his nickname is true.”

“You mean the nickname we made up? Pavel the exploder?”

“Oh. Did we make it up?” She shrugged. “I thought everyone called him that. Only time will tell.”

I sighed and walked toward the front doors of Empire High. I just wanted to go home and faceplant into my bed.

“At least we found out about Axel’s betrayal today instead of tomorrow. Tomorrow’s our fresh start. And this would have been a pretty terrible way to start it.”

It definitely would have been. But also...I wasn’t even that surprised. I’d given Axel a million chances. And I refused to give him a million and one. If he liked me even half as much as I liked him, he’d never treat me this way. And I was done with high school boy games.

I stood up a little taller as we pushed through the doors. The first smells of autumn were in the air. Tomorrow really was a new beginning. And I was going to make the most of it. “It’s fine.”

Sophie raised her eyebrows. “Yeah?”

I nodded. “Axel is dead to me. If he wants to take Gigi to homecoming or the Sadie Hawkins dance just to spite me, that’s fine. He can dance with the devil. Besides, I’m busy. I have a lunch date tomorrow with a great guy.”

Sophie nodded. “Team Jacob.”

“And I have a stalker that needs some sexy photos.”

“Really?” Sophie looked so excited.

“Wait.” I grabbed her arm. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

Sophie groaned.

“If my kiss thief isn’t Jacob, then texting someone else sexy photos will just be something else I need to come clean about...”

“But it could be Jacob. And either way, it’s not like the two of you are together right now. You’re overthinking it. Come on. Let’s just take them and you can decide later if you want to send them.”

That was true. I slowly nodded.

“Let’s go take the sexiest photos in the world.”

I laughed. It was hard not to be caught up in her enthusiasm. “Yes!”

Sophie clapped her hands together. “Boudoir shoot! And I have the perfect idea.”

***

“Sophie, this is a terrible idea,” I said as we tiptoed down the stairs. Whenever she said she had a good idea, I should have known it meant the opposite. It was like she was hellbent on getting me in trouble.

“No, it’s a fabulous idea. You’re still grounded and can’t come to my place, which means we need to find you sexy clothes in a pinch.”

I was seriously regretting batting down her sexy uniform idea right about now.

But we somehow made it through the great room and down the hallway undetected. She pulled me into the guest bedroom.

“Where are the cameras in here?” she asked as she gingerly made her way around the carpet.

“There aren’t any.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Apparently guests in our house are the only ones that are allowed to have any privacy.”

“Well, score. And no one’s found our secret escape hatch yet?”

I shook my head. But I’d hardly call it an escape hatch.

Since there was no hatch. “By a stroke of luck, part of my grounding was helping with chores around the house. I offered to clean the guest rooms. So Ellen hasn’t come into this room since RJ destroyed the floor.

But I won’t be helping out starting tomorrow.

And I know she comes in and vacuums and cleans once a week. And if we have any company...”

“RJ said he’d fix it. So he will.” Sophie picked up the edge of the carpet and tossed it off the gaping hole in the floor.

I groaned. “This doesn’t look any different.”

“He has practice every day after school now. But I’m sure he’ll get to it by this weekend. Don’t sweat it.”

I was definitely sweating it. If Ellen didn’t trust my cleaning ability, she might come in here sooner than next week.

Sophie’s head disappeared as she climbed down the ladder into our downstairs neighbor’s apartment.

I made sure the guest room door was locked and followed her. “We have to make this quick,” I said and hopped off the ladder. “My parents will probably come check on us soon. And when they see we’re missing from my bedroom...”

“Yes, we need to have the fastest boudoir shoot in the history of boudoir shoots. Come with me.” Sophie pulled on my arm, dragging me out into the hallway and into another bedroom. She pushed open the door of the walk-in closet.

“Didn’t Liam say the owner of this apartment has been gone for a year? Why did she leave so many clothes here?”

“I don’t know. But this Russian girl has amazing taste. Isn’t this perfect?” Sophie pulled the white, floor-length fur coat that she’d already tried on off a hanger.

I was a little confused about why she’d chosen something so full coverage. But if a huge fur coat counted as sexy, I was totally here for it. “This really is perfect,” I said and pulled it on over my uniform. “Ready.” I put my hand on my hip.

Sophie laughed. “No.”

“You picked it out.”

“Yeah but you need to pair it with...” She opened up a drawer and pulled out some lacy white lingerie. “This.” She tossed it at me. “Put that on and wear the coat off one shoulder.”