Page 15 of Sugar and Spice (Glitter and Sparkle #3)

CHAPTER TWELVE

I recheck my phone. Riley and Linus should have been here by now, but I’m afraid the snow has slowed them down. I glance out the window of the restaurant that overlooks the massive, snow-covered lake. The snow’s really coming down.

It’s Friday night, and the teams still in the competition are euphoric, even if there will be an elimination on Monday.

Scott and Misty are at a table with Eugene and Max.

Max has a huge plate of nachos, and he doesn’t appear to be sharing with anyone—not even his grandfather.

Even from across the room, I can hear Scott’s occasional laugh as he tries to steal a chip in good fun only to have his hand swatted away.

Sadie, Brandon, and I are at a larger table with Cole and Jerome. Jessica and Anne, the pretty cousins from Tennessee, joined us a few minutes ago. The guys are arguing about burgers while Jessica, Sadie, and Anne eye the dessert menu. You’d think we’ve had enough sweets in the last week, but no.

My phone chimes, and I jump.

Think I could hide in a hat and sunglasses and join you?

I smile at Mason’s text and write him back. Doubt it. One of the waitresses already recognized us, and she asked where you are.

And you didn’t tell her? I bet she’d be willing to make me a poster.

“Mason?” Sadie asks from my side, and I nod.

She and I are doing all right. We managed to get through the last few competitions unscathed, though it was a close call yesterday.

We had a batch of cookies come out of the oven a little too close to time, and our frosting was a melted mess.

The judges were brutal, and Sadie cried.

I’m hoping the fact that they tasted exquisite will save us, though I have no idea how the viewers will vote.

We could very well be going home come Monday.

Brandon shoots me a smile. It’s friendly, but hesitant, and a lot frustrated. I’m beginning to think this is ridiculous. Sadie’s a big girl—she dealt with the awful interview. Surely she can handle the news that Brandon admitted their relationship was a sham.

Except, I’ve been watching them, and I’m not sure it is. They’re not just friends—they’re good friends.

They exchange inside jokes, and though it sounds cliché, they finish each other’s sentences. I study them, and concern gnaws at my belly.

Sometime in the last few years, while Brandon and I attended different colleges, he and Sadie got close. But now we have a chance to be together. Surely Brandon won’t throw that away, not after all this time.

It’s just so inconvenient Sadie has feelings for Brandon too. Real feelings. The kind that aren’t so easy to get over.

I feel her pain. I know better than anyone how hard it is to love Brandon from afar.

The door to the restaurant swings open, and in traipses my blond and bubbly baby sister.

She laughs brightly as she dusts a substantial amount of snow off her jacket.

I swear every pair of male eyes swivel her way, but her attention is firmly locked on her boyfriend, who stands next to her, quiet, calm, and as steadfast as can be.

I adore Linus, and I love watching them together.

Linus helps Riley out of her wet coat, and then she finally looks around the room. I stand, waving her over.

She grins as soon as she sees us. With her hand clasped with Linus’, she hurries our way.

Brandon stands, grinning, and yanks her into a bear hug. “Did my sister work you to death?”

Riley gives him a mock scowl. “She’s insane. Every day, Lauren becomes more like her taskmaster boss. And she glittered my hair—to add a touch of whimsy, she said. I’ll be washing out sparkles for a month!”

To prove her point, Riley angles her head, letting us take a better look at her hair. Sure enough, there are a few pinpricks of bright light where rogue pieces of glitter must be hiding.

Brandon laughs and clasps Linus’ shoulder, giving him a hearty welcome. We don’t really know Linus all that well—not yet anyway, but it’s hard not to like a guy who turned down a prestigious internship on the east coast because he didn’t want to be that far from Riley.

I watch the exchange between Brandon, my sister, and her boyfriend, and my heart aches. Brandon and I are supposed to be together, but things are always wrong—something is always in the way. At this rate, it might never happen.

Stepping away from Brandon, Riley hugs me too. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” I say, my voice on the abrupt side. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

My sister raises an eyebrow and glances at Brandon. “No reason.”

“We need to talk,” I say under my breath.

I haven’t told Riley about the kiss yet. It seemed too monumental to discuss over the phone, especially when I knew she’d be here today.

Linus is staying in the same hotel that Brandon’s staying at, but Riley is going to crash with me. I can tell her tonight.

The evening passes quickly, though I’m eager to have my sister to myself. She’s the only person I feel completely comfortable talking to, and I have a lot to say.

After taking pictures with half a dozen members of the waitstaff, we finally leave the restaurant. There are several new inches of snow on the ground, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to let up anytime soon.

Riley looks up at the dark sky, almost gleeful. “Colorado snow. We are so going snowboarding tomorrow.”

Immediately, Brandon’s eyes find mine. Apparently, I’m not the only one who remembers our last trip.

My sister turns to me. “What do you think? You’re free for the weekend, aren’t you?”

I nod, though I’m not sure I feel up to it.

“Perfect!” Being nice, Riley turns to Sadie. “Do you snowboard?”

“Not really. I’m not very coordinated.” Sadie hugs herself, already shivering. “And I don’t like to be cold.”

Now would be the moment a good boyfriend would put his arm around her, pull her close.

Brandon, however, glances at me and hesitates.

After several moments, he takes Sadie’s hands and rubs them in his own.

It’s an entirely innocent move, but it’s so sweet, it makes me want to cry or throw something. Maybe both.

Sadie smiles up at him, as lovesick as a person can get.

Riley glances at me, unsure how I will react. She needn’t worry. I avert my eyes, purposely ignoring them.

“All right,” Brandon says after a moment, ushering Sadie to the parking lot. “Into the truck. Come on, Harper.”

“I’m going to ride with Riley and Linus,” I say, still not meeting his eyes.

Brandon waits half a moment before he answers, “You sure?”

Finally, I look up. Bad idea. I’m pinned to the spot by his dark blue eyes. “Yeah, you go on.”

He looks like he wants to argue, but he finally nods. I watch as he opens Sadie’s door for her like a gentleman, and I don’t look away until they’re pulling out of the parking lot.

Someone whistles low behind me, and I look over my shoulder to see Jessica watching Brandon’s taillights. She gives me a guilty look. “That boy is easy on the eyes.”

I look away as if I couldn’t care less.

“Is it true?” she asks in her pretty southern accent. “Were you two an item before Sadie came along?”

My stomach knots, but I shake my head. “No. We were friends—that’s all.”

“What about you and Mason?” Anne asks as she joins her cousin.

The girls aren’t catty like Chrissy or Christy, but these aren’t subjects open for discussion.

“Of course not. It’s television,” I answer, hoping to sound bored. “You know how it is.”

They share a glance, almost looking disappointed.

“You ready, Harper?” Linus asks, probably able to tell how uncomfortable I am.

Riley shoots me a sympathetic look, and then she ushers me to her boyfriend’s truck.

“They aren’t dating?” Riley exclaims in a voice that’s far louder than I would like.

I immediately shush her.

“Riley!” I snarl at a whisper. “She’s literally in the room next door!”

We sit cross-legged on the bed, and there are so many junk food wrappers spread out on the comforter between us, we resemble two sugar-hoarding raccoons.

Riley looks appropriately chagrined, and she glances at the wall that separates Sadie’s room from mine. “Sorry…but what do you mean they weren’t ever together?”

As I explain, she pinches the bridge of her nose as if she’s trying to fend off a headache. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. If Brandon’s not with Sadie, then why the heck are you pretending that he is?”

“It’s complicated,” I growl.

“It’s stupid.” She shakes her head. “You two are insane—you’ve been insane for years. This is very simple—he’s single; you’re single. You like each other…make it official. No more messing around.”

“But it will hurt Sadie.”

“Since when do you care?” Riley’s obviously exasperated.

I wrinkle my nose, hating what I’m about to say. “She’s nice.”

My sister’s jaw drops. “You’ve gone and made friends with the enemy!”

“She’s not the enemy.” I roll my eyes.

“She’s faux-dating the boy you’ve loved since kindergarten!”

“I have not?—”

She holds up a hand, cutting me off. “ Kindergarten, Harper.”

Has Riley always been this obnoxious? I’ve been at college for several years, so it’s possible I forgot how difficult she can be.

“There’s something else.” I take a sip from a can of ginger ale. I can’t quite look at her—already, I feel my cheeks getting hot.

Riley waits, scowling.

“Mason’s…not what I thought he would be.”

And just like that, her eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, and her entire “tough love” shtick is forgotten. “Please tell me you’ve kissed him. Oh, it would make you such a trollop to kiss two boys in less than a week, but I could totally forgive that if you actually kissed Mason Knight. ”

“Did you just call me a trollop?” I demand, almost amused.

She shrugs. “Well?”

I shake my head. “No, I haven’t.”

Riley scoots forward on the bed, walking on her knees. “When you do, you have to catalog every single moment, so you can tell me about it later.”

“Uh, Riley…Linus?”

“ I don’t want to kiss him.” She waves her hand. “I want you to kiss him. You know, for prosperity.”