Page 9 of The Charade

"I think I'll stick with hot." Mack smirked, liking his verbiage more than mine as usual.

"Does that mean one of them will be your next victim?" I shot him a half-smile, knowing how he'd react to my word choice.

"Victim?" Mack scoffed. "More like one of the luckiest girls in the world."

"I guess theluckygirl will have to decide whether they're a victim or not then," I said dryly, picking up my fork.

"Whatever." He ran a hand across his short black hair. "Now I just need to decide which one to ask out first."

I pursed my lips and dabbed my broccoli in the Alfredo sauce that had pooled around my pasta. "Maybe you should try to get to know their personalities before you make that decision."

"Personalities?" Mack asked. "But you know all I care about are looks, right?"

"Pretty sure that's obvious."

"Says the guy who’s so picky that he would rather stay single than date anyone who isn't a supermodel."

I scowled at my friend. "It wasn't just about her looks," I muttered.

No, if dating Sofia had only been about her looks, it would have been much easier to scrape my heart off the ground when she dumped me for Simon Bailey.

My family came from old money, which was what all girls saw when they looked at me—the empire the Hastings family had increased ever since my great-great-great grandfather John Hastings had made his fortune in the railroad and shipping business.

With Sofia having a similar background as me for the first several years of our lives, I'd assumed she'd be different.

But when she tossed me aside for Simon, who was eleventh in line for the British throne, I realized she was like every other girl I knew.

She'd just been better at hiding it than the rest.

Apparently, the way we'd connected so well over our pasts could never compete with the chance of becoming entwined with the royal family.

Mack must have sensed that he'd hit a nerve because he held up his hands and said, "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought Sofia up."

"It's fine." I lifted a shoulder and plopped the steamed broccoli into my mouth, hoping to exude the uncaring vibe I'd been working so hard to maintain.

"Is she still dating that prince? Or, uh, duke?" He furrowed his dark, thick eyebrows like he was trying to remember Simon's title.

"The viscount?" I filled in for him.

"Yeah."

"I don't know. Probably." I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was listening to our conversation. "I unfollowed her last month so I wouldn't have to see their photos anymore."

"Smart."

I guess.Though, if I'd really been smart, I would have stuck to my original plan of never getting serious with anyone in the first place.

Surface-level relationships were the only way to go in high school. Getting emotionally invested in someone was not something I had time for.

Hunter took a seat across from Mack and me with a tray of food, along with my half-siblings Nash and Cambrielle.

After scooting into his spot next to Hunter, Nash asked, "Any guesses on whether we get any new girls in our house this year?"

"New girls?" Mack asked. "I'm guessing Hunter hasn't told you about them yet?"

"Them?" Nash frowned, looking between Hunter, Mack, and me. "As in, we have multiple girls joining our house?"

"Yes." Mack uncapped his water bottle, a glimmer of mischief in his brown eyes.

---