Page 21 of The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad

“It was an activity they did at the assisted living center,” I said. “Carpe Diem is a lot less morbid than kicking the bucket, andThe Dead Poets’ Societywas the movie for July. They loved it.”

“Who doesn’t?” Kyle said. “Williams at his best, inciting those private school boys to seize the day, the drama was so on point.”

“I know, right?O’ Captain, my captain.Totally classic.” Sobering, I looked down. “The sad part is I haven’t actually done any of the things on my list. Not yet, anyway.”

Kyle placed a hand under my chin, lifting until I met his eyes. “Kinda hard to go to Ireland when you’re still in high school,” he said gently.

“Yeah, but most of them don’t require leaving the country.”

“So, why haven’t you done any of the others?”

“I don’t know.” I frowned. “Because I’m too much of a ‘nice girl,’ I guess. Plus, I’m scared.”

Kyle smiled. “I could help you.”

“Kyle, you know I love you,” I said, “but I’d be way too embarrassed to do half the things on my list if I knew you were watching. I care too much about how you see me.”

“Okay, I get that,” he said. “But then what? You need someone whose opinion you don’t care about?”

“Yeah,” I laughed, my mind turning over what he’d just said. “That would be awesome actually. Someone I wouldn’t mind making an absolute fool of myself in front of. They’d have to be brave enough to do all the things on my list. Someone less like me. Someone edgy, someone who doesn’t care what other people think, someone fearless and—”

A shadow fell over the two of us at that moment, and someone (a very unwelcome someone) cleared his throat.

“Okay, what’s this I hear about a list?” Colton said. His voice, that bored yet blunt drawl, always sent my hackles up. This time was no different, but his statement had me turning to glare at his twin.

“Kyle!” I said. I couldn’t believe it. “You toldhim? How could you?”

Kyle took a step back hands out. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”

“Good,” I muttered, “because I may have had to kill you if you did.”

“Geez, Sadie, I would never share your list with my brother. It’s private.”

“Ah, so there is a list,” Colton cut in, and I hated the smug look on his face. “Sadie, if you needed my help all you had to do was ask. You didn’t have to bring the old lady into it.”

“What are you talking about?” I said.

“If the dancing wasn’t bad enough, she kept talking about some makeover and a list and how I had to help you complete it,” Colton said. “Man, that lady could talk. She wouldn’t let me leave. Asked for my birth sign, relationship status, if I’d ever been suspended, how many piercings and tats I had.”

I was interested in the answer to that last one. I’d always had an unhealthy and inexplicable obsession with his piercings, but that was beside the point.

“Who wouldn’t let you leave?” I asked.

“That Betty woman.” He shivered, a real honest to goodness shiver. “She’s scary.”

Any other time, I would’ve laughed because he looked seriously freaked—it was rare to see Colton Bishop looking anything but cocky, confident and collected. But just then, I felt like lying on the floor, curling up in the fetal position.Et tu, Betty?But of course, Betty would do this, I thought. She must’ve taken one look at Colton and decided he would be a perfect life makeover coach to introduce me to the wilder side of things. Even I had to admit, he had all the qualities on the surface. Too bad I knew better.

“What exactly did she say?” I asked, fearing the answer.

“That I should be your coach,” Colton said flatly. “That there was some list you couldn’t complete without me, and it was her dying wish that I help you.”

“Wow,” I said, eyes wide.

Betty had brought out the big guns with the whole “dying wish” thing. I knew for a fact she was in excellent health, but Colton obviously didn’t.

“So, wait a minute,” Kyle said to me. He looked confused, and I couldn’t really blame him. It was a lot to take in. “Betty’s your friend, right? The one from Shady Grove?”

I nodded. “She thinks I need a life makeover and a coach to show me how to be more adventurous, break out of my nice girl image.” Colton was grinning again, but I ignored him. “To be honest, I kind of agree. Not with her choice of coach”—I shot a scathing look at Colton—”but about the makeover part.”

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