Page 23 of Sweetheart

"She is more of a smiler," I mumbled.

"True.So?"

"It was nothing."

Dad hummed. "Was it a guy?"

"Dad."

"A girl?"

"Dad."

"Is the texter cute?"

"I'm leaving now," I said, pushing open the car door, but Dad laughed and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Okay, okay, I won't meddle," he said then added, "though I'd love to meet whoever made you smile like that."

I shook my head, leaned over and gave him a quick hug.

"Thanks for not meddling," I said. "Love you."

"Love you," he said back. "Have agood last first day, Scarlett."

Once I was out of the car, I took a deep inhale and exhale.That was a close one. Dad wasn't strict or anything when it came to guys—between Charlotte, who'd gotten her first boyfriend last year, and me, who'd…well, never dated, he'd never needed to be.

But if my plan grew wings, I knew Dad would eventually have to meet Sam.

Or re-meet him.

The guy who'd been my friend.

The one who made me cry for weeks when he stopped talking to me.

The one my dad said was no longer welcome in his house.

But I'd cross that bridge when I got to it.

First things first, I had to find Sam, explain my brilliant plan, and gently persuade him to sign on.

Turned out finding Sam wasn't hard. In fact, as I walked the halls, it seemed like hewas the only thing anyone was talking about. Well, he and Brisa.As I'd predicted, news of Chariot High's It Couple breaking up was making the rounds.The CHSstudent body was all aquiver.

"I can't believe they broke up."

"I thought Bam would last forever."

"Do you think Brisa would date me now? I think I've got a shot."

"I heard she's already dating someone else."

My brow furrowed at that.So soon?

Right as I got to my locker, two people stepped up to the onenext to mine, talking too loud for me to ignore. Not that I triedveryhard. Grayson and Alexandria always had the best gossip.

"This is devastating," Grayson said."The worst possible thing that could happen. Brisa and Sam were OTP."

"One true pairing?" A scofffrom Alexandria. "Yeah, right.Like that exists."

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