Page 32 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions

I nodded, cheeks still hot.

“It’s been an eventful trip, that’s for sure.” Understatement of the century.

Alex’s mask cracked a little more.

June’s gaze was hawk-like as she observed her brother. “I feel like there’s a story there,” she teased. “A story that you didn’t tell me. Care to share with the class?”

Alex didn’t hesitate. “It wasn’t all that interesting.”

My dildo hadliterallyhit his shoe.

He’d certainly found it interesting earlier. What the fuck was his problem? Was hetryingto antagonize me? And if he was, why wasn’t helookingat me? The emotional whiplash was confusing as hell.

I forced my face to remain blank, even though an uncomfortable pit had formed in my stomach. I’d thought he was different. That he was forthright in a way Brendon never had been. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe Alex was just as manipulative as Brendon.

“Then why did you say there was definitely a story?” Juniper looked confused.

“Stories can be boring,” Alex replied.

Boring?

Why did that hurt?

I didn’t care what he thought of me. At least…I hadn’tthoughtI did. Clearly, I’d been wrong. Because Alex calling me boring felt like an ice pick to the heart. I swallowed the bile climbing up my throat.

Was I really…ajoketo him?

Fine.

This was fine.

Two could play that game.

If he wanted to act like an ice prince, so could I. There was no way I was letting him know how badly he’d dug beneath my skin. If hewasmaking fun of me, he was about to realize how futile that effort had been.

There would be no punchline.

I would survive this.

I would escape with my reputation and what little self-confidence I had intact.

I wouldn’t forsake my mom’s pride just because Alex had hurt my feelings.

When Alex wasn’t flirting, it was almost too easy to ignore him.

Questions bubbled up inside me, but I shoved them down, turning my focus onto Alex’s sister. She was watching him the same way I had, like she was trying to figure him out.

“I was just telling George about Alex,” Roderick hedged, obviously attempting to end the unpleasant silence. He addressed me, “Didn’t you have something you wanted to ask him?”

“I did,” I shrugged.

“You did?” Alex sounded surprised. Which was fair. I had actively done my best not to participate in conversation on the plane. I certainly hadn’t asked him questions.

“I’m no longer interested in hearing the answer,” I replied to Roderick, not Alex.

Another pause.

“Why not?” Alex’s brow furrowed. He turned those clever, pale eyes on me. I shrugged again, not bothering to answer. It didn’t matter anyway. After this turn of events I was more than done with him. I rose from my seat, offering Roderick a smile.

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