I was more concerned about the beating my kiss thief up thing...
“We need something more discreet,” RJ said. “Maybe something outside of school, so he doesn’t suspect we’ll all be there watching. He’ll want to make sure Scarlett is alone.”
I nodded. “I’m supposed to go shopping with my mom. I can ask her to go tomorrow night?”
“That’ll work,” he said. “The text you send to the kiss thief has to be very unsuspicious though. Just casually drop the location. Just enough details to make him fall into the trap. And it somehow has to be in response to his last text.”
“On it.” Sophie grabbed my phone and started texting. She handed it back to me.
“What did she say to him?” Jacob asked.
I read the unsent text out loud. “I know I said I wasn’t going to text you anymore but I need your help. I’m going to Odegaard tomorrow after dinner. I want to get something my new boyfriend will like. Any suggestions?” I swallowed hard. It was so provocative. And wrong. I glanced at Jacob.
He folded his arms across his chest. “This guy’s going to think you’re okay with cheating on me.”
“Kind of the plan, man,” RJ said. “It’s a brilliant text. It’ll make him jealousandlure him there. Hit send.”
“Yeah?”
Liam nodded. Then Sophie. And finally Jacob.
“Okay, here goes nothing.” I hit send. “So what’s the plan for the trap?”
“Just wait for it,” RJ said.
I sighed. “I really don’t want to get arrested at Odegaard.”
“We’re not going to get arrested, baby doll. Just wait for it.”
Scarlett and the Fake Boyfriend - Chapter 7 – Operation Trap
Wednesday
I adjusted the picture of me, Axel, Jacob, and Sophie on my new nightstand. I was pretty sure this was the first time in my life I wouldn’t have someone watching my every move. Which was good. Because I had a feeling I’d be coming and going a lot through the trapdoor under the carpet.
Uncle Rob and Mr. Tanner had designed it perfectly so that the edge of the carpet was connected to the trapdoor. So I could leave my bedroom door unlocked, disappear through the trapdoor, and anyone who came to check on me wouldn’t notice a thing. Other than the fact that I was mysteriously missing.
“Bed check!” Sophie collapsed backward on the bed in the guest room. Or rather...my room now. “Definitely comfortable enough,” she said.
I fell backward on the bed next to her. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same mattress.”
“Do you think we should paint the walls or something? The gray is a little...gray, don’t you think?”
“It kind of works with my decorations though.” I had white picture frames and a big poofy white comforter. “And the décor works pretty well with the view.” I pointed out the window. The gray and white almost matched the buildings encircling CentralPark. It felt more sophisticated than my old room. More grown up.
The only thing this room didn’t have that I needed was a desk. Sophie and I had managed to lug mine down here just the two of us. The closet was a teensy bit smaller too. But Sophie was really good at organizing stuff and she’d made it all fit.
“It still feels like a guestroom though instead ofyourroom. Oh! I have an idea. Let’s just get Mr. Tanner to decorate this room like your secret lair.”
The secret lair was pretty awesome. But there was one big problem with Sophie’s idea. “I think it looking exactly like the secret lair would be very suspicious if we ever get caught. It’s fine the way it is. Well, maybe it needs one more thing.” I grabbed the star that Jacob had given me and stood up on my bed.
“What are you doing?”
I stuck the star to the ceiling and smiled. “Jacob gave it to me. When I went over to his house the other day, I mentioned how much I used to love these stars when I was younger. He plucked one off for me to have.” There was more to the story. The stars reminded Jacob of his father. It used to be how he said goodnight to his dad after he passed away. But it didn’t feel right to tell Sophie about that. I was pretty sure that story was meant just for me.
“You two are so ridiculous,” Sophie said.
“What are you talking about?” I sat back down next to her.