Page 50 of How to Get Revenge on a Cheating Ex
My stomach lurches into my throat.
Her eyes meet mine again as she shrugs. “It wasn’t my place.” Then that pity is back. “And I really did think you knew.”
I stare at her for a long moment. She’s serious. She thought I knew that Grayson was cheating on me and was just okay with it. “You thought I knew because…” My mind’s racing. “Because…everyone knew?”
She winces. And that’s my answer.
I close my eyes and squeeze them tight. I don’t want to believe her. It’s bad enough to think he slipped up once. It’s hard enough to have that image of him and Rina burned into my brain. But to think it had happened before?
To think that everyone knew?
Zack. I have this flash of my neighbor’s smug smile and his constant jabs at me over the years.
Had he known?
I start walking away from Toni as she calls out after me, “I really am sorry.”
She’s sorry? So am I. I’m sorry I ever met Grayson. I’m sorry I ever trusted him. I’m sorry I lost the only real friend I’d had. I’m sorry I’ve been a laughingstock for the past three years and never even knew it.
The bell above the door rings when I walk into the souvenir shop, which is ice cold compared to the muggy afternoon heat. Zack’s leaning over the counter, reading something on his phone as he ignores the customers milling around him.
I stop right in front of him, and he looks up. His automatic smile falters. “Hey, you okay?”
Am I okay? No. Not even a little. But as the shock fades, I am one giant seething mass of anger.
Grayson hasn’t just betrayed me, he’s made a fool of me.
If Toni’s telling the truth—and I have no reason to believe she’s not—then I’ve spent the last three years either being pitied or laughed at because of him. I’ve spent the last three years bending over backwards to be the perfect girlfriend, to make him proud to call me his girl, because I thought... I thought it was such anhonorthat he’d picked me out of all the girls who’d had a crush on him. I’d been freakin’grateful. Like he was doing me this big favor by going out with me.
And all the while he’s been a lying, cheating, manipulative?—
“Bailey?” Zack’s brows draw together in clear concern. “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong? What’swrong?
I swallow down a hysterical laugh and force myself to focus on Zack. “I’m ready,” I say.
His eyes widen and I know I don’t have to spell it out. His lips curve up as a devilish glint fills his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I nod, swallowing down the nausea and the panic. “Let’s get this over with.”
FOURTEEN
FIRST KISS TAKE TWO
Zack
I swearI can actuallyfeelBailey’s tension. Anxiety comes off her in waves as she rings up an old couple and the stuffed animal they just paid way too much for.
“Your granddaughter’s going to love it.” Bailey gives them a beaming smile that fools no one.
Well, it doesn’t foolme. The old couple seems to buy it because they’re all smiles and waves as they head back outside to the rides and the games.
Then we’re basically alone again. There are a few customers still walking around—a couple of freshmen boys who are no doubt about to shoplift something, and some tween girls who are...also about to steal something if their nervous glances in our direction are anything to go by.
This souvenir shop is something of a training ground for little wannabe badasses. Every kid in town knows the security is nonexistent and the employees don’t care.
Well, except for Bailey. I bet she chases down the thieving little bastards. Probably frog marches them over to the securityguard’s hut down by the bathrooms, all the while scolding them about how they should do better.Bebetter.
