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WE’RE STANDING AT THE FRONT door of Steve Bledell’s mansion. Steve’s on the football team; he’s mostly known for having a rich stepdad with his own plane. #2 в контекст | | |
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I wipe my palms on my shorts. I wish I’d had time to do something better to my hair. “Not really.” #4 в контекст | | |
“Then let’s talk strategy for a second. All you have to do is act like you’re in love with me. That shouldn’t be too hard.” #5 в контекст | | |
I roll my eyes. “You’re the vainest boy I’ve ever met.” #6 в контекст | | |
Peter grins and shrugs. He’s got his hand on the doorknob, but then he stops. “Hold on,” he says, and he pulls the hair tie out of my hair and tosses it into the yard. #7 в контекст | | |
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“It looks better down. Just trust me.” Peter runs his fingers through my hair and fluffs it up, and I swat his hand away. Then he takes his phone out of his back pocket and he snaps a picture of me. #9 в контекст | | |
I give him a puzzled look, and he explains, “In case Gen checks my phone.” I watch as he sets the picture as his wallpaper. #10 в контекст | | |
“Can we do another one?” I don’t like the way my hair looks. #11 в контекст | | |
“Nah, I like it. You look pretty.” He probably only said it so we could hurry up and go inside, but it makes me feel good. #12 в контекст | | |
Walking into this party with Peter Kavinsky, I can’t help but feel a sudden rush of pride. He’s here with me. Or is it that I’m here with him? #13 в контекст | | |
I see her as soon as we walk in—she’s on the couch with her girls; they’re all drinking from red Solo cups. No boyfriend in sight. She raises her eyebrows at me and whispers something to Emily Nussbaum. “Heyyy, Lara Jean,” Emily calls out, crooking her finger at me. “Come sit by us.” #14 в контекст | | |
I start to walk toward them, thinking Peter is next to me, but he’s not. He’s stopped to say hi to someone. I look at him with panicky eyes and he just gestures at me to keep going. He mouths, You’re up. #15 в контекст | | |
Crossing the room alone feels like crossing a continent, with Gen and her friends watching me. “Hi, guys,” I say, and my voice comes out high-pitched and little-girlish. There’s no room for me on the couch, so I perch on an armrest like a bird on a telephone wire. I keep my eyes trained on Peter’s back; he is across the room with some guys from the lacrosse team. It must be nice to be him. So at ease, so comfortable with himself, knowing that people are waiting for him, like Peter’s here, now the party can really get started. I look around the room, just to have something to do, and see Gabe and Darrell, and they wave at me very nicely, but they don’t come over. It feels like everyone is waiting and watching, waiting and watching to see what Genevieve will do. #16 в контекст | | |
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Emily leans forward. “We’re all dying to know . . . what’s the story with you and Kavinsky?” #18 в контекст | | |
I know she’s been commissioned by Gen to ask. Gen’s sipping her drink, casual as can be, but she’s waiting for my answer. Is she drunk yet? I wonder. From everything I’ve heard and know about Gen, she is a mean drunk. Not that I’ve ever personally experienced it, but I’ve heard things. There are stories. #19 в контекст | | |
I wet my lips. “Whatever Peter said . . . I guess that’s the story.” #20 в контекст | | |
Emily waves this off like whatever Peter says doesn’t really count. “We want to hear it from you. I mean, it’s just so surprising. How did this even happen?” She leans closer, like we are girlfriends. #21 в контекст | | |
When I hesitate, when my eyes dart toward Genevieve, she smiles and rolls her eyes. “It’s okay, you can say, Lara Jean. Peter and I are over. I don’t know if he told you this, but I’m actually the one who broke up with him, so.” #22 в контекст | | |
I nod. “That’s what he said.” That is not what he said, but it’s what I already knew. #23 в контекст | | |
“So when did you guys get together?” She tries to sound offhand, but I know my answer is important to her. She’s trying to catch me in something. #24 в контекст | | |
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I swallow. “Right before school started,” I tell her. Isn’t that what Peter and I decided the story was going to be? #27 в контекст | | |
Genevieve’s eyes go bright and my heart sinks. I’ve said the wrong thing, but it’s too late. It’s hard not to get caught up in her spell. She’s the kind of person you want to like you. You know she can be cruel; you’ve seen her be cruel. But when her eyes are on you, and she’s paying attention to you, you want it to last. Her beauty is part of it, but there’s something more—something that draws you in. I think it’s her transparency—everything she thinks or feels is written all over her face, and even if it wasn’t, she’d say it anyway, because she says what she thinks, without thinking first. #28 в контекст | | |
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“I think it’s adorable,” Genevieve says, and then the girls start talking about some concert they’re trying to get tickets for and I just sit there, glad I don’t have to talk anymore, wondering how it’s going with the cupcakes back at home. I hope Daddy isn’t overbaking them. There’s nothing worse than a dry cupcake. #30 в контекст | | |
The girls move on to talking about Halloween costumes, so I get up and go to the bathroom. I come back to find Peter sitting in a wingback leather armchair, drinking a beer and talking to Gabe. There’s nowhere for me to sit; my spot on the couch has been taken. Now what? #31 в контекст | | |
I stand there for a second and then I go for it: I do what a girl in love with Peter would do. I do what Genevieve would do. I march right in and plop down in his lap like it’s my rightful place. #32 в контекст | | |
Peter yelps in surprise. “Hey,” he says, coughing on his beer. #33 в контекст | | |
“Hey,” I say. Then I tweak him once on the nose like I saw a girl do in a black-and-white movie. #34 в контекст | | |
Peter shifts in his seat and gives me a look like he’s trying not to laugh, and I get nervous—tweaking a boy on the nose is romantic, right? Then, out of the corner of my eye, I see Genevieve glaring at us. She whispers something to Emily and stalks out of the room. #35 в контекст | | |
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Later I am pouring myself Cherry Coke and I see Genevieve and Peter, talking in the kitchen. She’s speaking to him in a low, urgent voice, and she reaches out and touches his arm. He tries to brush her hand away, but she doesn’t let go. #38 в контекст | | |
I’m so mesmerized I don’t even notice when Lucas Krapf comes up to me, popping the cap off a bottle of Bud Light. “Hey, Lara Jean.” #39 в контекст | | |
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He stands next to me, our backs against the dining room wall. “What are they fighting about?” #41 в контекст | | |
“Who even knows?” I say. I smile a secret smile. Hopefully, it’s about me, and Peter will be happy our plan is finally working. #42 в контекст | | |
Lucas crooks his finger at me so I’ll come closer. He whispers, “Fighting isn’t a good sign, Lara Jean. It means you still care.” His breath smells like beer. #43 в контекст | | |
Hmm. Genevieve obviously still cares. Peter must too. #44 в контекст | | |
Lucas pats me on the head fondly. “Just be careful.” #45 в контекст | | |
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Peter stalks out of the kitchen and says, “Are you ready to go?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer him; he just starts walking, his shoulders stiff. #47 в контекст | | |
I give Lucas a shrug. “See you on Monday, Lucas!” Then I scurry after Peter. #48 в контекст | | |
He’s still mad; I can tell by the way he jerks the keys into the ignition. “God, she makes me crazy!” He’s so keyed up energy is vibrating off him in waves. “What did you say to her?” #49 в контекст | | |
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “She asked me when we got together. I told her just before school started.” #50 в контекст | | |
