Nicole and I barely spoke to each other. Even though I had no grounds for complaint, I felt that Nicole placed me third on her Favorites List—behind Mrs. Roman and Nick Richmond, in that order. And that realization cut deep.
She held my arm. “What are you thinking about?”
I seized my opportunity to grasp for second place. “I didn’t realize Nick was your type.”
Nicole tightened her grip on my arm. “Don’t play rejected lover. Shall I lie to you? I could say ‘I wanted a change, to see what it’s like to romance a doer instead of a dreamer.’”
“That’s cold.” I put my hand on hers. “Still, I can see why you might feel that way.”
She took a deep breath but looked more self-confident than I’d ever seen her. “I’m shamelessly using Nick, leading him on to take him for all he’s worth.”
“That isn
