Chapter Fourteen

Amelia's POV

I blinked.

What the… she was in love with Julian Lake? As in, the Julian Lake whose heart I was supposed to steal before the year ended? I mean, I knew I was going to have a lot of rivals, obviously, this was Julian Lake we were talking about, after all.

I just never imagined it would be someone this… close. A love rivalry that becomes personal is one of the messy things I've done my best to avoid my whole life.

Mandy and Angela were cheering, but their voices were drowned out by the white noise in my head.

'So, what, am I supposed to compete with Ray for his affection?' I thought. 'Hell, no.'

It was at that moment that Mandy chose to tap me, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"What do you think, Bella?" she asked, flashing a grin at me.

"What do I think about what?" I replied.

"About Ray's crush, duh! We're drawing up a plan for how they're going to become a couple!" she announced, sounding very pleased with herself. "I'm calling it… Operation Get Julian Lake!"

"Wow," Angela said drily. "How very… creative."

"Shut it, Angie," Mandy said, flipping her off. Her eyes were still fixed on me. "Well, Bella? Do you have any suggestions?"

I should have kept my mouth shut. I knew that better than anyone. But I was low-key panicking, and I just had to go and blurt out: "Why should I? This is a waste of time, anyway."

Ray's jaw dropped, and I could see similar shocked expressions on Mandy and Angela's faces.

'Yikes,' I thought. 'Now I've done it.'

"A waste of time?" Ray demanded. "What is that supposed to mean?"

I considered saying nothing, but it didn't look like that was going to help me out of this situation. Oh well. Since I had already dug my grave with the first comment, I might as well dig a bigger one. Ray had already accused me of being mean, after all.

"I mean…" I said, keeping my tone as nonchalant as possible. "There isn't really any point in this, is there? You honestly think Ray is going to get Julian Lake, when prettier women have been trying and failing for years? You don't even know if she's his type. Actually, wait, we know she isn't, because Julian Lake does not believe in love in the first place."

The silence that greeted my words was deafening. Mandy and Angela were staring at me like I was a ghost. Ray, on the other hand, looked like someone had stabbed her without warning.

"How could you?!" she bursted out. "That is so mean, Bella. You're supposed to be my friend."

Before I could say anything in my defense — not that I have any idea what I could have said— Jackie cut in.

"She's not your friend," she said, fixing me with a glare as she sat up. "She doesn't care about anyone but herself. I've been saying that for years."

"You should be saying that into a mirror," I snapped.

I didn't have time for Jackie's nonsense at the moment. I was still trying to figure out how to stop this situation from getting any worse.

"Oh, please," Jackie said with a scoff. "You're clearly trying to discourage Ray because you're planning to go after Julian Lake yourself."

All eyes turned to me, but I was too shocked to react. Was I that easy to read?

"See? She's not even denying it," Jackie added triumphantly. "I'm right aren't I, Isabella? You've gotten tired of toying with guys like Elijah, so now you want a challenge. Now you're going after big game."

"That's not it at all!" I blurted out.

But nobody was listening. Ray was looking at me like I had murdered her entire family.

Mandy and Angela looked like they were one second away from running outside to share this latest gossip with everybody they came across.

"I can't believe you," Ray said, tears blooming in her eyes.

Wait, she was seriously going to cry over something like this? What the heck?

"You're not even going to apologize?" she demanded.

That was when something snapped in my head. I was so done with these people.

"You know what?" I said. "I have better things to do than sit here and listen to this. Enjoy your sleepover."

With that, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the room. I could still hear Jackie babbling behind me as I descended the stairs.

"Yes, run away once you're exposed!" she was saying. "It's what you're good at anyway."

I couldn't help wondering how Isabella had been able to endure calling someone like Jackie her friend.

I was already downstairs, ending my call with the driver that was coming to pick me up, when Mandy and Angela joined me.

I tried to ignore them, but they sat on either side of me and threw one arm each around my shoulders.

"So," Mandy said. "That was something."

"Sure was," Angela agreed.

I sighed, feeling somewhat irritated.

"Go away," I said. "I'm not in the mood."

"I get it," Angela said. "But that's no reason why you should go back home. I mean, you'll be alone anyway."

"I'm not spending all night with Jackie," I snapped.

"Neither are we," Mandy replied. "Not when she's like that, anyway. C'mon, my brother's friends are throwing this party some blocks away."

"I already called my chauffeur," I said.

"Great!" she replied. "He can drive us, then. Who doesn't love a free ride?"

"Wait," I said. "You guys are serious?"

"As a heart attack," Angela said, placing one hand dramatically on her chest.

"There's something you need to know, though," Mandy said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"When I say my brother's friends… Neil is also going to be there," she replied.

"Neil?" I asked.

The last thing I needed was another stranger I was supposed to know.

"Yup. The poor guy you dumped about three months ago."