Chapter 26
Lily
"Dean?" Lily tapped on the boy's arm who was seated beside her at the library.
Dean was in her calculus class and since she was avoiding Gabriel like the pledge, Lily decided it was the best course of action to join Dean's study group. He was sweet enough to invite her when he saw her face fall after their last test. Lily, disheartened over her score, agreed and since then, she had been joining Dean in the library every Thursday night.
"What's up?" Dean looked up from his text book. His curly brown hair fell over his eyes, stopping over the rim of his classes. His crooked nose was slightly red from the cold he was recovering from and his old band t-shirt looked as if he had been cherishing it for generations.
"Question six," Lily slid her notebook toward him. "What am I doing wrong?"
Dean sighed and pushed his glasses back on to his nose, "Let's see."
He scanned the problem, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of her notebook. After a moment, he straightened up and began to explain, the gears in his brain turning faster than his voice could keep up.
"Okay, so for question six, you're dealing with a limit approaching infinity, right? So first, you want to look at the highest power of x in both the numerator and denominator, because that's going to tell you how the function behaves as x gets really large. Now, since this is a rational function, we need to apply L'Hopital's Rule if it's indeterminate, but only after confirmingâ"
Dean's words flew out at lightning speed, his hands gesturing wildly as he explained. His eyes lit up with enthusiasm, but Lily could feel herself getting lost in the rapid-fire math jargon. She blinked, trying to focus, but it was like being swept up in a tidal wave of numbers and theorems she couldn't grasp. Her mind wandered, catching on random detailsâthe way Dean's crooked nose twitched slightly when he was concentrating, or the fact that his glasses kept sliding down no matter how many times he adjusted them.
"...And once you differentiate both the top and bottom, you'll get this expression here," Dean continued, scribbling equations in the margin of her notebook. The numbers seemed to blur together, and Lily's head started to swim. He was talking so fast, she could barely process a single word, let alone the entire explanation.
"Wait, hold on," Lily interrupted, her brow furrowing as she tried to follow the cascade of terms flying at her. "What does differentiating both sides do again?"
Dean blinked at her, pausing for a split second before launching right back into his explanation. "Oh, right! So differentiation helps you determine the rate of change of the function as x approaches infinity. It's key for solving these kinds of limit problems becauseâ"
There he went again. Lily nodded politely, pretending to absorb the information while internally panicking. The math made no sense, and Dean's excitement, while endearing, was only making it harder to keep up.
Eventually, Dean stopped and looked at her expectantly, his grin widening as if he had just revealed the key to solving all of calculus. "So, does that make sense?"
Lily stared at the mess of numbers and symbols on her notebook, completely at a loss. She opened her mouth to answer, but no coherent words came out. Instead, she just nodded slowly, offering him a weak smile. "Uh... yeah. Totally."
"Cool," Dean smiled. "Hey, I'm going to go get some tea from the cafe. You want anything?"
"No," Lily shook her head. "But thank you.....I'll just try number six again."
"Don't worry, you got this," Dean said, getting up and grabbing his wallet.
Lily chewed on her bottom lip and stared at her notebook until Dean walked out of the library. She groaned and laid her head down on the table as frustration bubbled up inside of her. She closed her eyes, fighting back the angry tears as they soaked her lashes.
The library was silent. Lily could only hear the scribbling of a few pens and the soft sounds of pages turing in text books. She wiped the single tear sliding down her face and sat up, ready to take on question six once more.
"Okay," she sighed, wiping her eyes. "Differentiating both sides."
"He's wrong."
Lily's heart nearly leapt out of her chest at the sudden voice. She turned her head quickly to see Gabriel standing beside her, his arms crossed casually, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"You?" she breathed, her eyes wide. "What are you doing here?"
"Helping you," he replied, his gaze flicking down to her tear-streaked face before softening just slightly. "Dean's approach was all wrong."
Lily blinked in confusion, a mixture of embarrassment and frustration rising in her chest. Of all the people to see her struggling with calculus, it had to be himâthe person she had been trying so hard to avoid. She quickly wiped at her eyes again, trying to hide the evidence of her earlier frustration.
Gabriel sat down next to her without waiting for an invitation, sliding her notebook toward him and leaning over it. His presence was overwhelming, the familiar scent of him making her pulse quicken. He didn't seem to notice the way her hands trembled slightly as he grabbed her pencil and started writing on the page.
"Come here," he began, his voice lower and steadier than Dean's as he pulled her chair closer, "you don't need to differentiate both sides like Dean said. You're overcomplicating it. The key is focusing on the dominant term, not getting lost in all the unnecessary steps."
He scribbled a few simplified equations on the margin of her notebook, his hand moving with precision and confidence.
Lily watched him closely, her breath catching as he explained the concept with ease. His words flowed slowly, making sure she could follow every step. Unlike Dean's excited rambling, Gabriel's voice had a calm, almost soothing quality to it, each word sinking in like it belonged there.
"Better?" he said, turning his head slightly to glance at her. His face was so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. "It's not that hard when you look at it like this."
Lily stared at the page, blinking in surprise as the equations made sense for the first time all night.
"That.... actually helps," she admitted, almost in disbelief.
"You don't need him," Gabriel's smirk widened as he leaned in a bit closer. "You just need someone who knows what he's doing."
Lily shot him a mock glare, but the tension in her shoulders eased. "Thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome," Gabriel replied, his voice lower as his gaze lingered on her for a second longer than necessary. He didn't move from his spot next to her, and Lily suddenly became hyper-aware of the closeness between them. His knee brushed hers under the table, sending a spark of electricity up her spine.
"Not such an asshole now, am I?" Gabriel asked.
"Why... why are you helping me?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
Gabriel shrugged, leaning back in his chair with that same teasing smirk. "I told you, Dean was wrong. Can't let you keep struggling, can I?"
Lily's heart thudded in her chest. She wanted to say something back, something sharp or clever, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she just nodded, her eyes drifting back to the problem that now seemed so simple.
Gabriel watched her intently, his eyes never straying far from her face as she focused on the notebook in front of her. Lily could feel the weight of his gaze, making her pulse quicken. Every time she looked down at the paper, she could sense him studying herâhis eyes tracing the curve of her brow, the way she absentmindedly bit her lip when she concentrated.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Gabriel's knee remained close to hers, and every small movement he made sent tiny jolts of awareness through her.
Then, in a voice that was almost too casual, he broke the silence. "Why are you avoiding me?"
Lily's heart skipped a beat, her hand tightening around the edge of her notebook. She didn't look at him, pretending to focus on the math problem in front of her.
"I'm not avoiding you," she replied quickly, but her voice lacked conviction.
Gabriel didn't buy it.
"Come on, florecita," he said, his voice softer now, but with a knowing edge. He leaned forward slightly, bringing their faces closer again. "You've been dodging me for weeks. Skipping classes, pretending not to see me around campus...what's up with that?"
Lily's breath caught, her throat tightening as her excuses slipped away. She wasn't ready to have this conversation, not with Gabriel sitting so close, watching her with those piercing eyes that always seemed to know more than she wanted him to.
"I've just been busy," she mumbled, still not meeting his gaze. "That's all."
Gabriel's smirk faded into something softer, more genuine.
"Busy?" His voice was gentle but probing. "You used to want to see me. What changed?"
Lily finally looked up at him, her stomach twisting. His question hung in the air between them, impossible to dodge. She could see the curiosity in his eyes, but the smirk on his lips angered her.
"You're so full of yourself," Lily said, sitting back on her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. "So bold of you to assume I wanted to see you."
Gabriel's smirk only widened at her words, clearly unfazed by the irritation that had sparked in her voice. He leaned back in his chair, completely at ease, and the glint in his eyes told Lily he was enjoying this far too much.
"Bold?" he echoed, his tone dripping with amusement. "Come on, angel, we both know you missed me."
Lily's jaw clenched, her annoyance flaring as she tightened her crossed arms.
"Missed you?" She scoffed, her voice rising a little. "That's a pretty big assumption. And don't call me angel."
He shrugged, leaning in just enough to close the distance between them again, that playful smirk never leaving his face.
"Not an assumption," he said, his voice lower, teasing, "just an observation."
Lily's blood boiled at his confidence. Every word he said, every smirk, every cocky glance made her want to throw her textbook at him. "You really think you're that irresistible, don't you?"
Gabriel chuckled, the sound deep and soft, and it only fueled her irritation. "You tell me."
Lily shot him a glare, but it only seemed to egg him on. Gabriel leaned even closer, their faces inches apart now, his breath warm against her skin.
"Spill it," he said, his voice dipping into a more intimate, teasing whisper. "Why are you avoiding me?"
"Do you have a mental disorder or something?" Lily asked, her pulse quickened, but she refused to let him see how he affected her. "Get over yourself," she bit back, trying to ignore the way his proximity sent an electric buzz through her.
But Gabriel wasn't backing down. "Oh, I'm over myself," he quipped, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "But I'm not so sure you're over me."
Lily let out a frustrated groan, her cheeks heating with angerâor maybe something else, though she'd never admit it. "Leave me alone."
Gabriel's grin was downright infuriating now. "And if I don't?"
Lily huffed, her frustration boiling over. Without another word, she snapped her notebook shut, grabbed her bag, and shoved her books inside. Her movements were sharp, deliberate, as if she were trying to physically shake off the irritationâand the strange pullâGabriel's presence brought.
"Where are you going?" Gabriel asked, amusement still dancing in his voice, though there was an edge of curiosity in his tone now.
"I'm leaving," Lily muttered, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She couldn't stand another minute of his smug grin, his teasing words that always got under her skin.
Gabriel sighed, watching her with that same infuriating calm as he slowly got up from his seat, as if he had all the time in the world.
"You have a test coming up, remember?" he reminded her, his tone suddenly more serious. "You should probably focus on studying instead of storming off."
Lily glared at him, her hands tightening around the strap of her bag. "I don't need you telling me what to do."
"I'm just trying to help," Gabriel said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
"I don't need your help," she snapped over her shoulder, her steps quick as she made her way to the library exit.
Gabriel chuckled softly again, that deep sound that always seemed to linger in the air between them.
"Of course you do, angel," he called after her, his voice quieter but still carrying that teasing lilt. "Good luck."
Lily's grip tightened on her bag as she pushed open the door, her heart racingânot just from anger, but from the strange mix of emotions Gabriel always seemed to stir up inside her.
_________________________
Theo
Theo gently placed a hand on Daphne's arm, his touch warm as he leaned closer. "Daphne," he whispered softly, his voice low, trying not to startle her. "We're about to land."
Daphne stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she slowly came back to reality. She blinked a few times, her mind still foggy from the nap, but the faint hum of the jet's descent caught her attention. Stretching, she sat up in her seat and turned toward Theo, who was gazing out the window with a distant expression.
"We're in New York already?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
"Yeah," Theo nodded, but something in his tone was differentâquieter, more tense. Daphne immediately picked up on it, her hazy mind clearing as she noticed the tightness in his jaw and the way his fingers tapped impatiently on the armrest.
She frowned, shifting in her seat as she watched him. "Are you okay?"
Theo turned to face her, offering a half-hearted smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Just something at work. I'm fine."
But even as he said the words, Daphne could feel the weight behind them. She knew him well enough to sense when something was wrong, and this wasn't just a passing annoyance. There was a heaviness in his posture, in the way his gaze kept drifting away, as though he was trapped in his own thoughts.
She didn't press him, though. Theo could be guarded when it came to his work, and while she wanted to know what was bothering him, she respected his boundaries. She nodded slowly, offering him a small, understanding smile. "Okay. But if you ever want to talk..."
Theo's hand found hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know," he said quietly. But there was an edge to his voice that lingered in the air as the plane touched down.
The drive to her apartment was spent in silence, an unusual tension hanging between them. Daphne stole a few glances at Theo, watching as he stared straight ahead, his brows furrowed in thought. Her mind raced, wondering what could be weighing on him so heavily.
As they pulled up to her building, Daphne felt a knot form in her chest, "What's on your mind?"
"Just work," Theo answered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Daphne asked. "Maybe I can help?"
"I just need to get back to work," Theo shook his head. "I'm sure a lot has piled up while I was away."
Daphne nodded slowly, "Okay..."
"Have a good night."
"Thank you," Daphne smiled. "You too."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Theo said as Daphne opened the door. "There's a dinner I have to attend."
"Will Ava be there?"
"No," Theo shook his head. "But I would still like for you to join me."
"Okay," Daphne nodded, her heart squeezing.
"Also," Theo held up a finger as he reached into his pocket. "Here are you new set of keys."
"New?" Daphne raised her brow.
"We had to change the locks on your door," Theo shrugged. "How else was I going to water the plants?"
Daphne opened her mouth to reply but found herself speechless. She stared as Theo handed her the keys and smiled.
"Good night, Ms. Dashwood."
"Good night..."
__________________________
Lily
"Are you going to this party?" Lily held her phone up for Wendy.
"Yeah," Wendy nodded. "It sounds fun. Alexa was talking about it."
"Yeah she sent me the invite," Lily slowly sat up on her bed. "I don't know if I have a white dress."
"Just wear a white t-shirt," Wendy lowered her book. "It does say to wear something you don't mind getting dirty."
Lily stared at her phone, her thumb hovering over the invite from Alexa. She bit her lip, feeling the familiar twist of anxiety in her stomach. The party sounded funâeveryone was going, and it was a chance to finally let looseâbut there was one thing nagging at her: Gabriel.
"What's wrong?" Wendy asked, glancing up from her book, her brow furrowed in concern. "You don't look excited."
Lily sighed, sitting up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just... I don't know. What if Gabriel's there?" Her voice wavered with hesitation as she voiced the thought that had been gnawing at her ever since the invite popped up.
Wendy raised an eyebrow. "And? You're over him, right?"
"I am," Lily replied quickly, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her blanket. "I mean, I've been avoiding him for weeks. It's just... I don't want to deal with any awkward run-ins"
Wendy put her book down and looked at Lily more seriously. "Look, if he's there, just ignore him. It's a huge party, and you can always stick with me and Alexa. Besides, it's supposed to be messy and fun. I doubt anyone will be paying attention to anyone else."
Lily chewed on her bottom lip, weighing her options. It wasn't just Gabriel she was worried aboutâit was the whole thing. What if he started teasing her again, or worse, what if she found herself thinking about him when she was supposed to be having fun?
"I just don't want to ruin my night," she muttered.
"Lily, come on," Wendy nudged her. "Don't let him keep you from living your life. He's not worth that."
Lily hesitated for a moment longer, then finally nodded, trying to push aside the unease gnawing at her.
"Yeah, you're right," she agreed softly. "It's just one night. I can handle it."
Even as she said it, though, she wasn't entirely sure she believed herself.
________________________
Theo
Daphne's heels clicked softly against the marble floor as she descended the staircase, the smooth fabric of her black evening gown trailing elegantly behind her. She'd spent extra time getting ready, her heart fluttering with excitement at the thought of seeing Theo's reaction. The gown hugged her figure perfectly, and she'd even added a delicate touch of perfume she knew he liked, hoping for one of his lingering glances or a playful compliment.
As she reached the bottom step, her eyes searched for him, anticipation thrumming through her veins. There he wasâstanding near the entrance, looking sharp in his tailored suit, but his attention was completely consumed by his phone. His fingers moved quickly over the screen, his brows slightly furrowed as if something pressing was unfolding.
Daphne's smile faltered a bit as she walked toward him, her confidence flickering like a candle in the wind. Her heart sank when he didn't look up. Not even a glance her way.
"Hey," she greeted, her voice soft, but there was a thread of hope in it, waiting for him to notice her.
He barely looked up from his phone, giving her a distracted nod.
"Ready? The car's waiting outside," he said, his tone neutral, focused on whatever was on his screen.
Daphne's fingers tightened around her small clutch, her excitement quickly fading. She'd spent so long picking out the perfect dress, fixing her hair just right, imagining his smile when he saw her. But now, all she felt was a hollow disappointment.
"... okay," she murmured, trying to keep her voice steady. She cast one last hopeful glance his way, waiting for him to look up, to say somethingâanything about how she looked.
But nothing.
Theo's eyes were glued to his phone, his thumb scrolling with intensity as if the world outside it didn't exist. Daphne stood there for a moment longer, feeling a lump form in her throat, the magical excitement from earlier slipping away into a cold reality.
With a quiet sigh, she smoothed her gown and followed him toward the door.
________________________
Lily
Wendy: I'll be there soon. My mom called, I need to pick something up for her. Find Alexaâshe said she's already there.
Lily read the text as she sat in her car outside the party, nerves knotting her stomach. The house was packed, people spilling out onto the front lawn, and loud music thumped so hard it made the windows rattle. Even from across the street, she could smell the booze and smoke in the warm California night air. Her fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel as she scanned the crowd.
You can do this, she told herself, exhaling a shaky breath before stepping out of her car. She stuffed her phone into her back pocket and walked toward the house, her thin white t-shirt and jeans feeling simple, but just right. It seemed like most of the girls were dressed the same wayâthough some of them already had streaks of color sprayed across their clothes, like a chaotic work of art.
As she neared the front door, a tall guy blocked her path. "Hey, mama."
Lily paused, taking a step back. "Hi..." she said cautiously.
"You here for the party?" he asked with a lazy grin, looking her up and down.
"Yeah... my friends are inside," Lily replied, feeling her pulse quicken. She scanned the crowd again, hoping to spot Alexa or someone familiar.
"Cool," he said, shaking a can of spray paint. "What color you want?"
Lily blinked, confused. "Uh, what?"
"Red, yellow, or green?" The guy raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the paint cans on the table beside him.
Still lost, Lily glanced around. Just as she began to pray for Alexa, Gabriel appeared.
He stepped around the table with his usual calm arrogance, a can of spray paint already in his hand. His eyes met hers, holding her gaze with that all-too-familiar smirk.
Without a word, Gabriel strode over to her and sprayed a bold streak of red paint right across her shirt.
"Hey!" Lily yelped, jumping back as the cold mist hit her. "What the hell?"
"It's nontoxic," Gabriel said, rolling his eyes as if her reaction was completely unnecessary. "Relax, princess."
Lily glared at him, her pulse racing. She wanted to say something biting, something that would wipe that smug look off his face, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, she crossed her arms over the freshly painted streak on her shirt, her skin tingling from more than just the spray paint.
Lily clenched her jaw, the anger bubbling up as she stared at Gabriel. She wiped at her shirt, but the red paint had already soaked into the fabric.
"You're such an ass," she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for him to hear.
"That's your color tonight, angel," Gabriel pointed to her shirt.
Rolling her eyes, Lily turned on her heel, determined to leave him standing there. The heat from the paint seemed to linger on her chest, but it was nothing compared to the frustration burning inside her. She could feel Gabriel's gaze on her as she walked away, but she refused to look back.
The party was packed, bodies moving to the beat of the music, laughter echoing through the house. The smell of alcohol mixed with sweat filled the air. Lily weaved her way through a group of people dancing in the hallway. Her mind was still reeling from her run-in with Gabriel. It took everything in her not to let him ruin her night.
As she pushed through the crowded living room, her eyes scanned the space, searching for any sign of Alexa. She muttered an excuse as she accidentally bumped into someone holding a drink, quickly stepping out of the way before the guy could spill it on her.
"My bad," the guys said, his lips pulling back into a slow grin.
The flashing lights in the room made it hard to make out anything for too long. Lily shook her hair out of her face and looked up toward the guy.
He was cute. Tall, boyish, with shaggy black hair and a lazy grin. He was looking at her with the kind of interest you would only see at a college party. Lily smiled.
"It's okay," she said.
But as she spoke, the light swept over the part of the room where they stood, illuminating everything for a brief few seconds. Lily watched as the boy's eyes traveled down to her shirt. Her smile faltered as the guy backed away, his grin disappearing as fast as it had appeared. Confused, she glanced down at herself, wondering what had caused his sudden change in demeanor. Her eyes landed on the streak of red paint splashed across her white t-shirt
"My bad again," he said.
Lily stared in confusion. She felt heat rise to her face as the guy turned and walked away. She hadn't wanted attention from random party guys, but the rejection felt humiliating, nonetheless.
Was it the obnoxious stain on her shirt?
"Great," Lily muttered as she continued through the house.
More glances followed her, but they all ended the same wayâlingering gazes that shifted the moment they spotted her shirt. Self consciously, Lily crossed her arms over her stomach as she continued to move throught the house.
She clicked her tongue in frustration and groaned as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, quickening her pace, determined to find Alexa. The sooner she found her friends, the sooner she could stop caring about Gabriel and whatever game he seemed to be playing.
After a few minutes of searching, Lily finally spotted Alexa near the back of the house, standing with a group of girls by the kitchen, all laughing and sipping their drinks. Relief flooded through her as she made her way over, weaving past a few more lingering stares.
"Lily!" Alexa grinned when she saw her. "There you are! We've been looking for you. What took soâ" She paused mid-sentence, her eyes widening as she took in the red streak on Lily's shirt.
"Wait, what?" Alexa asked, shocked and surprised. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"
Lily blinked, completely caught off guard as Alexa gentured to her shirt.
"What?" She asked.
"You have a boyfriend?"
"What? No. I don't," Lily looked up.
Alexa looked at her like she was missing something obvious, then gestured to the red paint again.
"Uh, clearly you do," She said.
"Some guy at the door just sprayed this on me," Lily lied, not wanting to tell Alexa about how her brother was the culprit. "He ruined my shirt."
"Babe, it's a traffic light party," Alexa laughed. "You know that right?"
"No..." Lily shifted her weight, wondering what she had gotten herself into.
"Green means single, yellow means it's complicated, red means taken?" Alexa explained. Lily's jaw dropped as the pieces clicked together. Her mind immediately shot back to Gabriel and his stupid, arrogant grin when he sprayed her shirt. Fury bubbled up inside her, heating her face.
"That jerk!" Lily spat, her hands balling into fists.
"Who did this to you?" Alexa asked. "Did you tell him red?"
"No!" Lily pushed her hair out of her face and pulled at her shirt to stare at the color. "He....he asked and I had no idea what he was talking about."
"Dman," Alexa frowned.
"I didn't know what the colors meant!" Lily nearly shouted, her voice rising in frustration. "He didn't tell me it was for this stupid party. He justâugh!" She ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. "No wonder the guys keep walking away from me like I've got the plague."
Alexa bit her lip, trying not to laugh, but the amused glint in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. "Yeah, red's kind of a big deal at a party like this. Everyone thinks you're off the market."
Lily groaned in disbelief. "I can't believe this."
"Yikes," one of the girls beside Alexa chimed in, sipping her drink. "You better change before everyone on campus thinks you in a relationship already."
"I have a spare white top in the car," Alexa announced, grabbing Lily's wrist. "You should change."
"Thanks," Lily nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She followed Alexa out to her car, still fuming over the humiliation Gabriel had caused. Her thoughts raced with how to get back at him. She couldn't just let him win like this, making her look unavailable at a party meant for flirting.
Alexa popped the trunk and pulled out a shirt. "Here. I bought a spare. I couldn't decide which one I wanted to wear."
Lily hesitated for a moment as she looked at the top. It was fitted, low-cut, and croppedâsomething much sexier than anything she'd normally wear. The fabric looked soft and sleek, clearly designed to turn heads. She bit her lip, feeling a wave of uncertainty.
She'd never worn anything this provocative, but the thought of stepping back into that party in the top, and wiping Gabriel's smirk right off his face, was all the motivation she needed.
"Do it," Alexa encouraged, handing it to her. "It's way better than that red-marked shirt. Trust me."
Lily nodded, a fierce determination growing inside her. She took the shirt and ducked into the backseat to change. As she slipped out of her stained t-shirt and into the new one, the cool night air brushed against her bare skin, making her hyper-aware of the cropped length and the way the fabric hugged her curves. When she caught a glimpse of herself in the car's window reflection, she hardly recognized the girl staring back.
She stepped out of the car, tugging slightly at the hem of the shirt, feeling exposed. The neckline plunged just enough to give a sneak peak, and the cropped edge left a sliver of her stomach visible. Lily had never been one to draw attention with her clothes, but tonight, she was done playing by Gabriel's rules.
"Damn, mami" Alexa said, raising her eyebrows appreciatively. "You look hot."
Lily smirked, the anger in her chest now fueling her confidence, "Thanks."
"Let's go back inside," Alexa clapped her hands. "Wendy just texted. She's outside."
"We should tell her to pick green," Lily stepped forward, following Alexa.
"Girl," Alexa snorted. "You're the only one living under a rock."
"Apparently," Lily rolled her eyes and walked back into the house, her pulse quickening. If Gabriel wanted to play games, she was ready to beat him at his own.
How should Lily get back at Gabriel? And what's wrong with Theo?