She scrambled to her feet and then immediately put her hands on her slender hips, one golden brow arching. Despite my indignation, I couldn’t help noting how pretty she was. In fact, just the day before, I’d lain beneath that very window, my head propped on my backpack as I wondered what it’d be like to brush my lips against hers. The memory made heat flood my face like she might be able to read my mind, and my anger flamed hotter. It felt like she’d not only invaded my personal space, but somehow crept into my private thoughts as well. Thoughts about her that sort of embarrassed me, but mostly intrigued and excited me. When I was alone with them. For all my life, our parents had called us the worst of enemies and the best of friends, which I supposed was true. But now…something else was floating around the perimeter of our friendship, something I’d only begun to explore haltingly, secretly. Alone.

Emily stood, smoothing her sundress and brushing off her backside. “I wasn’t trespassing,” she insisted. “I just came out here to see my dad’s car all decorated.”

As if she had part ownership of this stable just because we’d allowed her dad to park his car here for a few days. To be fair, we’d always sort of treated each other’s neighboring orange groves as one continuous property, but I was in no mood to be fair. And anyway, what she’d said was clearly a lie. “Your dad’s car is down there,” I gritted, pointing behind me as though she didn’t already know that.

Emily moved her eyes slowly in the direction I’d pointed and then back to me, smiling sweetly. “I saw the books from below and was curious. I thought some homeless person might be living here. Maybe even a mass murderer or a…cannibal or something. I figured your mom and dad would want to know.” She looked around at the things I’d brought into my private hangout—books, binoculars, a pad of paper and a few pens, a deck of cards—and her lip quirked. A cannibal? Really? No, the little brat had uncovered a secret of mine and could tell I was mad. She was enjoying this.

“Get out before I push you over the edge,” I threatened, taking a step forward, hoping to scare her and wipe that self-satisfied smirk off her pretty face.

“You can’t do that!”

“Watch me.”