Clare stared out the windshield in front of them, her breath shallow sips of the dusty air seeping through the vents, the truck’s headlight illuminating the rough road before them. Yes, because Heather was homecoming queen…and Adam was homecoming king. It bothered Clare; it bothered her a lot. That night, watching the two of them up onstage together, voted together by the majority. The majority of people at their school had voted her Adam into the arms of Heather. Clare stood and watched them dance their king and queen dance together. But it wasn’t just because of that, although yes, that had been incredibly painful to endure. It was also because Heather so obviously wanted Adam. She wanted him and didn’t even bother to hide it. That was why Clare hated her. She was blatant competition, and even though Adam had always been Clare’s boyfriend, she still somehow felt like the underdog in the match.

“It’s not a reason,” Clare forced herself to say. “It was nice of her to invite us.”

Adam nodded. “It was nice of her.”

Clare took a very deep breath and said nothing more. She had one objective tonight: to win her boyfriend’s affection back and tell him she had changed her mind. That was not going to happen if she allowed them to delve into a stupid fight over the true intentions of Heather fucking Roberts.

Clare reached across the seat and put her hand on Adam’s thigh.

He kept both his hands on the wheel.

Rumor had it that Heather’s parents and her little sister had left earlier that morning for Denver. She had their whole hundred acres and sprawling million-dollar ranch to herself. Two kegs were being delivered, and the entire graduating class was invited to celebrate the end of high school.

It annoyed Clare, Heather’s magnanimity with her guest list. Heather could have been selective, inviting only her closest, most popular friends, but she had flung her doors open to everyone, including Clare. It put a serious dent in Clare’s Heather is a selfish, insecure bitch statements and did the double duty of making Clare look like the one who was in the wrong.