I shrug helplessly. “Maybe not.”

“You sure you want to protect Brittany?” Lex asks. “She’s horrible.”

“I think she’s just kind of . . . sad,” I say.

“Okay,” Lex says doubtfully. “You’re a way better person than me. Seriously. I would totally kick her to the curb to take down that creep.”

“I think . . . protecting her is the right thing to do,” Ana says.

My heart warms. Knowing that Ana supports me makes me more certain that I’m making the right choice. “Okay, I have a plan for how I want to do this,” I say, turning to look at the illusion of Ana. “But I don’t know if you want to be involved. I won’t get the scholarship after this, but I don’t want to ruin anything for you.”

She bites her lower lip. “I’ve been thinking,” she says hesitantly. “If it’s this horrible behind the scenes, this isn’t the competition I signed up for.”

“You’re sure?” I say.

“Yeah,” she says, though her eyebrows are knitted together in a look of faint distress. “I’ll help you. Whatever you need, I’m yours.”

The way those words make me melt is disgusting, honestly. There’s some romance-novel-level swooning going on inside me right now.

“And I’m obviously in,” Lex adds.

“Thank you,” I say, smiling at Lex and Ana. These witches are amazing. “Seriously. I couldn’t have figured out any of this without you two.”

Lex practically launches herself across the car at me. “I know you don’t like hugs, but this one isn’t optional,” she says, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I laugh and accept the affection. She’s an exception to my no-hugs policy.

“Also, hi,” Lex says, waving over my shoulder at Ana. “It’s nice to meet you for real. I’m so glad you two are together now, because I thought Shay was going to actually die—like, go to the grave—before she figured out that you two were meant to be together.”

Ana snorts. “Me too.”

“Please no,” I mutter. “Please don’t make fun of me. I’m right here.”

Lex pulls out of our hug and gives me a catlike smile. “We know.”

“Anyway!” I say, because I don’t know if I’ll survive being thoroughly dragged by both of them combined. My fragile little psyche might just abandon me forever in search of greener pastures. “So I was thinking that on the night of the scholarship ceremony . . .”

Chapter 38