Chapters (93)
- Cover
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Books by Kelly Yang
- Back Ad
- About the Publisher
“No prob,” I say. “I’ll be right there.”
I put her stuff together in a bag and catch the bus. As the bus inches up Mount Diablo Lane in North Hills, I gaze out the window at the familiar palm trees and perfectly manicured lawns. I’ve cleaned so many houses on this street.
The bus drops me off, and I walk up the steep driveway to the address Claire gave me. It isn’t until I walk up the steps to ring the doorbell and nearly trip on a small dragon statue that my stomach plunges.
Oh. My. God. This is the house where Ming and I walked in on the guy having sex!
The front double doors open, and Claire steps out.
“You’re here!” She smiles, taking the makeup bag from me. She takes my hand and leads me inside. “Come meet Jay.”
I shake my head.
“It’s okay . . . ,” I say, but she drags me toward him.
Claire’s boyfriend walks down from the top of the spiraling staircase. It’s him! I didn’t get a good look at him that day—I was too busy trying to shield my eyes from all the skin—but judging from the way he’s staring now, he recognizes me.
“Jay, this is Dani, my roommate,” Claire says. “She just came to drop some stuff off for me. Can you give her a ride home?”
“No, it’s okay. I can just take the bus,” I say.
“Nonsense,” Jay insists, and grabs his keys. “I’ll take you.”
Reluctantly, I follow him to his car. He waits until Claire’s back inside the house before confronting me. “You better not say a word to her,” he says. His tone is assertive, all power and privilege, and I cross my arms. My turn for cross-examination.
“Who was that girl?” I ask him.
“She’s nobody!” he exclaims, face reddening. “Look, if you tell Claire, she’s just going to freak out. And anyway, I wasn’t serious!”
“Oh bullshit, you wanted a threesome,” I snap. Or a foursome. Whatever the technical term would be. Cautiously, I look at him. “Have you had them before, threesomes?”
His pause says it all. Jay reaches for his wallet. “What’s it going to take?” he asks.
It’s infuriating that he thinks he can buy my silence. “I don’t want your money!”
He runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “I was just joking around that day. It was the uniform! I didn’t really want you and your friend to sleep with me.” He looks me up and down. “No offense, but you’re not exactly my type.”
What. An. Ass.
“Please don’t tell her,” he begs. “Claire and I are very happy together.”
“Who was the girl?” I ask him again.
“Just some girl I hook up with from time to time,” he says with a shrug.
From time to time?