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
“Hey,” he says back, but he’s not looking at her. He’s looking at me. “You never texted me back the other night.”
“I was tired.”
“I was worried about you . . . ,” Jay says. Jess jabs me lightly on the ribs and makes an aww face.
“So what are you doing here? Shopping in the girls’ section?” Jess teases him.
“I’m getting something for my mom,” he says. “It’s her birthday. Actually, maybe you guys can help me.”
Jess nods. “Sure!”
We follow him over to the fine-jewelry section, where he points to a pair of drop-diamond earrings. The sales girl opens up the case and retrieves them.
Jay turns to me and asks, “Will you put them on?”
“Me?” I ask.
I look over at Jess, who is fiddling with some of the other earrings. She’s too distracted by the jewelry to follow what’s going on. I look to the sales girl and nod. As she cleans the earrings and hands them to me, Jay leans in closer to me.
Carefully, I put them on. Jay examines them, studying my face. His face is so close to mine, I can feel his breath. I stare at the diamonds glistening in the reflection in the mirror. Gently he touches my ears.
“They look beautiful on you,” he says.
Jess clears her throat. “But are they too young for your mom?” she asks, craning her neck to see from the other side of the display counter.
Jay considers this. They are on the fun side of earrings. My mom would like them. Jay picks up another pair instead—classic solitaire diamonds. He tells the sales girl to wrap them up. Jess smiles, pleased he listened to her.
As we walk out, Jay thanks us for our help. We watch as he gets inside his blue Lamborghini and drives off.
Jess pretends to swoon onto the hood of her Porsche. “He is so hot,” she squeals.
“Can’t believe he’s getting his mom such expensive earrings,” I say. The diamonds he chose were close to $20,000.
“Mama’s boy,” Jess says.
“Total mama’s boy,” I agree. Although, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think about my dad and how he almost never goes and visits my grandmother.
“You want him, don’t you.” Jess grins. “Admit it.”
I blush.
She giggles as she gets into the car. “Girl, if you want him, you’re going to have to let him touch a lot more than your ears!”
Thirty-Four
Dani
The next day, at school, Mrs. Mandalay walks up to me in her power suit and pumps. I look up from my phone. Mr. Connelly still hasn’t replied to the email I sent.
“Oh, hey, Dani, I heard all about Seattle,” Mrs. Mandalay says.
I wait for a hopeful second that Mr. Connelly might have said something to her.
“You guys beat Marlborough! Well done!”
Guess not.