In This Moment(65)

Aimee



insecurity [in-si-kyoo r-it-ee]

noun, plural in-se-cu-ri-ties.

1. lack of confidence; self-doubt

2. the state of being insecure



“It’s Aimee, right?”

I pop an earbud out and I look up and see bright purple fingernails tapping the barrier that surrounds my study carrel.

“I’m Kate Dutton.” She drops into the seat next to mine and leans back. Her light blonde hair is wound into a loose knot below her left ear. She’s wearing fitted shorts and a lime green tank top. Her earrings are tiny golden starbursts. “Alpha Chi in case you were curious. I actually know your sister from a couple of Greek events. Oh, and obviously I know Cole.”

I don’t say hello or tell her that I already know her name. I don’t ask her what she wants. I just sit there with one white earbud dangling and a blank expression on my face.

“You’re really pretty,” she says, surprising me. Kate Dutton is honestly one of the prettiest girls that I’ve ever seen. I don’t want it to be true but she’s better up close than she was from far away. She’s got straight teeth and perfect golden skin—the kind you see on models in magazines post-Photoshop. Sitting here next to her makes me feel dark and pocked and small. “Not that I’m surprised about that. It’s par for the course, right?” When I still don’t talk, Kate shrugs, makes a funny face. “I just saw you and I figured that I should introduce myself. Considering…”

I swallow. “Considering what?”

She smiles brazenly. “Considering that soon you’ll be like me and all of the other disposable pretty girls. Passed over for fresh blood.”





Cole



“Wait a second!” Her hand darts out to the side table. “What is that ringtone?”

“It’s nothing.” I climb on top of her and grab the phone from her hand. She starts laughing and poking me in the stomach just below my belly button.

“Umm, that’s not nothing.” Her nose twitches. “Cole, is that… Rihanna?”

I silence my phone and settle my head back into the bed pillow. “For your information, Rihanna is my little sister’s favorite.”

“That was Sophie calling?”

I nod warily.

She crosses her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you answer it?”

“Because I know that she’ll want to FaceTime and I’m…” I look around her bedroom and down at her bare, creamy breasts, and I smirk. “I’m here in your bedroom, and you’re pretty close to being buck naked. That’s not exactly the message I want to send to a thirteen year old girl.”

“Excuse me? Are you trying to call me a slut?” She pushes herself out of the bed and finds her shirt on the floor.

My hands are over my head, showing that I’m defenseless. “I would never call you a slut. In fact,” I laugh, “I think that I like you slutty. I simply m—”

She cuts me off, slipping the wrinkled shirt over her head. “Forget it, Everly. Call your sister back.”

“Now?” I ask, kind of enjoying this bossy side of her.

Aimee is digging around her desk drawer for something. She looks over her shoulder and smiles impishly. “Yes. Now.”

“But…”

“No buts, Cole.” She finds a rubber band and starts winding her dark hair into a knot. I love watching her do mundane things like this. “I’m dressed now and I want to see what she looks like.”

“You’ve seen photos.” It’s true. I showed her some pictures of Sophie the other day.

“I want to see her with you.” Her voice is subdued and it instantly unhinges me. The mattress dips as she rejoins me on the bed and bends her legs under her butt.

“Yeah?” I trail my finger down the slope of her nose.

“Yes, so put your shirt on too. We don’t want your sister to get the wrong idea about us.”

Feeling a bit of a rush, I laugh from deep in my chest. “Okaaaay, bossy lady.”

Aimee props herself up a bit straighter and waits. The phone rings twice before Sophie answers. I can tell right away that she’s in the backyard of our house. Her long blonde hair is speckled in sunlight and the ridiculous dog is wheezing and slobbering all over her.

I launch right into it. “Sophie, I got that dog to keep you company, not turn you into a slimy ball of drool.”

“Awww, be nice. You know that Babs can’t help it. She’s just excited to talk to you. I told her it was you calling and she ran over here as fast as her little legs would carry her.”

“I should have gotten you a lab or some kind of real dog. That thing looks like she’s missing half her face.”