Betrayal Read Online Free Page B

‘Who knew he – or really any boy – was aware that MarieBelle chocolate is the best ever? Or did you give him one of your hints ?’
    ‘I didn’t. Not even a teeny one,’ Jess answered, picking up the box and hugging it to her chest. ‘This is so sweet of him.’ She giggled. ‘Sweet.’
    ‘Absolutely sweet,’ Eve agreed, wondering if Luke would ever do something ultra-romantic, like surprise her with a special gift.
    ‘I already know which one you want.’ Jess untied the ribbon, and a card in a heavy cream envelope fell free. She opened it carefully, and managed not to make even a tiny tear. Eve knew the card would go into what Jess called her treasure box, a hatbox where she kept mementoes of her favourite moments.
    ‘Are you going to tell me what it says, or are you going to start keeping secrets from your bestie?’ Eve asked. Jess didn’t answer. ‘What’s wrong? You’re all pale.’
    ‘It’s not from Seth,’ Jess told her.
    ‘Someone’s trying to steal you away?’ Eve exclaimed. ‘Who?’
    Jess stared at the card a moment longer, then raised her eyes to Eve. ‘They’re from Simon. Don’t you think that’s kind of, I don’t know …’ She shrugged.
    Eve frowned. ‘I actually thought it was brave of him to ask you to the prom yesterday. You know how he’s been crushing on you for ever . It might have been the first time he’s ever asked a girl out. At least we’ve never seen him out with anyone. Asking you, awesome you, to the biggest event of the year, that took real courage,’ she said. ‘But you said no. And Seth made it really clear you’re with him. I don’t get why Simon would do this.’
    ‘Maybe he ordered the chocolates before he asked me,’ Jess suggested, wrapping the brown ribbon around her wrist over and over.
    ‘But they were hand-delivered. MarieBelle doesn’t have a delivery service,’ Eve pointed out. ‘Simon must have brought them over himself, which means he still brought them even though you’d turned him down.’
    She flashed back on Simon’s expression as he looked at Seth and his friends yesterday afternoon. He’d looked humiliated and furious at the same time. Had he been so angry that he was going to keep coming after Jess to prove some kind of point? She decided not to mention that theory to Jess. She wanted her friend to be able to hang onto her prom high.
    ‘Maybe you’re right, though,’ Eve said. ‘Maybe he’d already gotten the chocolates and decided just to give them to you since he had them. What did he say in the card anyway?’
    Jess wrinkled her nose. ‘“Yours always.” That’s just wrong and weird.’
    ‘Well, Simon isn’t exactly known for having good social skills. He probably read some blog that gave him the idea,’ Eve commented. ‘Now, come on. You know I’m waiting for my white kona coffee bean one.’
    ‘You think it’s OK to eat them? It feels kind of bad when we’ve just been saying how clueless and weird he is,’ Jess said.
    ‘I said he was brave, so I definitely get one,’ Eve said. ‘And you were nice to him yesterday. Not everyone would have been. I think it’s just good karma coming around. And don’t you just love when good karma comes in the form of chocolate?’
    ‘We’re not letting Peter see these,’ Jess said as she led the way into the house. ‘My little brother doesn’t deserve any, because he has no appreciation of good chocolate. He’d be as happy with a jumbo bag of M&Ms.’
    ‘And the way he inhales food, I’m not sure he’s even able to taste it,’ Eve said. But she smiled. Peter was basically her honorary little brother, and most of the things he did that annoyed Jess just made Eve laugh. She didn’t even mind the way he teased her non-stop and called her ‘Evie-weevie’.
    She was so glad he’d gotten over seeing her use her powers against Amunnic. It had scared him. Badly. He’d had a hard time even looking at her for weeks. Finally, just a couple of days ago, he’d