He Dated Me for My Sister novel · Chapter 3 of 24

Chapter 3: What Rhys Knew

Rhys admits Colin told him the plan a week ago and he said nothing; Hannah recruits him as her spy with one rule, and he reads Colin's text: a kiss on the library steps Monday, with Rhys holding the camera.

"Not here," I said. "He's coming back."

Colin was crossing the lawn with his phone still in his hand, pretending to put it away.

Rhys picked the bicycle wheel up off the step and gave it a hard spin with his thumb.

"Cute wheel," I said.

"It's a customer's," he said. "It's out of true."

Colin reached us and put his arm around my shoulders.

"You two getting along?"

"He fixes bikes," I said.

"He fixes everything," Colin said. "Don't let him charm you."

Rhys looked at Colin's arm on me, and I watched his jaw move.

Colin walked me home after that, and he kissed my cheek at the end of the driveway.

"Monday," he said. "I'll walk you to class."

I watched him go down the block, and then I went into the house.

Delaney's door was shut, and her light was on.

I stood still in the hallway and listened.

She was laughing quietly with somebody, and then she wasn't.

On Saturday I worked the circulation desk from nine to one.

At ten past eleven Rhys came in with a canvas bag of cookbooks and set them in the return slot one at a time.

He was the cookbook man.

I had stamped his books for two years and I had never once heard him say more than thanks.

I let the line behind him clear.

"You have until I finish scanning this stack," I said.

He took a breath.

"A week ago, Colin had a party at our place," he said. "Your sister was there. She wore a red dress."

I kept scanning.

"Colin told me that night he was going to ask out her little sister. He said he'd make the big one jealous. He said she'd come crawling."

The scanner beeped under my hand.

"I told him it was a rotten thing to do," Rhys said. "I told him twice."

"And then?"

"And then I didn't tell you."

"For a week."

"For a week."

I set the book down.

"You watched him walk me to a place I made up, and you stood on those steps and let me smile at him."

"You made it up?"

"I told one person. He knew the place anyway."

Rhys looked at me for a long time.

"I came to the tower to tell you," he said. "I'm not saying it makes it better. I'm saying I came."

"You came after a week, Rhys."

He didn't argue.

I took out my phone, opened the forum, and turned it so he could read the thread.

His face changed as he scrolled.

By the time he got to the photo of the bouquet, he had gone a very still, very dark red.

"I knew he posted something," he said. "I never read it. I didn't know it was this."

"I believe that part," I said. "I don't believe the week."

He set the phone down on the counter and pushed it back to me.

"What do you want me to do?"

I had thought about it all night.

"Stay his friend," I said. "Keep living in that apartment. Tell me what he says, what he plans, and who he talks to."

"You want a spy."

"I want a person who owes me one."

He looked at his hands.

"Fine," he said.

"Rules," I said. "You don't touch me and you don't feel sorry for me. Nothing happens between us until it's over."

"Nothing was going to happen."

"Good."

I hadn't meant it to sound as sharp as it did.

He nodded once and didn't say anything.

I stamped the last cookbook and handed back his bag.

He was at the door when his phone buzzed.

He read it, and he came back to the desk.

"That's Colin," he said. "He wants me to be home Monday morning. He says there's a plan for the library steps."

"What kind of plan?"

Rhys read the message out loud, flat.

"'Monday noon, library steps. I kiss her, you get the picture. The thread's going to lose it.'"

He looked up at me.

"He's going to kiss you on Monday," he said. "And he wants me to take the photo."

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