bMeadow’s /bbPOV/bb: /b

Once, while we were still teenagersb, /bJuniper bhad /btried to bget /bme in trouble. I was sick and bhad /bto miss school, but I found out that Juniper had gone bto /bschool dressed at me and caused a hell of a ruckus bat /bschool that bday/b.

Made out with a boy who had a crush on me and made sure they were caught, and after she was sent bto /bthe principal’s office, she instead went to the bathroom to smoke.

Long story short, if Nova hadn’t been there at school that day, bI /bwould’ve gotten suspended for things that I didn’t do. But thankfully, she was. And she called Juniper out and imed my innocence. My sister ended up being the one suspended.

Yeah… that was one of the major reasons Juniper hated Nova so much–though not as much as she hated me. Nova had always been there for me, defending me against my sister, being there for me during hard fucking times and somehow still managing to keep her own mental health in tact.

I loved Nova so much, and it’s why I refused to pick up the phone when she called me.

I didn’t want to lie to her, and I definitely wasn’t about to tell her about the things that had happened two nights ago… the things I found out…at least, not over the phone. And not right now.

So instead, I silenced my phone and slipped it into my purse.

And I looked at Trip through the rearview mirror. “You’re not following me inside or anything like that,

are byou/bb?/bb” /b

His gaze narrowed and his voice was gruff when he replied. “Supposed to. That’s the order.”

b“/bYeah?” I scoffed. “Well, I’d like to tweak that ‘order‘. You’re not going in there with me. It’s a public space, my sister won’t harm me. And I believe there’s no one else in there that could be a threat since I’m sure

ric must’ve found a way to get rid of that waiter weeks ago.”

Yes. I was at the same restaurant I came to meet with rissa before. I knew the waiter wouldn’t be here

anymore.

Trip arched a browb, /band light amusement glinted in his eyes. “You’re smart. I see why he likes you.”

I scowled at him. “You can both fuck off.” I opened the door to the backseat but Trip was already out of

the carb. /b

“Seriouslyb?/b”

“I will not be held responsible for whatever happens to you. If the boss finds out that bI-/bb” /b

“Who’s gonna tell him? You? Because it sure as hell won’t be me.” I narrowed my gaze at his tall, buff

+15 bBONUS /b

bfigure /band he did the same bto /bmeb. /b“And I just told you–nothing is going to happen. And even if it were, I bcan /bhold bmyself/b. I don’t need your protection.”

bTrip’s /bbjaw /bclenched, and he didn’t take his annoyed gaze off me as he pulled his sunsses out from the bpocket /bof his jacket and slipped it on.

b“/bOne hour,” he gritted out, turning away from me. “Fucking hate babysitting.” He muttered thatst part out, but I heard it.

And ignored itb, /bbof /bcourse. “Great. See you in an hour.”

I didn’t wait for a reply before I headed into the restaurant. And as expected, my sister was already waiting for me at one of the tables. She looked up at the exact same time I found her, and-

Holy hell, she looked exactly like me. fneda3 Readplete version only at find(?)ovel/fneda3

And nob, /bnot in the way everyone already knew–I mean, we were twins. But I meant Juniper had dressed up and done her makeup just like mine. Juniper hated sundresses. She preferred darker clothing. But today, she had on a pink sundress–just like the one she stole from me. The one she was fucking Tyler in

when I walked into the apartment to retrieve my things.

Her makeup was as light as mine was.

And maybe, I was reaching. But I knew my sister.

bNova /bwas right. She was trying to mirror me–again. And she was so good at doing it that she would’ve had Nova fooled if Nova didn’t already know me from the inside out.

What on earth did she think she was doing?

She smirked, sipping on her cocktail as I neared the table.

b“/bNice… outfit todayb, /bJuni,” I said, slipping into the seat across from her. “You trying something new?”

Her eyes shone, and she gestured to the second cocktail drink in front of me. “Ordered your favorite just for byou/b.”

I nced down. It was a strawberry daiquiri. And yes, it was my favorite.

But bI /bwasn’t stupid.

bMy /bgaze narrowed bat /bJuniper. “Yeah, I’m not drinking that.”

“Whyb?/bi” /ishe asked sweetly. “You think it’s poisoned or something?”

That was exactly it. A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Knowing you? Yes, I definitely think it’s poisoned.”

No way I was trusting my sister over a drink that had probably been exposed for a while.

bShe /bbwouldn’t /bkill bme/bb–/bJuniper bwas /bbtoo /bselfish for that. But it bwould’ve /bdefinitely stirred something inside

of bme/bb. /b

bShe /bbjerked /bbback /bblike /bI’d genuinely offended herb, /band then, with a scoffb, /bshe reached for the drink and took ba /bbfew /bsipsb, /bswallowed audiblyb, /band dramatically opened her mouth, raising her tongue as well. And then with ba /bgiggleb, /bshe pushed the drink back to my side of the table. “Reminds me of the way they used to check bif /bbI’d /bswallowed my pills.”

I looked baway/b. “Seeb?/bb” /bJuniper continued. b“/bbNot /bpoisoned.”

Reluctantly, bI /btook a sip of the drink.

“Good then. Because if it were, you’d quickly discover that I have a bodyguard waiting just outside this

building.”

She arched a brow, leaning in. “Bodyguard, huh? Your man must really care about you then. I mean,” she scoffed. “Of course, he does. He cared enough to throw me into that facility while you were busy getting

his dick every night.”

bMy /bnostrils red, but I only took that as an opportunity. Head tilted, I smirked. “You sound jealous, sis. Tyler not fucking you well enough? Or are you just jealous that I leveled up?”

If there was anything Juniper hated, it was me doing something that made her feel less of herself. For instance, getting married to ric right when she thought I was going to remain a miserable bum.

Juniper’s face fell, her eyes shed, and I watched as her fists curled on the table. For a second, I froze, wondering what she was nning on doing here in public. But then, as if it never happened, it disappeared. “Tyler was mine first anyway. By the way, he doesn’t know that you’re with his boss–if you were wondering, that is.”

My brows drew together. She was speaking like she was doing me a favor. “Why? Don’t you want him to realize how cooked he really is?”

I was counting on Juniper telling him. I wanted Tyler to know about it. I didn’t feel anything but hatred for him right now, so it wasn’t as if I wanted to make him jealous.

bI /bjust wanted him to know that I could do better than he thought I could. That he couldn’t hurt me and go

scot–free.

That bI /bwas desirable.

Juniper chuckled. “bIf /bthere’s anyone who’s cooked, it’s you.”

A tremor shot down my spine.

“And what on earth does that meanb?/bb” /b

+15 bBONUS /b

Juniperb, /bseeing the expression on my faceb, /bleaned back into the seat and raised her drink to her lips to sip. She waved bto /ba random man who was staring at us, blowing him a kiss.

b“/bJuniperb,/b” I gritted out. “What are you talking about?b” /b

She shrugged. “bI /bpaid a visit to our dear father in prison, Meadow.” She paused. “Or should I say… byou /bdid.”

My heart stopped beating.