The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You (36 page)
Read The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You Online
Authors: Lily Anderson
“Duh,” Harper said, adjusting her glasses. “We were there when he bought it.”
“We're very sneaky.” Meg beamed.
I stuck my tongue out at them.
“Did you give Ben his gift yet?” Peter asked innocently.
“Gift?” Ben asked, turning to me with unmasked excitement. “I get a gift?”
“What kind of heartless demon doesn't get her boyfriend a graduation gift?” I asked, clutching a hand to my chest with false injury before scrambling to find my messenger bag. Meg had tried to talk me into using a purse, but none of them was big enough.
“I feel like I shouldn't answer that,” Ben said. “But I'm not sure.”
“Hush it, you,” I said, pulling the small pink box out of my bag. I carefully undid the tape on the lid. It had taken a lot of planningâand bubble wrapâto make sure that the cupcake stayed intact. I held it aloft, pretending not to notice as everyone retrieved their cell phones. The frosting was perfect, a fluffy red buttercream, with a giant yellow number four emblazoned on the top.
Peter nabbed the first picture, perfectly capturing the moment just before Ben realized that there was a cupcake being launched into his face. Harper took the picture of the icing smearing across Ben's mouth and cheek. Cornell got me laughing and shouting as Ben wiped his chin on my hair, successfully getting a smear of frosting on one of my hair-sprayed curls. Meg was too busy falling over giggling to take any pictures at all.
Amid the chaos, Ben pried the smashed remains of the cupcake out of my hands and took a bite.
“How does fourth place taste, Benedict?” I asked.
“Like red velvet. My favorite.” He grinned, his teeth perfectly white beneath the swirls of red and yellow frosting painted across the lower half of his face. “You know that this means that I'm going to grow the mustache back this summer?”
“You wouldn't dare,” I breathed.
He leaned forward until we were nose to nose. Or as close to nose to nose as we could be given we were both wearing silly hats.
“It will be bigger and better than ever.”
“You're gonna look gross.” I reached up to scrape some of the frosting off his chin with my thumb. “Hey, West?”
“Yes, Beatrice?”
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“Hey,” said Peter, shaking Meg's shoulder. “That's from
Empire Strikes Back
!”
“Oh, Cornell, our little athlete is growing up to be a real geek.” Harper giggled.
Cornell braced his fist to his mouth, faking a sniffle of pride. “I promised myself I wouldn't cry.”
Ben threw his head back with a laugh. I moved to shove him, but he caught my hand. “Love you, too, Trix.”
He leaned forward, kissing me soundly. As I wrapped my arms around his neck, I could feel frosting creeping up my nose and my mortarboard smashing into his. I heard everyone complaining that we had pictures to take and people to say goodbye to and a pool party at Peter and Jack's house to get ready for.
But I was too frakking happy to care.
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LILY ANDERSON
is an elementary school librarian and Melvil Dewey fangirl with an ever-growing collection of musical theater tattoos and Harry Potter ephemera. She lives in Northern California.
The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You
is her debut novel. You can sign up for email updates
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contents
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU
. Copyright © 2016 by Lily Elena Anderson. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by Elsie Lyons
Cover photographs: man and woman © karelnoppe/Shutterstock; background patterns © Brosko/Shutterstock; bubbles © Fourleaflover/Shutterstock
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-07909-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-9172-2 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466891722
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
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First Edition: May 2016