Page 28 of Better Than Revenge

The others nodded. “Andthis plan…this goal…this whatever”—I looked at each of them—“it doesn’t leave this circle. If I’m going to fail, this time, I’d like it to be in private. Or at least as private as a failure kept between five people can be.” My eyes stopped on Theo. He was the wild card. I trusted everyone here except him. He could march over to the group, that now includedJensen, this second and share the news like it was the joke that he probably thought it was.

“Are you kidding?” Theo said. “I’m not going to tell anyone. But promise me I can be there when you earn the spot from him.”

I nodded slowly, remembering what my grandma had asked that surfer boy all those years ago. There was one more necessity to this plan if it was going to work. Jensen used to tell me Theo was selfish with his time. Never wanted to help him when he’d ask for pointers. But it was the only way. I couldn’t see myself getting good enough fast enough without him. “Will you teach me?”

Theo didn’t hesitate at all when he said, “Absolutely.”

Chapter

ten

“WE COULD’VE HELPED YOU,” DEJAsaid as we all drove home together from the family dinner party turned real party turned secret-keeping party.

I left minus Jensen’s stuff, not because I’d burned it in the nonexistent bonfire but because he’d marched in and took it without asking like he seemed to be doing with everything in my life. Did he just go around looking in bags, or did someone tell him? The only person who knew outside our group was Theo.

“You didn’t have to ask the devil himself,” she said.

“I couldnothave helped,” Max said. “I know nothing about kicking anything, really, but especially a football. The devil will be a better teacher, what with all his devil powers.”

“Jensenis the devil,” I said. “I needed to recruit a helper to take him down even if that helper is—”

“A devil as well?” Deja said.

“In your world there are multiple devils?” Maxwell asked.

“I’m hoping he’s a lesser devil,” I said. “A demon maybe?”

Deja laughed. “As long as you know who you made a dealwith.”

“Believe me, I know,” I said, pulling a wipe out of my purse and scrubbing off the remains of my lip stain.

“I think you made a deal with someone who wants to see Jensen suffer as much as you do,” Lee said.

“Does he, though?” I asked. “And why? Because he was a little annoying on the football field? It doesn’t make sense.” Deja was right—could I really trust someone I hadn’t trusted for so long?

“Whatever the reason, five…,” he said, pointing at all of us and then back toward the house to indicate Theo, “like-minded people can accomplish a lot.”

“Did Jensen try to talk to you tonight?” Deja asked, looking over her shoulder and switching lanes.

“Didn’t even look at me.” I dropped the pink-smudged wipe back into my purse.

“That you know of,” Maxwell said.

“It’s going to feel so awesome to march in there and take his football position.” I tried to say those words with confidence, but I was feeling far from confident.

“I guess that’s the one silver lining in this deal,” Deja said. “When did Theo say he could help you?”

“Tomorrow. He said we are starting tomorrow.” I tugged on the top of my seat belt, lengthening it, then letting it slide into place.

“Motivated,” Max said. “I like it.”

“We don’t have a lot of time.” I was sure that was the only reason he suggested tomorrow. He knew that four weeks was pushing it as I much as I did.

“Apparently I’m still going to have to share you with a boy for a while,” Deja said.

“Yeah, but I think you support it more now than you ever did before.”

She let out a long laugh. “If Jensen suffers as a result, I do.”