"You must not know about me," you spat at Rafe, furious. "I can have another you by tomorrow!"

The words hung between you, as toxic as his accusations – that you were a fool, that you'd never find another man like him. He was cheating. The realization had ignited a bitter rage.

But tomorrow was the Midsummer party, a Kooks-only gala. Damn it. Who was you going to bring?

You were desperate to pour it all to Kiara, your best friend. Your call went straight to voicemail, so you knew where to find her: John B's chateau. You pedaled hard, picturing her with her crew. As you arrived, JJ sauntered out, that familiar smirk plastered on his face.

"Kie's not here," he drawled, enjoying my frustration. You almost left, not wanting to deal with his Kook-baiting, especially not after Rafe. But then, a reckless thought took hold. Maybe, just maybe, you could use this opportunity.

"You free tomorrow night?"

JJ's smirk widened, that cocky glint in his eyes. "Why? Planning on finally taking me out on a real date?" he teased, totally missing the point. He probably thought you was finally coming to your senses.

"Yeah," you said, trying to sound more confident than you felt. His smile faltered slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.

"Yeah?" he repeated, like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "Yeah!" you confirmed, taking a deep breath. No turning back now. "Be my date to the Midsummer party."

His jaw dropped, literally. He looked like he'd just seen a ghost. "Are you completely nuts? That's, like, the Kookiest of Kook events. What, did Rafe finally ditch you or something?"

"i ditch him!" you said, wincing a little. This was qoing to sound ridiculous. "You should replace him. I mean...think of it as the ultimate revenge on Rafe."

JJ and Rafe's mutual hatred was legendary. This crazy plan was perfect: a way to prove you didn't need Rafe, that you could do anything, and—most importantly—act completely out of character.

Shedding the "perfect Kook princess" image.