Dirty Desires

Chapter 4

"I don't think you're really hearing yourself right now. Carter is YOUR ex-boyfriend. Why would I even think about trying to make him fall in love with me?" I ask her. "That's just ridiculous. I don't like him at all, and being around him would be pure torture. I'd much rather curl up in my bed with a good romance novel instead."

"Please," Clara pleads with me. "You're the only person I can count on for this. He would never suspect someone like you to even consider doing something like this."

"Someone like me?" I ask, confused as to what she meant by this.

"Yes, you don't care for him at all. So the mere fact that you'll suddenly be showing him any attention would throw him off guard. He will not be prepared, I promise you."

My sister wasn't joking about this. She truly wanted me to help her.

"I don't think you're listening to yourself here, Clara," I hiss. "This is your ex-boyfriend. Carter Prince. The guy you were once in love with and probably still are. You're asking me to pretend to have feelings for him and make him fall for me. Firstly, he would never fall for it; I'm nothing like the girls he goes for. Secondly, Carter likes a certain type; you belong to the category of girls he dates. The popular, drop-dead gorgeous kind. I'm neither of those two, and the only time he noticed me was when I punched him in the face, which is something that would get anyone to notice me."

"I have to agree with Scarlett," Jenna finally interjects. "Getting her to flirt with Carter isn't a great idea. She's your sister, and honestly, I doubt even Carter would fall for that. As terrible as he can be, I don't think he'd want to date the girl who punched him. Plus, if you've noticed, Scarlett really doesn't have a clue about how to flirt."

I roll my eyes at her, "And you have all the experience in the world?"

"Hey," she pouts, "I was only trying to help you escape this. No need to point out the obvious."

She was right. She was only trying to help. However, my sister was not listening to either one of us. I could tell there was nothing we could say to change her mind.

Clara glances at us and says, “You know, she doesn't have to know how to flirt or be the most popular girl in school. Just look at me—I'm the popular girl here, and even that didn't win Carter's heart. He's the type to fall for a girl who keeps him guessing. All the girls around him are too easy; they throw themselves at him, myself included, and I gave in way too quickly. What he really needs is someone like you, someone who doesn't give in easily, someone who puts up a bit of a challenge.”

She takes a deep breath before she continues, “You'll find it simple to act this way because you're not into him. You won't fall for his charms; instead, he'll be the one trying to win you over. Trust me, Scarlett, I can make him fall for you. And if you're worried about how you'll come across, I've got that covered. You're gorgeous, even if you do hide behind those oversized sweaters. I can help with your hair and makeup, lend you some of my outfits, or we can hit the mall together. Whatever it takes, I'm here to help him fall head over heels for you. I know what he's into; if you show him some interest, he won't be able to resist getting closer to you. Just start by being friends—take your time. If things move too fast, he'll lose interest just as quickly as he did with me and all the other girls he's been involved with.”

"I find it hard to believe that you just came up with this plan," I say. "It seems you've had much time to think about it."

"It was on my mind since last night," she confesses. "I just wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but after seeing Carter with that other girl today. I know that I want to see him suffer. It's unfair that he gets to be happy after destroying my life."

I let out a groan and rest my head against Jenna's shoulder. She softly pats my head while my sister patiently waits for me to respond.

"Please, Scarlett," she begs one more time. "Like I said, you're the only one I trust to do this. Any other girl would fall for Carter before he can fall for them. You're the only woman I know who thinks he's stupid or isn't worth the hype. I never ask you to help me with anything. It's the only time I will ever ask you to do something for me. Will you help me?"

She was spot on. She had never come to me for help like this before, at least not with anything quite so serious.

I lift my head from Jenna's shoulder and face her, saying, "I'm only agreeing to this because you're my sister, and part of me wants to see Carter pay for his foolishness. But don’t hold it against me if this plan falls through. I honestly don’t believe I can make someone like him fall for someone like me. Still, if this is what you truly want, I’ll go along with it. I’ll help you, sister, but only because I care about you."

Clara burst into an excited scream the moment I agreed to help her. My eyes widened in surprise as someone entered the bathroom and caught her in the act.

"Ha, ha," I say awkwardly, faking my laugh. "We're just practicing screaming for drama class. You know, normal girl stuff."

The girl glances at us as if we're insane, but her expression changes once she notices my sister.

"Hi, Clara," she says nervously. "I heard what happened with Carter. He's a jerk. You deserve much better.”

Clara beams at her and offers her thanks as we step out of the bathroom.

I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

Did I really just agree to make Carter Prince fall in love with me?