On the Edge Read online

  Amy fixed her eyes quizzically on Bruce's. His lips were just inches from hers. If he just turned his head the slightest little bit. . .

  "What if I told you that I really do want you to kiss me?" she whispered, still staring at him.

  Bruce groaned. "Lord, Amy, you're completely irresistible." Then he bent forward and brushed her lips quickly with his. Amy slid her hand up behind his neck and pulled him closer as he started to straighten up again.

  "A real kiss," she pouted. "Like this."

  From the minute his lips touched hers, Amy knew she had won the battle. There was no way Bruce was going to stay with Regina now. Not when he knew what it was like to be with someone who really wanted him the way she did!

  "Amy," Bruce repeated, pulling back and staring at her with the old Bruce Patman all-I-care-about-is-what-I-want look in his eyes. "I can't believe the way you kiss," he said, shaking his head and pulling her closer to him. "Who taught you how to kiss that way?"

  Amy didn't answer immediately. She knew that what she said and did right then was incredibly important, and she wanted to make sure she didn't make a mistake. "We shouldn't see each other again," she whispered at last, avoiding his gaze. "I'm really sorry, Bruce. I had no business telling you about that dream. If Regina knew . . . "

  Bruce frowned. "What do you mean, not see each other again? Are you kidding? Amy, I'm crazy about you!"

  Amy fiddled with the edge of her notebook. "But what about Regina?" she asked coyly. "I don't want to get between you two, Bruce. I couldn't stand that. Unless. . . ." She let her voice trail off.

  "Unless what?" Bruce prompted her.

  "Unless you feel that things are almost over between you two," Amy said. "That would be different. Then I wouldn't feel so guilty about . . . you know, the way I feel about you."

  Bruce tapped his fingers on the table. "I don't know how I feel," he said, frowning. "Until a couple of weeks ago I thought everything with Regina was perfect. But the more time I spend with you, the more time I spend thinking about you. . . ." He gave her a cocky smile. "I'd kind of forgotten how much fun it is to spread the wealth—to share the old Bruce magic with more than one girl."

  Amy let her fingers brush his again. "I'm putting you in a bad spot," she said, her voice filled with self-reproach. "I'm forcing you to change your feelings toward Regina. And that's the last thing I want." She got to her feet, trying hard to look purposeful.

  "Amy, don't leave!" Bruce moaned, grabbing her hand and staring at her with a pleading look on his handsome face. "I don't know what to do, but I'll figure something out. I'm sure I can convince Regina to let me do what I want. Anyway, I just know I've got to keep seeing you—that's all there is to it."

  Amy sank back down into the chair, a triumphant little smile on her face as she pretended to study her notebook. She deserved an Academy Award for that performance, she thought with satisfaction.

  And as for Regina Morrow, the girl had better get ready to face some bad news. Amy had Bruce where she wanted him, and she wasn't about to let him get away!

  The next day, Friday, Amy could barely wait to meet Jessica at lunchtime and share her triumph. "It was incredible," she declared, taking a miniscule spoonful of yogurt. "You should've seen the stars in Bruce's eyes when he kissed me!"

  "So you really think he's going to break up with Regina?" Jessica asked.

  "Of course he will," Amy said confidently. "And Bruce had better tell her soon," she added. "I don't mind being the 'other woman' for a little while, but it'll get boring soon. I want the whole world to know Bruce and I are in love. And I want him to take me to the country club and buy me lots of expensive presents and stuff. How can he do that if he's still going out with Regina?"

  "You've got a point." Jessica giggled. "Hey," she added, suddenly looking worried. "Liz and I were going to invite some people over tomorrow for a cookout. If we invite you and Regina, what's Bruce going to do?"

  Amy shrugged. "It'll be fun to watch and see," she said. "Actually, I think it'll do Bruce a lot of good to see us together. Don't you think I'm lots prettier than Regina is?" She watched Jessica anxiously for her reaction.

  Jessica stared across the cafeteria at the table where Regina was sitting. "I don't know, Amy," she said honestly. "Regina's awfully pretty." Her eyes narrowed. "Hey, what's she doing eating lunch with Justin Belson? I didn't know they were friends."

  Amy turned around and followed her gaze. "Who cares who Regina eats with—as long as it isn't Bruce?" she said airily. "I think you're wrong about her looks, Jess. She's way too pale. She looks like the sort of girl you'd want to bring home to meet your parents, not the sort of girl who can really make your pulse race."

  Jessica groaned. "I think you've been watching too much TV. You're starting to sound like a perfume commercial." She was still eyeing Justin Belson with interest. "The last I heard, Justin was on academic probation," she remarked. "He isn't exactly Regina's type. He hangs out with Molly Hecht and Jan Brown and that whole crowd."

  "Yeah, Molly Hecht is trouble," Amy agreed. "My cousin Mimi saw her at a party in L.A. last weekend that was busted by the police. Two of the college guys got arrested for having cocaine."

  Jessica's eyes widened. "You think Molly and Justin are on drugs?" she demanded.

  Amy shrugged. "I honestly don't know. And to tell you the truth, Jess, I just don't care." She leaned forward, her blue eyes shining. "All I care about is making sure that Bruce leaves your house tomorrow night with me and not with Regina! If you've got any ideas on how to make that happen, promise you'll let me know."

  "I promise," Jessica murmured. But she was barely listening. She was watching Regina and Justin, who were apparently deep in conversation. What on earth could they have to talk to each other about? she wondered. It made her uneasy, though she couldn't exactly say why.

  Jessica just hoped Regina knew that Justin and his crowd were bad news. And that she knew enough to stay far away from them.

  Regina Morrow was confused. Everything seemed to have gone wrong that day. First of all, Bruce had canceled their plans to go to the country club that night, saying he had to work with Amy on their project again. He said the only possible time he and Amy could talk to the people at the drug rehabilitation center downtown was at seven-thirty and that they had agreed to meet Amy's cousin afterward to get some inside information on the drug situation at the college she went to. Regina believed him, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed. It was the second Friday night in a row that their plans had been interrupted by Amy Sutton.

  And then Bruce had stood her up for lunch! They were supposed to meet right here, at their usual table, but he just hadn't showed. At ten past twelve Regina had gone through the line by herself and taken her tray back to the table. That was when Justin had come over. "Can I join you?" he asked, smiling shyly.

  Regina had looked up in surprise. She didn't know Justin at all. A tall, slender boy with auburn hair and chiseled, attractive features, he seemed to spend most of his time either alone or with a crowd she barely knew. "Sure," she said after a slight hesitation. Why not? Bruce clearly wasn't going to meet her, and she hated to eat alone.

  "I've seen you eat here every day, and I've always wanted to say hello," Justin told her. He had a nice voice—very low and soft. "But you're always with that guy Bruce. Is he your boyfriend?"

  Regina nodded. "Are you a junior? I don't think we've ever met before, have we? I'm Regina Morrow."

  "Justin Belson," he said, putting his hand out to shake. "Yeah, I'm a junior. But I should be a senior. I took a year off when. . . ." His voice trailed off. "I had some family problems, so I took a little time off." He smiled at her, a crooked, disarming smile that made Regina feel a strange twinge of sympathy. "I've always known who you are, though. You're the one who had your picture on the cover of Ingenue magazine." He grinned. "I've got three copies at home. I'm one of your biggest fans."

  Regina blushed. "That was a total fluke," she assured him. "I was just down
town one day and the man who runs Townsend Modeling Agency saw me and thought I looked right for this contest they were having. You know—sort of fresh and girlish." She smiled. "Not sophisticated and glamorous, like their models usually are."

  "You do look fresh," Justin said seriously, his brown eyes intent. "You look"—he paused, searching for the right word—"good," he finished, helplessly.

  Regina laughed. "I guess I am good—if you mean studious, well-behaved, all that sort of stuff." She eyed him curiously. "Aren't you?"

  "Me? Good?" Justin looked at her, his thin shoulders slightly hunched. Regina thought he was very handsome, in a way that she found puzzling—and somewhat disturbing. "Not really," he said at last. "Hey, listen. I've got tickets to a basketball game in L.A. tonight. You interested?"

  Regina stared at him. Was he asking her out?

  "Uh, I'm sorry, but I don't think Bruce would really like it. I mean—"

  "I understand," Justin said quickly. "I didn't mean to embarrass you," he added, seeing her blush. "I just really hoped we could get to know each other better. But maybe tonight isn't the right time. Can we have lunch again one day next week?"

  "Sure," Regina said. She didn't see what harm having lunch could do. Justin seemed really nice, and she thought it would be fun to get to know him.

  In fact, a tiny nagging voice inside her was asking why she had turned him down for that evening. What else was she going to do—sit around and wait for Bruce and Amy to finish what they were doing?

  But she suppressed the disloyal thought at once. Bruce couldn't help having to work on a Friday every once in a while. And she admired him for having chosen to do his report on something as important as drug abuse.

  It was just that she couldn't help feeling uneasy about Amy Sutton.

  Three

  "I don't get it, Jess," Elizabeth said, sighing. The girls were sitting out by the Wakefields' swimming pool, making a grocery list for their barbecue that evening. Jessica had just been telling her sister that she couldn't wait for the cookout. "There's bound to be lots of scandal," she'd said. "Especially since all three members of the 'love triangle' are coming."

  That was what Elizabeth couldn't understand—how her sister could actually relish the prospect of a romantic World War III. "Explain to me why you're looking forward to it," she pleaded. "I just don't see what's going to be fun about watching Regina's heart break."

  Jessica sighed patiently. "What fun would it be if nothing exciting happened? Face it, Liz. Happy couples are boring. Didn't some famous novel start off about that?"

  "That was happy families, not happy couples," Elizabeth corrected her. "And Tolstoy didn't say they were boring—just that they were alike."

  Jessica yawned. "Well, happy couples are boring. Bruce has gotten really dull since he met Regina. Granted he was a pain before, but lately all he does is follow her around like a little puppy. I think his interest in Amy is a healthy sign."

  "Oh, you do," Elizabeth retorted. "That's just great, Jess. And I suppose you think it's 'healthy' that poor Regina Morrow hasn't got the faintest idea what's going on? And that she's going to show up tonight at our party and have to watch Amy fawning all over him?"

  Jessica considered for a minute. "I don't think we should leave out the potato chips and dip," she said finally, clearly avoiding her sister's penetrating gaze. "And I think we need hot dogs and hamburgers. You don't want to starve our guests, do you?"

  Elizabeth shook her head. "OK, let's drop it," she said, frowning. She could tell she wasn't going to get Jessica to talk seriously about Regina and Bruce—at least not as long as the conversation stayed vague. "I wonder if I should talk to Regina," she mused, watching her twin out of the corner of her eye for a reaction.

  "What do you mean, 'talk to Regina'?" Jessica demanded, looking a little worried.

  "Well, I just don't think it's fair that she's the only one who's totally in the dark about Bruce and Amy. You said Lila knew about it, right?"

  "Yes," Jessica admitted grudgingly. "So?"

  "And the other cheerleaders know, right?"

  Jessica shrugged. "I guess so. What's the big deal? Regina will find out sooner or later. From the way Amy was making it sound yesterday at lunch, Bruce has practically sworn he's going to break up with her the first chance he gets. At least that's what Amy seems to think."

  "Well, I don't think it's fair. I think I should warn Regina before she comes over tonight. After all, she considers me one of her best friends. Isn't it my obligation to tell her what a rat Bruce is being?"

  "Are you insane?" Jessica shouted. "if you tell Regina, she'll go right to Bruce. And he'll go right to Amy. And guess who Amy will go right to?"

  Elizabeth looked at her calmly. "I take it Amy doesn't know you've told me," she said dryly.

  Jessica bit her lip. "She doesn't," she admitted. "And, Liz, you can't tell Regina—you just can't! Amy would murder me. She doesn't want to pressure Bruce. If you say something to Regina, it'll be obvious how you found out. Promise you won't say a word."

  Elizabeth studied the grocery list. "I can't promise that," she said gravely. "Not when I don't know yet what's right." She relented when she saw how miserable her twin looked. "But I'll certainly consider your point of view," she teased her.

  Jessica didn't smile. In fact she was positively glowering by the time they had completed the shopping list. All she needed was for Elizabeth to decide to blab the whole story to Regina before the barbecue.

  Amy would kill her, absolutely kill her. If there was one thing Jessica was familiar with, it was Amy Sutton's wrath. She wanted to keep her sister from saying a single word to Regina if it was at all possible.

  "What would you do if you were in my situation?" Elizabeth asked Jeffrey French. It was late Saturday afternoon, and she and Jeffrey were on the beach, soaking up the last strong rays and watching the surfers.

  Jeffrey's expression was serious. Elizabeth loved the way he looked when he was concentrating hard, as he was just then. His forehead wrinkled up a little bit, and he seemed even cuter than usual. But then, Jeffrey always looked cute to her, with his blond hair and green eyes. Elizabeth loved being with him. He was serious and dependable, but at the same time he was lots of fun, so things never got boring with him, despite what Jessica had said about happy couples.

  "I'm not sure what I'd do," Jeffrey said thoughtfully. "I can see both sides of the argument. On the one hand I can see why you feel as if you owe it to Regina to tell her what's going on. It does seem pretty rotten that so many people know about it when Regina hasn't got a clue. Especially since it looks as if things are going to come to a head tonight, one way or another. If Regina comes with absolutely no warning, it could be terrible. Think how humiliated she'll feel!"

  "I know. That's exactly what's worrying me," Elizabeth agreed. "And if she finds out that I knew beforehand, won't she feel I've betrayed her by keeping quiet?"

  Jeffrey thought it over for a minute. "On the other hand—and I hate to say this, Liz, but I think it's true—there's a real risk involved in saying something. It's possible the whole thing could blow over. More than possible, if you ask me. Amy's probably exaggerating, and who knows whether or not Bruce really plans to break up with Regina? So if you tell her, you might actually be responsible for a huge confrontation. And you wouldn't want that. Also, Regina might be furious with you for being the bearer of bad news."

  "You're right." Elizabeth sighed. "I'm afraid it looks bad whatever I do." She stared long and hard at Jeffrey. "Suppose it were you," she said. "I mean suppose, just for the sake of it, that you started feeling something for someone else. I wonder if I'd want someone else to tell me about it."

  Jeffrey looked horror-stricken. "Liz, I would never do that to you!" he exclaimed, pulling her close to him. "I don't even like talking about it," he added, his voice muffled against her hair.

  Elizabeth sighed. "I know," she said huskily. "Me neither. The truth is, though, that I think I'd rather wait and hear it
from you. I wouldn't want someone, even Enid, to break it to me."

  Jeffrey stared out at the ocean. "I think you should wait and see what happens," he said finally. "It really is between Bruce and Regina. Hard as it is to keep quiet, I think we ought to mind our own business."

  Elizabeth nodded. It seemed that saying something to Regina would be unfair. She just hoped Jeffrey was right about Amy having exaggerated the extent of her involvement with Bruce. Maybe there was still a chance it would all blow over and everything would be all right.

  "Regina—telephone!" Nicholas called from his bedroom.

  Regina put down her hairbrush and frowned at her reflection. "I've got it!" she called back. She waited to hear her brother hang up, but for some reason he didn't.

  "Regina? It's Justin Belson. I was wondering if you felt like going to see a movie or something tonight."

  Regina raised her eyebrows, surprised. Just then she heard the click as her brother hung up the receiver. "I—uh, I'm really sorry, Justin. But I've got plans," she said rapidly. "Bruce and I are going over to a friend's house for a barbecue."

  Justin paused. "That sounds fun," he said. Was it her imagination or did his voice sound slightly wistful? "What about tomorrow—are you doing anything tomorrow?" he asked.

  Regina twisted the telephone cord between her fingers. She felt it wasn't right to make plans with Justin. Not that Bruce was the jealous type—because he wasn't. They trusted each other. But she had the impression that Justin liked her, and she thought it would be wrong to encourage him. "I'm sorry, Justin," she said politely, "but I have an awful lot of homework. Maybe we can have lunch together next week, like you suggested in the cafeteria yesterday."

  "OK," Justin said. "Well, have fun tonight."

  "Thanks," Regina said. She was going to add something, but before she got the chance, he had hung up.

  The next minute Nicholas knocked on her door, then opened it. "Was that really Justin Belson?" he demanded.

  Regina remembered then that Nicholas had taken longer than usual to hang up his extension. "Yes," she said, slightly annoyed. She adored her older brother, but sometimes Nicholas could be overprotective. His handsome face was set in a frown just then, and she sensed an interrogation coming.