City Secrets

CITY SECRETS

Other books in the

CANTERWOOD CREST SERIES:

TAKE THE REINS

CHASING BLUE

BEHIND THE BIT

TRIPLE FAULT

BEST ENEMIES

LITTLE WHITE LIES

RIVAL REVENGE

HOME SWEET DRAMA

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ALADDIN M!X

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division

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www.SimonandSchuster.com

First Aladdin M!X edition July 2010

Text copyright © 2010 by Jessica Burkhart

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form.

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Designed by Jessica Handelman

The text of this book was set in Venetian 301 BT.

Manufactured in the United States of America / 0510 OFF

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Library of Congress Control Number 2010902790
ISBN 978-1-4424-0380-2

ISBN 978-1-4424-0381-9 (eBook)

To the dedicated, smart, funny, and brilliant
reader girlies on Team Canterwood

Huge thank-yous to everyone for helping create this book and supporting it, including Fiona Simpson, Bethany Buck, Mara Anastas, Jessica Handelman, Karin Paprocki, Russell Gordon, Liesa Abrams, Brenna Franzitta, Katherine Devendorf, Dayna Evans, Alyson Heller, Lucille Rettino, Bess Braswell, Venessa Williams, Nicole Russo, and Monica Stevenson.

Thanks so much to the gorgeous, talented models for making this cover so beautiful!

Kate Angelella, you waved your sparkly purple editor wand over my first draft and transformed it into a book. I know, I know, it's hard for you to take a compliment,
but
you are truly a superstar editor and writer who is only going to continue to take over the publishing biz. No doubt. Brainstorming date in your fort soon?

Ross Angelella, the Shake Shack references are all you!

Hugs to all of the readers who allow me to keep doing what I love.

Kate, you intimidate me (in the best possible way!) with your writing and I never stop learning from you—both in business and in life. Our adventures never get any less exciting and I always know we're going to have epic fun when we hang out, b. And, hello, I've got you hooked on watermelon and cotton candy gloss—my goal is to get you to like one of those “complicated” flavors.
LYSSMB. <3

CITY SECRETS

 1 

I PEERED OUT THE TINTED WINDOW OF HEATHER Fox's Lincoln Town Car and stared up at her building on Park Avenue in NYC. Twenty-four hours ago I'd
never
imagined I'd be spending fall break with my former arch nemesis.

“Wow,” I said, turning to Heather. “You live
here
?”

She flicked her blond hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Don't freak out, Silver. This is just the driveway. If you're acting like this now, you might have a stroke when we get inside.”

This was where I'd be staying for Canterwood Crest's weeklong fall break. Until last night I'd been supposed to stay with my best friend and roommate, Paige Parker, but . . . my thoughts stopped short. I didn't want to think about my fight with Paige.

The driver, in a crisp black suit and red tie, halted the car. His brown hair was streaked with gray and he had been supernice to us on the ride from school. He got out of the car, opened Heather's door, and offered her a hand. I scrambled out after her and she sighed.

“Paul was going to come around to your side next,” Heather said. “At least act like you've been to a real city before.”

“I have,” I said. “I—” I shook my head, not wanting to finish the sentence. The last time I'd been to NYC was when I'd visited Paige last summer. We'd been planning this fall break forever, until . . .

“Sasha!” Heather said, putting a hand on her hip. “Space much?”

“Sorry,” I said, directing my gaze back to the building. “Forgot what I was going to say.”

But there was no way I could forget. Not the awful fight Paige and I'd had last night at Friday's Homecoming dance. In a flash of images I saw Paige and me standing in the bathroom just off the Canterwood Crest ballroom. Paige had accused me of being jealous that Ryan was her boyfriend because I didn't have one. And I'd lost it. It had been too much after I'd suffered through Homecoming week—forced to do activities with
Jacob (my ex-almost-boyfriend) and Eric (my ex-boyfriend). I'd wanted Paige to be more sensitive about everything. But instead she'd turned on me.