Title: He Loves Me Not (Lifestyles of the
Rich and (In)Famous #2)
Author: Tierney
Fowler
Genre: Young
Adult
Release Date: April 20,
2016
Find on
Goodreads
In the game of love, everyone roots for the
underdog. You know, that girl-next-door type who wears glasses and has a shy smile
and who falls for the most popular boy in school…she’s the hero of
every story. And when the shy girl takes off her glasses and the quarterback kisses
her and the crowd roars and the movie fades to black, people sit back and are
satisfied.
But what about the cheerleader? The one he dumps at the fifty-yard line and the one who runs off the field humiliated and sobbing? What about her feelings? What about her?
He Loves Me Not tells the story of what happens after the cheerleader is denied her fairy tale ending. Maggie's life was perfect--she had perfect friends, perfect parents, and a perfect boyfriend. But when she's abruptly dumped in front of the entire county by that perfect boyfriend, her life falls apart. With her clique, her friends, and her social standing obliterated, Maggie is resigned to a lonely, humiliating senior year of high school.
...at least until she meets AJ Abbott, a musician who breaks every rule her mother ever taught her. He has no college degree. He wants to be a rockstar. He wears entirely too much black and leather.
But despite their differences, Maggie is slowly drawn into AJ's rock and roll lifestyle, and she'll be forced to choose which is more important--clinging to her nonexistent popularity or learning that maybe there's more to her than her beauty queen tiaras and cheerleader pom- poms.
But what about the cheerleader? The one he dumps at the fifty-yard line and the one who runs off the field humiliated and sobbing? What about her feelings? What about her?
He Loves Me Not tells the story of what happens after the cheerleader is denied her fairy tale ending. Maggie's life was perfect--she had perfect friends, perfect parents, and a perfect boyfriend. But when she's abruptly dumped in front of the entire county by that perfect boyfriend, her life falls apart. With her clique, her friends, and her social standing obliterated, Maggie is resigned to a lonely, humiliating senior year of high school.
...at least until she meets AJ Abbott, a musician who breaks every rule her mother ever taught her. He has no college degree. He wants to be a rockstar. He wears entirely too much black and leather.
But despite their differences, Maggie is slowly drawn into AJ's rock and roll lifestyle, and she'll be forced to choose which is more important--clinging to her nonexistent popularity or learning that maybe there's more to her than her beauty queen tiaras and cheerleader pom- poms.
Maggie’s favorite part of her school day
was lunch, but it wasn’t like she ate during that time. Instead,
the best part about lunch was the informal parade. If it wasn’t too humid
outside, the round stone tables underneath the oak trees dripping with Spanish
moss were the perfect setting to see—and be seen. She loved that slow walk
to her table—weaving through the other students—when she could
feel everyone’s eyes on her. There was nothing in the entire world like the
admiration that came as the result of constantly striving to be the best. After all,
Maggie had quite the legacy to live up to.
See, not only had Maggie’s momma held
the crown for Miss South Carolina and Miss Dixie Belle at the same time
back in 1989, but her momma had also won homecoming queen and prom queen
during her senior year. That was four crowns at once, if anyone was counting. And
Maggie’s daddy made buckets of money investing in Big Oil in Texas before
he met his wife and followed her back to Charleston, South Carolina. Maggie had
inherited both her momma’s good looks, Southern charm, and infamous
maiden name, and her daddy’s brain, magnetic personality, and
money.
Maggie made good on all the gifts her parents had
given her. Not only did she top the Honor Roll every semester, but she’d
always placed in the top three in a pageant. And she’d made the Varsity
cheerleading squad as a sophomore. Now, sometimes people liked to get their
panties in a bunch and start screaming about nepotism, but Maggie had
been taking gymnastic lessons since she was four and had won every junior
beauty pageant she’d ever entered.
Really, it was like her slow walks to the lunch
table in front of the entire school were a reward for how hard she worked. It was
nice to be appreciated. Though today, the walk was a little more precarious than
normal. Her momma had insisted that Maggie start breaking in the new heels
she’d bought for homecoming, but they were at least an inch higher than she
was used to wearing. Navigating the tree roots that broke through the ground took
all of her concentration. Thank goodness for Bobby. Maggie gripped his bicep and
snuck a look up at him through her lashes.
Not only did Maggie have the perfect childhood,
she also had the world’s most perfect boyfriend. Bobby Bishop and Maggie
Marion had met after he’d dunked her in the Club’s outdoor pool one
summer when they were five. She declared him to be her boyfriend the next year in
first grade. Even a bajillion years later, Maggie loved everything about him. She
loved the way his blond hair curled into his green eyes, and how his tan skin
contrasted against the royal blue of his football jersey. She loved how his muscles
made her feel delicate beside him, and she loved his easy laugh. Bobby was the most
talented quarterback their high school had seen in years, and if things went right
this football season, he would have his pick of nearly any D1 college in the
country.
Bobby must have felt her looking at him because
he smiled down at her. “Have I told you how pretty you look today?”
He stopped walking, sliding Maggie’s hand off his arm so he could squeeze
her around the waist.
Maggie beamed back at him.
“You’re just the sweetest. Momma put me on a new diet, and I lost
three pounds!” She grinned, pleased he’d noticed. The cheerleaders
had gotten new uniforms a few weeks earlier, switching from basic one-piece
uniforms to a midriff bearing two-piece. Maggie hadn’t felt super
comfortable wearing what was basically a sports bra to school on game days, so
she’d asked her momma for a new diet to really flatten her
stomach.
“You know you’re perfect just the
way you are.” Bobby leaned down for a kiss.
“Get a damn room.” Tommy pushed
between them, nearly sending Maggie teetering over before Bobby grabbed her arm.
“Oops, sorry, Mags. Nice shoes!” He grinned, and all was forgiven.
Tommy was Bobby’s best friend and star running back. Even though Bobby
was clearly the cutest boy in the county—no, in the world!—Tommy
held his own with his warm brown eyes and dark hair. She’d been friends
with him for ages—their daddies frequently did business
together.
Maggie and the boys finally arrived at the table,
which had already been claimed by the rest of their friends—all fellow
cheerleaders and football players. The period passed quickly like it always
did—filled with lots of loud laughter and party planning. Every person at the
table had earned their spot, and whenever a new, misguided student tried to join in,
they were quickly educated on social standings.
They weren’t snobby; they had just always
been together. From play dates as children to summers at the club to cotillion
classes—Maggie and her friends just fit together. Outsiders didn’t
really understand their world. For instance, how would that new girl from
Massachusetts ever understand how much thought Maggie put into selecting
Frances I as her silverware pattern?
The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.
“Shit, I gotta run. We’re picking lab partners today.” Bobby
stood and slung his bag over his shoulder, then winced. “Sorry, Mags. It
slipped out.” He smiled down at Maggie apologetically. She’d never
been comfortable around cursing. Her momma had always said that gentlemen
should know better than to use foul language around ladies, but sometimes they
might need a little reminding.
“Just don’t let it happen
again.” Maggie beamed up at him, standing slowly to keep her balance on her
new heels.
Bobby automatically put a hand out to steady her
and then tucked her hand into Tommy’s elbow. “I do gotta run,
though. I don’t want to get stuck with some loser.” He dropped a kiss
on her forehead, slapped Tommy on the shoulder, and disappeared into the side
entrance of the building.
Maggie sighed, watching him go with a dreamy
smile on her face. He was the world’s most perfect boy. The little spark of
love spread warmth all the way down to her toes. “Ah, Maggie May,”
Tommy half-sang as they walked toward the building. “Bobby’s a
lucky guy, huh?”
Maggie lowered her lashes and grinned, but really,
she knew she was the lucky one.
The long lost Wakefield twin. Blair's head
minion. The BSC party planner. The original Pink Ranger. Stephanie Tanner's
BFF.
In addition to crafting young adult and new adult novels, Tierney Fowler works as an IT consultant by day and a style blogger by night. She resides in Northern Virginia near four shopping malls, counts leopard as her favorite color, and once shot a reality TV show pilot...that never went anywhere.
In addition to crafting young adult and new adult novels, Tierney Fowler works as an IT consultant by day and a style blogger by night. She resides in Northern Virginia near four shopping malls, counts leopard as her favorite color, and once shot a reality TV show pilot...that never went anywhere.
