Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“No. She didn’t ghost me. She doesn’t even have my number. I can’t find her. I searched social media. Nothing comes up.”
Chase rolls his shoulders and takes a pull of his beer. “Maybe she blocked you.”
“Why would she block me?”
“Do you really want me to answer that? You were pretty awful to her for being the nicer one of the bunch.”
I scoff. “No, I wasn’t. Give me your phone.” Before he can say no, I snatch it out of his hand. “Dude, who’s Ken Lovecock?” What the fuck? I look at Chase, confused.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Is this a fake account? You’re seriously messing with other chicks behind Bridge’s back? What the fuck—?”
“No! It’s not like that. . . it’s. . . it’s my—”
“Not fucking cool, bro—”
“Bridget was the one who set it up. We like doing this thing. . . role-playing. It’s an account she set up so I can play coy and message and proposition her. She tries to turn me down, and I come home and catch her doing—whatever, it’s none of your business.”
Three, two, one—
And now it’s my turn to explode. “Seriously?” I hold my chest.
“Fuck off. It’s hot, and she gets super freaky. And I swear, I blow a—”
“Stop. Jesus. No thanks.” I shake my head. “What is it, nut-busting Monday?”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Just give me a second.” I do the same search I did before. Nothing. “Any chance she’s blocking you too?”
“Never say never, but I wasn’t the main one who was a dick to her when we were kids.”
“I wasn’t a dick.”
“Clearly, she thinks otherwise. You know, because of the whole chaining you up and leaving you for dead stunt.”
I’m about to throw his phone at him. I move on to another Google search. A bunch of Fischer’s pop up, but not the one I’m looking for. “Dammit.”
“Ask Hannah. She’ll help you out. But I warn you, it comes with a price. I had to make a huge sacrifice to get her on board.”
“Like what?” I’m not giving up the MVP-signed Super Bowl football Levi’s been trying to steal from me since high school.
“She made me swear I would never call her Hannah Banana again. Shame. . . really took pride in that nickname. Anywho—just ask. She’s normally willing to help when it comes to love.”
My beer is about to fly at his face. “I’m not fucking in love! I’m pissed.”
“Okay, so what do you plan on doing about it? Retaliating? Chaining a girl up and leaving her is semi-frowned upon nowadays.”
Why did I think it was a good idea to have this conversation with him? I stand up. “You know what? Time for you to go.”
“No! I can’t. You haven’t helped me with my paper.” He pulls a folded pile of papers out of his back pocket and throws it on the coffee table.
“Dude, read your own paper.”
“Totally defeats the purpose. You were always better than me with this kind of shit.”
I zone out as I stare at the papers. “What do you think she meant when she said she wasn’t into average guys?”
“We’re back to this? I don’t know. Why don’t you call her and ask?”
“I don’t have her number!”
“Again, Hannah. Real resourceful, that one.”
Fuck. The last thing I want to do is involve Hannah. Who the hell knows who she’ll tell. Or if she’ll even give me her number. Those two were really close as kids, but Hannah is such a damn softy. She’ll probably just lecture me about how big of a dick I am and then tell Levi. And I don’t need anyone else knowing about this.
Then again, what are my other options?
I roll my eyes and flip him off. He smiles like a goddamn idiot while I jump on my phone.
“S’up, Hannah? It’s your bestie, Ben. . .”
Chapter 7
Makayla
“Look what we have here.” I twist in the pool, finding Chase, Hannah’s brother’s friend, walking toward us, Levi and Kip behind him. My eyes roll to the back of my head when I spot Ben.
“Get lost, Chase. I already called the pool today. Kipley, I’m going to tell Mom.”
“Chill, Hannah Banana, we’re not here to mess with you.”
Kipley slaps Chase against the chest. “Leave her be. We’re just getting the hockey stuff out of the shed.”
Hannah swims to the other side of the pool to grab a pool noodle, and I keep my eyes on my target. It’s true what they say: never turn your back on the enemy.
“You taking a swim, duckling? Show us how you flap your wings.” I close my eyes and twist my head as Ben tosses a blow-up ball in the pool, splashing next to me.
“No thanks, turd breath. But I would recommend you take a dip to wash off. I can smell your conceited stench from here.”
His brows crease. Point for me. If he thinks he can intimidate me, he’s wrong. He walks over to the edge of the pool and kneels. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Sorry. Not gonna get me in the water with you.” He starts to stand but stops. “And I reek of popularity—something you would never know about. It's a shame you don't have a choice. You can't wash off ugly, duckling.” He stands, his stupid sneer spreading across his face, then walks off to follow his friends.