Page 75 of The Winning Ticket

“You guys need to work it out. Cause this is likely to blow up spectacularly, especially if they find out by one of them catching the two of you fucking or something. You know they have a key to your place… Does anyone else know?”

“Kylie caught us a while ago, and I’m pretty sure Tara knows as well.”

Will groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Seriously, if Kylie knows, it’s only a matter of time before she accidentally lets it slip. How long has this been going on?”

“Almost two months.”

“Fucking hell… Look, you guys are adults and are entitled to do whatever the hell you both want, but keeping it a secret and hoping those two don’t find out is just asking for trouble, and you know it.”

I nod. I’ve known it for a while. The sneaking around has been getting old, mainly because I just want to wrap my arms around her and kiss her every time I see her.

“She came out to Stanthorpe.”

I hadn’t realised Will’s eyes could go any wider, but apparently, I was wrong. “Mate…”

“I know.” My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out to see a message from Bri.

Little B

I’m pretty sure we’ll run into each other tonight. Morgan is already drunk and complaining about how much she misses Chris.

I look over at Chris and see him typing a message on his phone. I shake my head.

“Who’s that?” Will asks, and I show him Bri’s latest message, making sure he can’t see her last one from earlier, which was pretty thirsty.

“Yeah, I kind of figured it would end up happening that way. Annie had mentioned that Morgan wished they’d organised a joint one. Let’s just wait and see who cracks first.” He heads back over to Chris, and I hold back a minute.

Jake

Not gonna lie. I won’t be mad if we end up in the same club. I’ve been thinking how much I want to drag you into a dark corner if you’re wearing that dress I saw hanging up last night.

My lips curl into a smirk when she sends back a wink face emoji before pocketing my phone and joining the others once again. But I can’t shake off the sinking feeling that shit is about to hit the fan.

32

I'D WANT YOU EVEN IF YOU WERE WEARING A PAPER BAG

BRIANNA

Morgan is already way past tipsy and has started to whine about how much she misses Chris. Annelisa and I have done our best to distract her through the high tea and the light dinner we’d arranged back at the apartment, but now that we are heading into the city, it’s obvious she’s hoping we’d planned for the bucks party to meet us out.

“Have you heard from Will about where they are yet?” I ask Annelisa quietly, hoping Morgan can’t hear me from where she’s walking ahead with Tara and Kylie.

“Yeah, they are at that new club, apparently. Do you think we should tease her some more and take her somewhere else first, or should we just give in and head straight there?” Annelisa asks, taking a sip from the water bottle she’s had with her all day.

I glance over to Morgan, who has her arm looped through Kylie’s with her head on Tara’s shoulder, and smile. “Let’s just head there. She will be much happier once she’s with Chris, and then we won’t have to worry about keeping her happy anymore. But remind me to pay her out for how co-dependent she’s become because you’d think they’d never been apart before, the way she’s been carrying on.”

“You know they’ve never had a night apart since they moved in together, right?” Annelisa asks, and I stare at her with my mouth open.

“Are you serious? How is that possible?”

Annelisa shrugs. “Beats me, but that’s just how they are. I thought maybe she’d be okay, but guess not. They’ll probably end up going home together, so you won’t have to worry about her staying at the apartment after all. Maybe the guys won’t be staying out in their hotel rooms either,” she says with a wink, a small smile on her lips when she pats my arm.

I’m distracted while we spread the word amongst the rest of the group that we’re heading to Opalescence now.

Annelisa couldn’t possibly know anything about Jake and me… right?

The fifteen of us continue walking along Adelaide Street in various stages of intoxication, and I cringe when one of the girls almost falls in her sky-high stilettos. While I’ve had a few glasses of wine through the course of the day, both Annelisa and I have remained sober. Kylie has also refrained from drinking, and Tara was never much of a drinker, to begin with, but some of Morgan’s other friends have been drinking heavily since we got back from the high tea, and now I’m just praying we can all get into the club.

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