Page 12 of Scoring with my Bestie's Ex

Aaron shoots me a triumphant look, and I grin back in return. This is working out just fine. Ellen and Mike can’t get enough of talking to each other. Even when Ellen turns around to make sure we’re following, she’s quickly distracted again.

It’s everything I hoped for from this scheme.

I love Ellen to death, of course. She hasn’t had anyone she’s really clicked with for quite a while.

I’d hate for her to lose out on this opportunity with Mike because she’s too busy worrying about my feelings.

“There’s a lot on this list,” I say, moving to the next stage of our plan. “Why don’t we split up? Mike and Ellen can take the left side, while Aaron and I take the right side?”

Ellen frowns. “Are you sure?”

“No way! I don’t want to split up, and that’s exactly why I suggested it,” I reply with a laugh, pulling her in for a hug. “Honestly, we’ll cover more ground if we split up. And if it feels too short, we can always do it again in reverse—like a scavenger hunt remix!”

“Sounds good to me,” Aaron adds. “Good idea, Bella.”

Ellen still seems a bit unsure, but the doubt fades quickly. “Alright, let’s do this!”

“Meet back at that café over there in two hours?” Mike suggests, gesturing.

“Sure.”

We go our separate ways. The first thing on Aaron’s and my list is a fountain arch. I think there might be one at Town Hall, so we head over there.

Castleton is a very charming town. The buildings are all built in the style of the late 1800s, but rather than being in disrepair like a lot of old towns, they’re all fresh and vibrant. It’s clear the town takes a lot of pride in its appearance.

We get to the Town Hall, a large stone building with a magnificent arched doorway. A fountain sits in the yard.

“There we go.” Aaron snaps a picture of it. “What’s the next clue?”’

“A black and white bird. Maybe a seagull at the beach?”

Aaron nods. “Let’s skip that one for now and stick to town.”

“Good idea.” I scan the list and then look up to check if there’s anything nearby we can use for it.

Steven lingers nearby, holding a sheet of paper himself. He’s pretending not to notice Aaron and me standing here.

When I look at him, he turns his back and starts walking away.

“What is it?” Aaron looks up and scans the area. He narrows his eyes. “Is that—”

“Look, this clue says a yellow bovine. I think there’s a restaurant called The Golden Cow,” I say quickly.

We continue but try as I might, I can’t put Steven out of my mind.

But rather than thinking about him and him alone, I find myself considering Aaron instead.

His behavior is so different from what Steven’s would be in this situation.

I can’t say that Steven and I have a good relationship. We never did, really.

If Aaron were like Steven, he would be deliberately trying to get between Mike and Ellen. He’d make jokes at Ellen’s expense to make her seem unhinged.

I know from experience.

Steven and I broke up several times in the course of our dating. Even if he was the one to break up with me, the moment I started to try to date again, he was back.

He’d be wildly jealous regardless of the circumstances. He’d tell me I was being cruel to him by rubbing my new relationship in his face if I so much as posted a photo on social media.

---