Page 61 of Love to Hate You

Oh sweetheart, this is just the beginning. Buckle up, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

I hold my shot glass high in the air and clear my throat. “We drink to those who love us, we drink to those who don’t, we drink to those who fuck us, and fuck the ones who don’t!”

His lips twitch. “You couldn’t just say bottoms up, huh?”

I grin.“Nope.”

We clink our plastic glasses and toss back the alcohol. I scrunch my face as the liquid burns a fiery trail down my throat.

“Delicious,” I sputter.

A cheer goes up in the other room that catches my attention.

I crane my neck to see what’s going on. “Yay, beer pong! I love that game. Come on, let’s play!”

Carter is not going to deter my fun. If he wants to sit on the sidelines and watch, that’s fine. Just don’t get in my way.

“Seriously?”

“Yup.” I give him a wide-eyed look. “Feel free to take off any time. No one is forcing you to stick by my side.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not happening, Thompson.”

I shrug and beeline for the table. Carter trails after me, never letting me get more than a few steps ahead of him. Since I recognize a few people playing, I tell them I’ll take on the winner, but need a partner.

One guy jumps to his feet. “I’ll be your—”

“Sit your ass back down.” Carter snakes an arm around me. “She has a partner.”

A new game starts, and before you know it, Carter and I hit a winning streak. But we’re still downing drinks. That’s the point of the game, right?

Concentrating, I throw the little white ball into the plastic cup. It goes right in, barely rimming the sides. I turn to Carter, jumping up and down with excitement and hold up my hand for a high five.

A smile hovers around the edges of his mouth as he shakes his head. “What do you do? Stay up late at night and practice in your bedroom?”

“Nope. Just have good aim.”

“Yeah, I remember.” He smirks. “You almost nailed me with the remote.”

It wasn’t funny at the time, but it seems humorous now. I can chuckle about it without wanting to wring his neck.

Olivia texted about thirty minutes ago to let me know that she and Tanner were grabbing something to eat. She declined my offer to tag along. From the few interactions I’ve had with Tanner, he seems like a decent guy.

It’s good to see her moving on from my cousin. If Noah’s too blind to see what’s right beneath his nose, then he doesn’t deserve her. Maybe Ashley is the right girl for him. God help us if that turns out to be the case.

It’s after one in the morning when Carter suggests we call it a night. By this time, I’m tired and buzzed. Not that I’d ever admit it to Carter, but I had a great time tonight. Beer pong was fun. And here’s another shocker—we make a good team.

I know.

Who would have ever thought it, right?

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