Page 23 of My Rules

“You hooked up with someone from Kingston Lane.”

My eyes widen in horror.

“Surely not.”

The sun beams red through my closed eyelids.

“Pass me another bottle of water, will you?” Ant says from the deck chair beside me.

“Another?”

“Yes. Another,” he grunts.

I reach into the cooler, rattle around in the ice, dig out a bottle of water, and pass it over.

We’re dying a slow and painful death by the pool, in the depths of hangover hell.

My phone beeps a text.

Can someone set my house on fire?

I read it and chuckle.

“What?” Ant looks over at me as he squints into the sun.

“Hen wants us to set his house on fire so that he doesn’t need a couch.”

Ant smirks as he sips his water. Juliet’s on a mission to buy a new couch, and much to Henley’s disdain, she’s dragged him around the shops for hours.

Ant closes his eyes and puts his hands up beneath his head. “Any memory of who you railed yet?”

“No, but ...” I sip my water. “I’ve come to the conclusion that it couldn’t have been anyone exciting if I’ve forgotten it.”

“Fair point.” His eyebrows rise. “And what were they doing with a flash drive?”

I glance over at him. “You think the flash drive was from the person who gave me the hickey?”

“Obviously.” He shrugs. “Why else would you have it?”

“True.” I think this over for a moment. “So theoretically, all I have to do is look on the flash drive and it should tell me.”

“Uh-huh.” Ant’s eyes are closed as he worships the sun. “The question is, though, do you really want to know?”

I let out a deep sigh. “Probably not.”

“It has to be Taryn.”

I scrunch my eyes shut and pinch the bridge of my nose. “It better not be.”

“I hope it’s Carol.” He smiles into the sun. “That would make my life complete if you gave the sausage to Carol.”

I roll my eyes.

“Maybe you screwed Winston.”

“Fuck off.” I throw my bottle of water at him, disgusted by the thought. “When we get back to my house, we’re looking on that stupid flash drive.”

“Fifty bucks it’s Taryn.” He glances over to me. “Who you betting?”

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