Page 103 of Ex Marks the Spot

We share an easy laugh that turns into comfortable silence as Hartley gets back to work. I quit trying to figure out what she’s drawing about three minutes in. All I’ve felt is random horizontal and vertical lines and some swirls. Nothing dick-shaped, though.

“Court?” Her voice sounds smaller than it did moments ago, raising my concern.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you think Rhett will like me? And the rest of your friends and family?”

I almost laugh because that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

“First of all, Rhett already likes you.”

Her hand freezes as her eyes meet mine. “He’s never even met me.”

“He’s been my best friend since high school, and he was at the bachelor party that weekend. Until this trip, he was the only one who knew what really happened. His words were along the lines of, ‘You’re the stupidest son of a bitch in the history of sons of bitches who descended from the world’s dumbest motherfuckers.’”

Hartley clamps her lips between her teeth to keep from smiling.

“He’s also the only one who knows I tried to buy that print from you. When I showed him what you sent, that grown-ass mangiggledand said it served me right.”

Her smile finally breaks free. “Rhett’s on Team Hartley. Got it.”

“And my family will love you too. I just need to clean up some details with them as soon as I get home because I kind of let them think you were the one who broke up with me. Definitely not my finest moment and one I’ll fix immediately.”

I steel myself for whatever she throws my way, physically or metaphorically, because it was a dick move at best.

Instead, she says, “How are you going to tell them the truth without giving away the reason you’re telling them?”

Ah yes. The damn NDA, because although I was allowed to tell my parents I was on the show, I can’t tell them what happened while I was gone. They’ll find out with the rest of America.

“This is the alumni season. I’ve spent a lot of time during the racereflecting on my time in college, so it’s entirely plausible that I’d want to fess up to stuff I lied about. Plus, I’ll be able to tell them the real reason in four weeks when the cast is announced. But I promise you they’ll love you. In fact, I fully expect Ella to kidnap you for a while because she’s wanted a sister for years.”

“She won’t be mad at me because of how I acted at the gallery?”

“Not at all.” I squeeze the back of her thighs for reassurance and to get her to look at me again. “The only one she’ll be mad at is me. There’s a good chance she’ll punch me in the dick. I’m already planning to repay her gas money because she was a broke community college student when she drove out to our campus.”

This makes her laugh. While she finishes the rest of her drawing, I tell her about the things I want to do and places I want to take her when she comes for her first visit—Daisy’s Nut House, Donner Bakery, Bandit Lake...

We could havea lotof fun at Bandit Lake.

“You’re thinking about sex, aren’t you?” she says with an amused laugh.

My smile is immediate and unabashed. “How’d you know?”

“You went from rubbing my legs to kneading my ass.”

I flex my fingers and indeed find them digging into the gloriousness that is Hartley’s backside. “Guilty as charged. I’m happy to discuss punishment options.”

“We’ll get to your penal code in a minute. I have something to show you first.”

She tosses her marker on the bed and steps back. “No peeking yet,” she warns. “In fact, close your eyes.”

Doing as I’m told, she pulls me off the bed and guides me to what I’m assuming is the mirror.

“I need to preface this by saying I’m limited on supplies and colors and when I do the real thing, it’ll look a hell of a lot better than this, but you’ll still get the idea.”

“Can I look?”

She releases a quiet breath. “Yeah. Go ahead.”

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