Page 53 of The Playbook

I sighed. “Grace said I wasn’t allowed to bring anyone. They don’t want a big group. It’s just movies and chilling.”

“Dude, I’m so down with that. Come on. Help me out here. You know I’d do it for you.”

“Damnit, Ryan.”

I shook my head. He was my best friend. I couldn’t leave him out in the cold. He’d do it for me. He was right on that.

“Fine. Let me at least call Lana first and ask her, OK?”

“Hell yeah. Let me know quick. Piper keeps trying to get me to do body shots. Normally, I’d be all about that, but Anthony is wasted and has been licking her shit all night.”

I laughed. “I’ll let you know.”

I hung up and dialed Lana’s number, thanking God I still had it from last year when she was in my sociology group.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Lana. It’s Logan.”

“I know who it is,” she said with a laugh.

“Right. Uh, so I have a situation—”

“Are you backing out?”

“Hell no. No way. I, uh, just wanted to know if Ryan could come hang out too?”

“Ryan? Yes. Absolutely,” she said quickly.

“All right. Sweet. Thanks, Lana. Let Grace know I had permission. She told me not to bring anyone.”

Lana laughed. “I’ll make sure she knows.”

“Cool. See you soon.” I hung up and called Ryan back.

He answered on the first ring.

“You’re in.”

“Hell yes. OK. Come get me. I don’t have my car. I’ll wait outside.”

I chuckled and agreed before hanging up. I turned toward where the party was. When I pulled up outside a few minutes later, the party was raging. Ryan wasted no time jogging across the lawn and hopping into the front seat and tossing his bag into the back.

“I rode with Dax here. Bad fucking idea. I wanted to leave the moment I got here,” he grumbled, snapping his seatbelt in place as I pulled back onto the street.

“Yeah, man. Driving yourself is always the way to go.”

“I had a couple beers,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “Party scene has been sucking ass lately.”

“Well, hopefully this doesn’t. I’ve never had a sleepover with band geeks,” I said with a laugh.

He smacked my bicep. “Lana isn’t a geek, bro. She’s fucking hot.”

I grinned at him. “So is Grace.”

Ryan shook his head. “I hope you don’t mess this up, man. She’s a good girl. She deserves better than to be some conquest or part of some game.”

“I know,” I mumbled, wanting to forget about the entire damn bet. I wanted to be with her tonight without the damn wager hanging over my head. I legitimately wanted to chill with her.

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