Page 65 of The Wrong Play

Supposedly, she’d lived in that house for as long as anyone could remember—which was weird because this was college student housing, and I had no idea if she was even a student. She was somewhere between twenty and forty, had a wardrobe that consisted entirely of aggressively clashing patterns, and smelled like patchouli, burnt toast, and what I could only describe asbad vibes.

“Wow, you really like me,” I interrupted. “You totally let her give you a blowjob in exchange for figuring out the app, didn’t you?” I doubled over, choking on my laughter. “Youliterallylet Darla Pinswallow…” More gasps for breath. “Swallow your?—”

“Why would that be the first thing you think of?” Matty gasped, sounding horrified. “Of course, I didn’t let her give me a blowjob!”

I wheezed out a breath. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“You disappeared into an abyss. The therapy I’m going to need for the next hundred years is on you—and Parker! But I didnotlet her give me a blowjob.”

“So what did you do then?” I asked, not actually believing him.

“Well, not that.”

“Matty…”

“I was in a rush, okay? She put me on the spot. She might have asked me to wear a cowboy hat.”

I was laughing so hard, this could actually be the thing that kills me. Lack of oxygen. “You stripped down, didn’t you! Butt naked.”

“I wasn’t nude! I had my briefs on!”

I continued to die of laughter.

“She took pictures, Jace. This isyourfault.”

“That could be consideredartin some places,” I noted. “A lotof places probably!”

Matty made some sort of gassy elephant sound. “I suffered trying to save you! I made a sacrifice that will haunt me until my dying day.” He pointed at me. “You and Davis owe me for the rest of your existence. I probably need an exorcism now.”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling decidedly more chipper after my snack and my bestie’s act of sacrifice that I would be able to relive in my darkest moments. “Well, I’m fine if that makes you feel any better.”

“Oh yeah?” Matty gestured wildly at my clothes. “Then explain why you look like you just crawled out of a mob movie and smell like a liquor store on fire.”

I smirked. “Would you believe me if I said I just had a really intense game of Go Fish?”

Matty groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Get in the car before I kill you myself.”

“That app really is easy,” I told him as he threw himself into the driver’s seat, and he started driving me to my Jeep…which was still there surprisingly because apparently Lady Luck loved me today.

“I’d wash your dick,” I told him seriously as I got out of the car, and he growled at me like a wild animal, even though I’d just given him very useful information.

He looked a little angry at that comment, so I gave him some love. “Thank you for endangering your chance of having future children to track me. ILY. Also, I’ll teach you how to use your phone like a normal person so you’re never in this situation again.”

I narrowly avoided a soda can to the head because he was apparently feral, and then I closed the door, laughing as he sped away.

Trial number one: check.

Time to get back to convincing Riley that I was the love of her life.

CHAPTER 9

RILEY

Iwasn’t going for him.

That’s what I kept telling myself as I stood in front of my mirror, tugging at the hem of my black tee for the hundredth time, like it’d magically turn me into someone who wasn’t full of shit. My reflection stared back—messy blonde hair spilling over my shoulders, my hazel eyes too wide, too jittery, like I was about to bolt. I yanked my fingers through a tangle, cursing under my breath, trying to shake the nerves buzzing under my skin like a swarm of pissed-off bees.

I was going for me. Not Jace. Not the guy who’d been haunting my head for two days straight, ever since I’d run away from him, my chest tight, throat burning…telling myself it was done. Tasha had invited me to the game after she’d found me hiding out in the library again—another sorority recruiting event, apparently. And while I was pretty sure sorority life wasn’t for me, and Tasha had not shown me the sisterhood that supposedly went with it…I hadn’t said no.

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