Page 18 of Never Been Worse

I need a picture.

What?

I need a picture for your contact. Everyone in my phone has one.

It’s another lie to add to my list, but I can’t resist the desire to keep her talking to me.

H: Oh. Okay. Please hold.

Leo is now looking at a calendar, his phone, a laptop screen, and an iPad all at once, comparing things and mumbling under his breath. It seems he’s accepted this is going to happen and now is in full-on planningmode.

Unfortunately, I can’t fight off the goofy smile tugging at my lips when the text comes through, even though the guys are also here and Leo is actively having a breakdown.

“What are you smiling about?” Reed asks, moving to me to look at my phone, which I quickly steal away so he can’t get his greasy fingers on it. Greasy in a literal sense, because he’s actively shoving french fries into his mouth like they’re going to disappear soon.

“He has absolutely nothing to be smiling about, except maybe sending me into an early grave,” Leo throws without looking our way.

“Nothing,” I lie, moving my phone out of reach.

“Oh, that’s how I know you’re lying,” Reed says, moving around me to try and grab my phone again.

“What the fuck, man? Leave me alone,” I say, elbowing him to keep him away from me.

“No, you’re all goo-goo-eyed, and I think it's over your newfiancée, so I want to see what she said.”

“I’m not goinggoo-goo-eyed,” I lie, then lean forward to grab one of his fries, which proves to be just the distraction I need.

“Hey! Leave my fries alone!” he yells, moving to his food and hovering over it as if I’m going to steal it all.

“Then stay away from my phone—hey!” I shout, looking at Stella, who is triumphantly smiling and scrolling through my phone now. “Stella, what the fuck?” I stand, moving to her, but she shifts away from me.

“Can’t be mad at the pregnant chick. It’s a rule,” she says with a smile, then winks at Reed.

“She’s right,” her husband agrees with a smile, sitting back and taking in the show.

“Ha, you totally just got owned by a five-foot pregnant chick,” Reed says with a laugh. “What was he smiling at?”

Stella looks at my phone, reading the texts Harper sent, then to me. “It’s Harper texting him,” she says.

“Is she sending nudes?” Reed asks, standing eagerly to go and look. I put my leg out, tripping him so he falls to the ground, then moving on top of him, sitting on his back, and pinning him down.

“What the fuck!?” he shouts as I hold him in place.

“You’re running to look at nudes ofmyfiancée,” I growl, unexpected irritation and anger running through me.

“Were there actually nudes?” he asks, a thread of mischievousness in the words.

“No, you creep,” Stella says. “She sent a picture of herself for his phone contacts. But if you want to look at naked pictures of other people's fiancées,you deserve to get your face pounded into.”

“I didn’tactuallythink it was nudes,” Reed grumbles as I get off him.

“Who is sending nudes?” Beck asks, sitting up with interest, suddenly checking back into our conversation. “Aren’t you about to get married, Holden?”

“No one is sending nudes. God, all of you are terrible,” Stella says with an eye roll, handing me back my phone. “Harper sent Wes a photo of herself, fully clothed, and Reed is being a creep about it.”

“I didn’t actually think they were nudes!” Reed shouts, and I fight a laugh. “He was just being all weird and secretive and smiling at his phone like a lovesick puppy, so I wanted to see what it was.”

“Well, it seems like you already got the ball rolling,” Leo says, turning his phone toward us and showing some paparazzi photos of Harper and me at the burger shop.

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