Page 42 of Zero Chance

She glowered and smacked him in the gut with the back of her hand.“Shut up.”She turned to me and exploded, “What the fuck, Waverly?”A second later, she glanced up at Parker and taunted, “Better?”

He grinned and sent her an okay sign.“Perfect.”

And together, they turned back to me.

I cleared my throat discreetly.“I…don’t really want to talk about it.”

With a scoff, Parker shook his head.“Not sure if you’re aware,” he told me.“But Dugger’s not exactly a private person.If he was involved, we’reallgoing to hear about it, anyway.In detail.”

“Oh God,” I groaned, swaying as all the blood vacated my head.

Keene was going to tell everyone.And Parker and Hope would know it wasme.

What the hell had I done?

“Hey, hey.”Speaking softly, Hope took hold of my arm in support.“Are you okay?Damn.Did he hurt you?”

“Keene?Hurt a girl?”Parker barked out a laugh.“Are you serious?”

Hope shot him a scowl before turning back to me.“I swear, if he laid a finger on you, Waverly, I’ll?—”

I sobbed out a strangled sound that was part laugh, part hopeless weeping, and I pressed my hand to my stomach.

Hope glanced questioningly at Parker, and he shook his head, not able to interpret what my reaction meant either.

Finally, he stepped uneasily toward me, wincing.“Jesus,didhe hurt you?”

Starting to breathe hard as panic edged in, I curled my fingers into a fist and kept it against my gut as I shook my head.“No,” I told them, unable to look at either of their faces.“No, he didn’t hurt me.But I—I hurt him.”

“You…what?”Hope blinked, clearly confused.

But Parker was on top of the situation.“Is that why he was limping?”he asked, squinting as if trying to fit the puzzle pieces together.“Because you?—”

“Kicked him,” I confessed with a cringe and a nod.“Between the legs.”

“Fuck.”He lurched forward to grip my arm as if he thought I was about to fall.“What the hell did he do to promptthat?”

As part of Keene’s inner circle and one of his best friends, Parker would defend Keene to the death.But he’d also kick his ass if he learned his buddy had done something harmful to an innocent.

So I shook my head to protect him.“No.He didn’t do anything wrong.I—it was me.I—he—it was dark.He didn’t know it was me.”

“Ah shit,” he muttered.“He got fresh with you, thinking you were someone else, so you had to kick him away.”

I winced.“Not…really.”

Parked blinked.“Thenwhat, really?”

“I—yes, he thought I was someone else,” I confessed.“But I—I let him keep thinking it.”Another keening sound of panic escaped my lips as I wrapped my arms around my middle and bent slightly, feeling sick.“I don’t—I don’t know why I did that.Why did I do that?”

Except, of course, I knew why.Because I’d dreamed of being with Keene Dugger.I’d wanted to know if I evencouldbe with someone.

Night air stole up my skirt, reminding me I was still missing my underwear, reminding me of everything I’d done because of my stupid, awful, idiotic dreams.A hyperventilating sob exploded from my lungs, and my head went light.

Parker and Hope merely gaped at me, not sure what to say.

Very quietly and very slowly, Hope asked, “You let him dowhatexactly?”

I looked at her, still in shock over what had just happened, and I experienced a sudden, horrifying gush of word vomit.

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