Page 79 of Zero Chance

“Waverly?Hey, where’d you go?”

I gasped in surprise, completely having forgotten I was at work and taking care of my brother and that the rest of the world did indeed still exist.

In front of me, Keene lurched back, immediately dropping my hair and looking startled as if he had no idea what had just happened.

Feeling the need to flee, I popped to my feet to find Gates standing there, his arms loaded with snacks.

Shaking his head at me strangely, he said, “What in the world were you doing down…?”

But his question trailed off as Keene stood up next to me, slower to come around.

Mouth dropping open, Gates transferred his gaze between the two of us before yelping, “Holy shit.Were you two making out?”

“Oh my God,really?”I groaned as I shook my head sadly at my hopeless brother, even as I swallowed a nervous and guilty bubble that was threatening to rise up my throat and choke me.

“What?”he said.

“Yeah, that’s hilarious, Butt Nugget,” Keene added as he vaulted nimbly over the counter to land next to my brother to flick him in the ear.“Now where’s my snacks?”

Gates hissed from the pain and shifted his ear away, but seemed otherwise unaffected as the two of them took the next few seconds for Gates to pile Keene’s chips, candy bar, and soda into his arms, all the while asking, “Seriously.Are you two girlfriend-and-boyfriend or what?”

Keene only snickered.“None of your business,” he taunted, clutching his snacks to his chest and sending me an impersonal head bob, not at all appearing as if we’d just shared a flaming-hot moment together.“Later, Waves,” he told me before turning back to Gates.“And hey, stop spilling embarrassing secrets about your sister to complete strangers, will you, kid?”He winced.“That’s just in poor taste.”

Shaking his head as if disappointed in my brother, he strolled off, leaving a sputtering, red-faced Gates gaping after him.

Another glimmer rose inside me as I watched him stride off.Because he just looked that good walking away.

“So is he your boyfriend or not?”Gates demanded, whirling back to me.

I scoffed.

Focusing on my brother, I answered, “Not even.”

No girl wouldeverbe Keene Dugger’s girlfriend, least of all me.He liked playing the field way too much for that.

I knew I should’ve been happy that I’d at least gotten one night with him, but honestly…

I wanted more.

And it sucked knowing I’d never get it.

18

KEENE

As I left the library, I blew out a hard breath and forced myself to screw my head on right.

But damn, that had been…weird.For a few seconds there, I hadwantedto kiss Waverly Frank.And I mean, I’d wanted to fuckingkissher.Which was…

I shook my head.Actually, it was on par with how the rest of the day was going.Everything had felt odd since the moment I’d woken up.

Needing a break from all things unsettling and peculiar, I turned my phone back on and checked the screen out of habit because that was natural, normal behavior, only to realize I had six voicemails and thirty-five text messages.

Fuck, I’d forgotten I was still avoiding all avenues of communication with the entire group.But that only made everything weird again.

Dammit.

Frowning through the list, I skimmed names.

---