Page 58 of Shaped to Be Yours

“Now, before they go get you patched up, I need a word with these two. Alone.”

That couldn’t be good.

Whitmore motioned for me and Ricky to huddle with him a few feet away.

“Uh, you couldn’t have done the laying into me part in private too?” I snarked.

“I thought we were in agreement about no more frolicking in the woods?”

Ricky and I couldn’t have looked more guilty with how we glanced at each other. Crap.

“I don’t know what you’re talking—”

“Jason.” Whitmore loomed over us. I really hated that he was bigger than me. “I want to trust you, but now you have two serious strikes against you.This.” He gestured outside again.“And last night when you went into the woods without your phone.”

How did he know?

“I will take your silence for admittance. I was at your house, waiting for the last of your lights to turn off. I saw you go in there.”

“You what?” I should have expected that, but it was still creepy.

Wait.

“You can’t see our backyard from the street.”

Whitmore stared at me.

“Which admits we did it, fine, but seriously? You saw us? You were in my backyard? Or watching from around the side of the house?”

“Assume I am always watching.”

“First off,gross.”

“Which was why I didn’t follow you into the woods.” He raised his hands as if to say he hadn’t watched the us getting freaky part.

But did that mean Whitmore was the presence I’d felt? Had it just been him, spying on us, that had made me feel like someone was watching? And if it was, why had the presence felt like it was coming from the woods?

“If it happens again, you’re graduating to ankle monitor. Do we have an understanding, gentlemen?” Whitmore pressed.

Ricky and I nodded.

“Out loud.”

“Yes,” we said.

“Good. Now go make sure your friend is okay.”

As we left, I couldn’t help noticing that Kai gazed at Whitmore with a fond sigh.

“What evenisyour type?” I asked him later, while we waited for our turn to talk to the police after he’d been treated—and yes, we took plenty of photos of his injuries first.

“Type?” Kai blinked at me.

“You matched with me on the app. You matched with catfishing asshole Colt, who looks nothing like me. You drooled over my snake body as much as your sister did. Now Whitmore?”

Kai’s cheeks turned that blushing indigo color, more so than from any bruising. “You do not think him handsome?”

“Urg,” I groaned, because yeah, Whitmore was a dreamboat, but did everyone have to notice? At least Kai was a better option than my mom.

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