Page 79 of Faking It with the Forward

Because he’s right. This thing between us only keeps getting better and I never want it to stop.

* * *

“You coming over soon?” he asks, the same bass pounding in the background of the phone that I can hear echoing down the street. The party up at the Manor is in full swing and I’m pretty sure every cluster of people walking past my house is headed there. The guys won the game against Mason—a shutout—and with the full season starting next week, there was no way they wouldn’t celebrate.

“Still waiting on Nadia,” I tell him. She agreed to go with me as a buffer since I’m uncomfortable showing up there alone. “She was supposed to be back an hour ago.”

“You think she’s bailing on you?” The noise behind him grows more muffled.

“I don’t know. She’s been a lot more reliable lately.” I scroll through my texts with her. “She said she was meeting up with Brent around six and that she’d be home by nine.” It’s already ten after ten.

“She’s still seeing him?” he asks. “I thought he’d moved on.”

“He may have, but she hasn’t.”

“Sure you don’t want to come without her?” I hear the frustration in his voice. “I can sneak you up to my room and we can just celebrate alone.”

“Tempting, but…”

I may just be feeling paranoid, but I can’t shake the idea that Coach Green is watching us, or rather, me. Like he’s waiting to catch me and Reese in a compromising position. I’m willing to go to the party as just another student—with a friend—but alone? I can’t risk it.

My phone buzzes.

“Hold on,” I check the notification. “Oh, it’s just Ruby.”

She’s attached a video with the message:Is this Nadia?

“Hey, let me call you back.”

“Okay, but if you’re not here in an hour, Sunshine, I’m coming down to get you.”

We hang up and before I can press play on the video, Ruby calls.

“Did you watch it?”

“No, not yet.”

“Put me on speaker.” I do and she adds, “It’s not good, Twy. I’m worried.”

“Okay, chill,” I say, used to my sister’s overdramatics. I press play and at first, I’m confused. The image is blurry, but I can make out Nadia’s long, curly hair. She’s sitting on a bed, and although her back is to the camera, it’s obvious she’s topless. She leans over and that’s when I notice the guy in the bed. He’s also bare-chested—but his face is cut from view. She kisses his chest, the movement exposing her thong.

“Where did you get this?” I ask, thumb over the exit button. Whatever it is, I’m not comfortable watching it.

“It was posted on the live stories, and just wait…” Nadia shifts, seconds away from flashing her chest, when a sticker appears across the screen.

To watch a live feed go to lonelycams #nadia

“I checked the link and it’s behind a paywall,” Ruby says. “Twy, did you know she was doing this?”

“No,” I say, looking at Nadia’s expression. It isn’t clear with the grainy lighting, but she’s my best friend. I know her and something about this feels wrong. “Is it just me or does she look like she doesn’t even know the camera is there?”

“I don’t know,” she says. “It’s hard to tell and Nadia has a history of—”

“She doesn’t have a history of selling herself online, Ruby.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I told you, I’m worried.”

“It’s okay,” I say, crossing the room to grab my shoes. “I’m going to figure it out.”

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