Page 108 of Play With Me
“You sure? This is going to get messy.”
“As long as you’re sure that you want me. Your soccer career could end. That’s what I’m most worried about.”
“It won’t. I’ll find a team that wants me. I’m that good. And if not, I have so much money, I don’t even know what to do with it.”
A laugh escapes me, and I press a kiss to the top of his head. My heart is mending. It still hurts, but fuck, am I glad that it’snot completely torn in two. I’m glad I asked him to be selfish. Because I’m being that too.
I’m choosing him despite the fact that it will expose us and possibly hurt his career.
“We’ll beat him at his cruel games, Colton. I promise,” I whisper.
“I trust you,” he replies. “I trust you with all of me.”
The nudes are leaked the following day. It was a link in an email sent to a few people on campus, and then forwarded to friends of friends of friends, and soon, everyone had access to them. Paulie ends up receiving it, but he was expecting it. While Colton was sleeping in my bed, I snuck out and told him everything.
The way his skin turned pink, his hands clenched into fists.
“I’ll murder him myself,” he murmurs.
“Don’t. We’re not going to let this bother us. So it shouldn’t bother you. But I understand if you want out. I’d totally understand if you wanted to distance yourself from me.”
“I’ve known you forever. I’m not going anywhere,” he tells me. “But you’re going to do something about this, though, right? Maya has to have something up her sleeve to get them back.”
“She does. Don’t worry. We have it all planned out. By the end of this, his stepdad and his mom won’t look like the good guys. We may never be able to prove anything truly nefarious, but they will lose favor with the public after this. I guarantee it. The entire family is creepy. The footage Maya has assures me that’s how it makes them look.”
“Have you seen it?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
Paulie nods and then claps me on the shoulder. “Doesn’t matter, really. Just know I’ll always support you. You make me proud to be your friend. I’m standing with you through this.”
My eyes tear up at his loyalty. “Thanks, Paulie.”
He nods and then gestures to the bedroom. “Better go back in there. Don’t want him waking up and worrying about where you’ve gone.”
I stand up and then hesitate, turning back toward him. “You know, Hailey would be stupid not to pick you.”
“We’ll see. I can’t make someone like me, you know?”
“I wish I could.”
He huffs a laugh and then waves me away.
Fuck, I want my twin to wake up and see what’s right in front of her, but I don’t know if she will. Sometimes, these things take time. What I wouldn’t give to have this guy as my brother-in-law. Not many people are that lucky.
I know what I have, or more likewhoI have in my corner, and I refuse to give any of them up. Being at Colton’s this weekend showed me that.
Moving silently back into the bedroom, I slip in next to Colton and hold on to him, unable to sleep, until the sun comes up. And when we both finally emerge from the bedroom, Paulie is sitting on the stool in the kitchen, his head down, his cheeks pink. Anger emanates from his tense body.
I know what that means.
The photos are out there. Erick actually did it. He published what he had. I called his bluff, and I lost.
But I’m prepared for it.
“What? What is it? Oh shit. He did it, didn’t he?”
Colton rushes forward and grabs Paulie’s phone from his hand, clicking the link and scrolling through pages of me and him.
