Page 118 of Counter Bet

Ben’s head snaps up, but I ignore him as I stare at the phone in my trembling hand. I’m barely breathing.

“Emily is here.”

“Don’t watch it, Em,” Ben pleads, striding toward me, but I hold my hand up, stopping him in his tracks.

“Emily? The cheerleader?

Ben starts pacing in front of me.

My mind screams at me to switch it off.

“I’m going to fuck her boyfriend, Rick.”

Ben curses and swipes for my phone, but I spring away.

“Don’t you dare, Ben,” I warn.

“Not only that, but Emily is going to watch me fuck him and love every moment of it.”

“No…” I whisper in disbelief, my throat thick with emotion.

“You want to make a bet?”

I gasp. It all makes sense now. Why have I been so blind? The warning signs were there all along. Why else did they welcome me so readily? I’ve been nothing but a game to them.

“Please, switch it off, Em,” Ben pleads, eyes desperate as he tugs his hair and continues pacing in front of me.

“I do. You want to play?”

“I want to play, but I want to make a bet of my own too.”

“What’s your counter bet?”

“Fuck, just switch it off. I’m begging you!”

I ignore him.

“I’ll get her to agree to a threesome with us if you fuck her boyfriend and make her watch.”

“What?” I breathe. My voice is barely audible above the buzzing in my head. Steph laughs in the background, telling him that I’ll never fall for it.

“You’re right. It’s why Emily won’t be able to resist choking on my dick. I’ll be the perfect escape from her boring little life.”

The video stops playing.

I continue staring at the phone in my hands, seeing but unseeing.

“Please say something,” Ben whispers.

I swallow thickly, still staring at the blank screen. Ben and Dallas’ cruel words echo in my head. I’ll fall apart any moment now, and I need to be far away from here when it happens.

I shake my head as the first tear falls. “I guess you both won, huh? She fucked my boyfriend, and I agreed to a threesome. I hope it was worth it.” I dig my sharp nails in my palms, welcoming the physical pain. It’s preferable to the emotional pain that’s slowly ripping me apart from the inside.

“It wasn’t like that.” He tries to reach for me, but I take a step back.

“Don’t touch me!” I will fall to pieces if he does. They played me this whole time, laughing behind my back. Is it possible to die of heartbreak? It certainly feels like it right now. I’m struggling to draw a breath. My lungs burn.

“Please, Emily,” Ben pleads desperately. “It wasn’t like that! Yes, it started out as a stupid dare, but then we got to know you. It was real when we slept together for the first time.”

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