Page 142 of Counter Bet

I snort. “Tell me about it. It’s fucking shit!”

Our eyes meet for a brief second before we burst out laughing, clutching our midriff.

* * *

My phone pings on the nightstand. I groan, burying my face deeper into the pillow. My mouth tastes sour, and my head bangs thanks to Hailey plying me with shots the night before.

She’s snoring next to me as I reach for my phone and knock over her alarm clock.

“Shit,” I curse, picking it up off the floor before lying back down and unlocking my phone.

Landon: ((video attachment))

I blink, and suddenly I’m wide awake, shooting up in bed. I nudge Hailey next to me. There’s no way I can watch the video alone without the support of my best friend.

“Hailey!” I shake her shoulder again.

She groans. “It’s too fucking early, Em.”

Normally I would laugh, but my stomach is twisting with nerves.

“Landon messaged me a video from last night.”

That gets her attention. She throws back the quilt, scoots up in bed, and attempts to tame the birds’ nest on her head. “Don’t keep us in suspense. Press play.”

I hover with my thumb over the play button. “I’m scared. Landon didn’t type a message. It could mean anything.”

Hailey rubs her face. Her smile is soft when she looks at me and threads her fingers through mine. “I’m here, Em.”

I press play, holding my breath.

Tinny music begins to play, and the phone camera shakes for a moment before Ben comes into view, laughing with a friend. The photograph I picked sticks out from underneath one of the cups on the beer pong table behind him.

Hailey gasps next to me. “Landon is a genius!”

I want to laugh, but I’m too nervous, so I settle for a shaky smile instead.

Ben’s friend rounds the table, throwing the ping pong ball in the air and catching it with a grin.

Ben stops dead in his tracks, staring incredulously at the photograph.

“Are we playing or what?” his friend asks, throwing the ping pong ball in the air again, eyes flicking to Landon. He winks, amused to be in on the trick.

Ben picks up the picture and sweeps his gaze across the room as if expecting to find me hiding behind a plant or something.

“He thought you were there,” Hailey comments next to me, echoing my thoughts.

Ben reads my handwriting on the back of the photo.“I miss your lips on my skin.”

His eyes flit back up and land on Landon.

A gasp falls from my lips, and Hailey squeaks next to me.

“He’s coming over.”

We share a nervous glance.

Landon lowers the phone down by his side.

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