Page 143 of Counter Bet

“No!” Hailey and I groan in unison.

“Hey, man.” Ben’s low and gravelly voice has me scrambling to hold the phone up higher so we can hear better.

“You’re the guy from the other week, right? In the business building?” Landon asks.

“Err, yeah. Is Emily around?”

“Oh, god!” My voice trembles.

Hailey hushes me.

“She’s out of town, visiting her friend this weekend.”

Hailey and I share a look.

“I can message her if you want.”

“No, it’s alright. Are you—?” Ben hesitates, clearing his throat. “Are you like a thing or?”

Landon doesn’t skip a beat. “We’re keeping it casual.”

My eyes bug out, and Hailey laughs next to me.

“Casual?” I whisper hiss.

Hailey winks. “Strategy, Em. Make him feel threatened.”

I roll my eyes.

“She’s hung up on an ex who sounds like a dick if you ask me.”

This time we both laugh.

“Hey, Ben,” the guy over by the beer pong table calls. “Are we playing or what?”

Ben clears his throat again. “I better get going.” He hesitates, then adds, “Good luck with the girl.”

The video ends.

I release a heavy breath, wiping my wet cheeks. “I tried, right?” I attempt a shaky smile, but Hailey sees right through my brave façade.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” she says, taking my hand.

I want to believe her, but I heard Ben when he wished Landon good luck with me. He’s moved on. “This is a good thing,” I whisper, nodding as if to convince myself. “I can move on. I got Dallas back, at least.”

Hailey lifts my chin with one finger. “You still have a few photographs left. Don’t give up after two. Don’t forget, Ben asked if you and Landon are dating. Why would he do that if he doesn’t have feelings for you?”

Why is hope such a fragile thing?

“Maybe,” I reply, tasting tears on my lips. “I’ll hand out the rest of the photographs, but I’m also going to use this opportunity to find closure. I can’t keep doing this. It’s time to move on, Hailey.”

I don’t know when I fell in love with Ben and Dallas, but I gave them my heart somewhere along the road, and this is the price you pay for love.

Hailey squeezes my arm, and I nudge her with my shoulder. She has her own complicated love life. We’re such a miserable pair; it’s almost funny.

“It’s our last day together. Let’s not sit here and cry over boys,” Hailey says, taking my phone off me and placing it down on the bedside table.

I agree. Boy-trouble can wait. “What do you have in mind?”

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