Page 154 of Counter Bet

“I’m happy too.”

My heart feels too big for my chest but in the best way possible. But one thought won’t leave my mind. “What about the girl I saw you with?”

He brings his attention back on the road. “She’s no one.” A muscle jumps in his jaw as he wrings the steering wheel. “What about that Landon guy? You sure looked cozy.”

“Casual?” I whisper hiss.

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

I smile at the memory. “Are you jealous?”

He chuckles when I lean forward to nip his earlobe, and the deep husky sound does rude things to my body.

“Damn right, I’m fucking jealous. I’m not sharing you with another man.”

“He’s no one,” I say with a teasing grin on my lips, echoing his words.

Amused, he looks over at me with a sparkle in his brown eyes. “Alright then, princess. I’m glad that’s settled.”

* * *

I sweep my eyes over the small house. The front lawn is overdue a trim, and the rose bushes at the front have long since died, but besides that, it’s a cozy little house.

“Dallas told me you live off-campus.”

Ben unlocks the door and glances at me over his shoulder. “I lived on campus at first but moved here with Dallas. It’s nothing special, but it’s ours for now, and Dallas is safe here. I couldn’t leave her behind for long in the same town as that man. I don’t trust him not to go after her again.”

“You should have reported him to the police.”

Ben scoffs, holding the door open for me. “It would’ve been her word against his. No one was going to believe her, and Greg or her uncle would have hurt her even more for snitching. It’s better this way. At least we taught him a fucking lesson.”

I know he’s right, but it doesn’t feel right knowing a man like Greg is free to do the same things to other girls even if he’ll spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

The narrow corridor is lined with coats and shoes, most of which belong to Dallas. On my left is a small living room and on my right is the kitchen. Straight ahead is a set of stairs leading to the bedrooms.

I step into the living room and turn in a circle. The walls have been painted a deep purple, and on the floor lies a black furry rug. The fireplace is lined with framed photographs. One in particular catches my attention.

“I’m going to be late for class,” I laugh as Nina pulls me down off the boulder.

“I don’t care,” Steph grins, positioning the camera on top of it so we all fit into the picture. “I want a photograph.”

Dallas pulls me into her side, and Ben crushes the joint beneath his heel before joining us. He shoulders Matt out of the way.

“What do we say today?” April asks, wrapping her arms around the waists of Steph and Josh.

“Gubbins?” Josh grins.

Dallas laughs. “Gubbins, Josh? Really?”

“Seven seconds and counting, guys,” Steph says, a fake smile plastered on her face in preparation for the flash.

“Fucking fine! Lollygag.”

Matt groans while the rest of us laughs.

Josh looks between us. “It literally means you’re messing around or wasting time. Is that not what we’re doing?”

“Five seconds.”

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