Page 140 of Counter Bet

I snap my head to Scarlett, burning her to a crisp with my glare. “Jesus, Scar. How many people know?”

She opens her mouth to reply, but Landon beats her to it. “No one else. I promise. You have nothing to worry about. I was curious, so Scarlett showed me the photographs.”

I go to protest, but he waves my concern away. “I won’t tell a soul! You have my word. I would like to help.”

My brows hit my hairline. He can’t be serious? “Why?”

He chuckles, amused by my incredulity. “I like you, Em, and want to see you happy.”

Scarlett snorts next to me.

I break eye contact with Landon and glance at Scarlett questioningly.

“Aren’t you the gentleman?” Her voice drips with sarcasm.

Landon, used to her attitude, ignores her. “I did some digging and found out about a house party that he’s going to this weekend. I would invite you to tag along, but you’re going away to visit Hailey.”

He’s right. The tickets are booked. I’m due to fly out on Friday afternoon to stay the weekend. It can’t come soon enough.

“I can hide a photograph for him to find. He’ll never see it coming.”

I snort a laugh. “How are you going to manage that at a party? But sure, it would be great if you could do that.”

Landon nods as if that settles things, then puts his laptop back in his bag and stands up, but I rise from my seat and pull him in for a hug before he can make his escape.

“Thank you.”

“He’s a lucky guy,” Landon replies, burying his nose in my hair.

* * *

That Friday, I leave a teary Dallas behind as I board the plane to go and spend a couple of days with Hailey. If all goes to plan, Ben will find the second photograph this weekend.

I agonized for hours over which one to give to Landon, and in the end, I settled for one that Steph took of me and Ben at the skatepark when we weren’t looking.

“I love it when you look disheveled like this,” Ben whispers in my ear as he comes up behind me when I remove my helmet to wipe the sweat off my forehead.

I grin, dropping the helmet to the ground before turning to face him.

“You like me sweaty, Ben?”

He bites down on his bottom lip in a move that’s sinfully sexy and lifts me off the ground, making me giggle as I wrap my thighs around him. “I especially like you sweaty.” He nips my jaw. “And naked.”

I smile against his lips, burying my fingers in the green hair at the nape of his neck and bringing our bodies flush. “Kiss me, Ben.”

I step through the arrival gates, pulling my heavy suitcase behind me, scanning the crowds for my best friend.

Hailey immediately pulls me in for a bone-crunching hug, and we squeal like twelve-year-old girls at a boyband concert, drawing looks from strangers.

“Oh my god, your hair,” I say, fingering a tendril of her much shorter haircut. “It suits you!”

“Nevermind my hair. Look at your tan!”

I link my arm through hers as we make our way past reuniting families and bored children running in circles around a baggage cart.

“I have so many things planned for us this weekend, but first—ice cream!”

I laugh. “I trust you have scouted out all of the local ice cream parlors by now?”

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