Page 148 of Counter Bet

She removes my arm, forcing it down by my side. “Your arms have to be down by your sides for this to work.”

I play with a tendril of her damp hair, feeling grains of sand scratch my fingers. “Two blowjobs. One today and one at school tomorrow.”

She pretends to think about it while Dallas begins pouring sand on my feet and legs.

“I’ll do you one better. One blowjob today, and I’ll let you fuck me at school tomorrow.”

My dick twitches. “A blowjob today. Then a blowjob and a fuck at school. One tomorrow and the other on a day of my choosing.”

She scoops up a handful of sand, pouring it over my chest. “You drive a hard bargain, Ben.”

I squeeze her thighs on either side of my waist. “I’m only hard for you.”

Amused, she laughs, pouring more sand on my chest. “Deal. Now lie very, very still.”

As I blink my eyes open, my newest tattoo catches my attention. It’s a small crown on the inside of my wrist.A princess needs a crown.

I shake my head and chuckle in bitter disbelief at how fucking pathetic I am. I kick a stray notebook on the floor, and it hits the wall with a satisfying thud. It’s miles better to kick the shit out of random objects in my room than to deal with the raging emotions inside of me. I don’t want to fucking feel. I’m done with this fucking pain!

I pause as something out of the corner of my eye catches my attention.

On the bed is another photograph.

My heart stops beating in my chest, and I stare at it as if it’s a venomous snake poised to strike.

No fucking way. There’s only one person who could’ve put it there.

“Dallas!” I yell at the top of my lungs, grinding my jaw. I fist my hands and stalk over to the door without taking my eyes off the offending item.

Nothing.

Silence.

Thick, heavy, suffocating silence.

I search my pockets for my phone. My hands tremble as I shoot off a quick text to Dallas.

Me: You’re in big fucking trouble! Keep her the fuck away from me.

I pocket the phone and grip the back of my neck.

I’m pacing the room like a caged animal.

The other night, in a moment of weakness, I leafed through our old photographs, and for a moment, the old memories didn’t hurt so much. But no amount of happy memories can wrangle the fear that’s consuming me right now. There’s no chance I will let her hurt me like that again. She left us twice already, so what would stop her from doing it again at the first sign of trouble?

The night she found out about the bet was the worst day of my life. I’ve never felt fear like it before. The thought of losing her…

I knew then that I could do nothing to get her back, so I left her alone. I never expected her to change her mind. Not now when I’m finally moving on. It’s fucking cruel to be pushed back into the past at the click of her fingers. And to be reminded that when it comes to her, I’m still just as powerless.

I can almost hear her peals of laughter in the quiet room.

I eye the photograph on the bed.

I run my palm over my clenching jaw before taking a tentative step toward the bed. It’s just a goddamn photograph, so why am I behaving like this? But it’s not just a photograph. It has the power to tear down the walls I’ve erected over the last seven months.

My shins hit the edge of the bed.

She’s smiling up at me with that sparkle in her blue eyes that I love so much.

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