Page 26 of Counter Bet

She stays quiet, eyes trained on the floor.

I laugh incredulously.

Doesn’t she have anything to say for herself? Not even an apology?

I wait for her to say something.

Anything.

What did I expect? She doesn’t care about anything but herself, so why would this be any different? This is what she does. She ruins people. What the fuck happened to make her so heartless and cruel?

“Nothing to say?” I seethe, digging my nails into my palms. I’m boiling over with emotion, and she won’t even look at me or admit out loud what she did.

When she doesn’t respond, I shake my head, laughing bitterly. “Unbelievable.” I turn on my heels. I’m done with this—with her. “Fuck you, Dallas!”

“I won’t show it to anyone if that’s what you’re worried about,” she calls out as I reach for the door handle.

I pivot on the spot, walk over to her and slap her uninjured cheek.

Her face snaps to the side.

Outside, an engine revs.

She hisses through her teeth but stays silent, cradling her reddening cheek. Strands of black hair shield her eyes from me.

“You mean like how you showed it to Ben and your friends?”

Her blue eyes collide with mine, shining with a range of emotions I can’t place. Surprise? Remorse?

I taste tears on my lips. “You’re despicable, Dallas. Stay away from Rick, and stay away from me!” I leave her to stare after me as I storm out and slam the door behind me, startling the poor cleaner in the process of mopping the floor. Her eyes follow me as I turn the corner.

I burst through the front door, squinting against the sunlight. I’m grateful Rick parks right at the front, so I don’t have to maneuver my way through students and cars. Especially now. My hands still tremble.

Rick’s hazel eyes connect with mine across the car park. I descend the steps, hitching my heavy bag higher up on my shoulder. I never got around to emptying out the unnecessary books.

Rick looks at me questioningly but makes no comment as I open the door with too much force. When he’s back in the driver’s seat, he starts the engine.

I put my seatbelt on with shaky hands and glance over at the classroom window where I left Dallas.

Is she still in there?

I deserve an explanation and an apology. We’re not friends, but my gut still twists with betrayal.

Rick grabs my headrest and looks over his shoulder as he reverses out of the parking spot. When he catches me staring, he winks before straightening in his seat, revving the engine for my benefit. He knows I love the vibrations beneath my bare thighs.

I lean my head on the window as we leave the school grounds. The traffic is heavy at this time, so it’s a slower than usual journey home.

Rick switches on the radio station and rolls down his window. “Are you okay?” he asks, tapping his fingers on top of the steering wheel, squeezing my bare thigh with his other hand.

I look down at his tanned skin. His palm engulfs my thigh. “I’m just tired, I guess.” I feel his eyes on me before he nods and focuses back on the road.

We drive in silence. There’s a new tension between us. I don’t know how to bring up Friday, and he doesn’t bring it up, either.

We pull up next to my house, a two-story colonial style home with a gray shingle exterior, black window shutters, and a raised, wrap-around porch.

Rick leaves the car running, which is the first sign that something is wrong.

I turn to face him fully. “Are you not coming in?”

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