Page 4 of Counter Bet

Emily.

Exhausted, I strip out of my uniform. Today’s practice was brutal, and my muscles ache in the best way possible.

“I’m hoping Nate will be at the party this weekend.” Naomi grins, brushing her dark curls.

Hailey rolls her eyes as she buttons up her jeans. “Girl, he’s been with half the school. You can do so much better than him.”

Naomi’s lips curve in a sly smile. She puts her hair up in a messy bun. “I’m not looking to tame the beast, Hailey. According to rumors, he’s got an eight-inch dick.” She mimics a blow job with her fist.

We all burst out laughing.

“You’re crazy!” Hailey replies, still chuckling. “But I get it. I wouldn’t mind a little fun with Nate myself if I wasn’t fucking Jamie. He’s an animal in bed, but he hasn’t got an eight-inch dick.”

Naomi turns her attention on me. “Rick is fine too. I’m not trying to break girl code, but if you hadn’t strapped him down, half the female population at this school would be on their knees for him.”

“Like that stops them from trying,” Hailey scoffs, sitting down on the bench to tie her shoelaces.

I zip up my bag. “I’m lucky.”

“They can try, but Rick is oblivious. Girls could literally kneel in front of him, naked and willing, and he wouldn’t notice.” Naomi laughs.

My smile falters. I busy myself by putting on my shoes, so they don’t notice my unease. Where are these feelings coming from? I’ve always been happy with Rick. He doesn’t spark a fire in me, but he is safe. Our relationship is comfortable, and he makes me smile, so why do I feel like I’m lying to myself?

* * *

That night I lie in bed, tired from a long day at school and cheer practice. I look up Dallas’ profile on Instagram. I don’t know where this curiosity is coming from, but I’ve started to notice her more and more at school lately. It’s like I can’t unsee her.

Her profile picture is of her and a taller guy at the beach. They both smile at the camera. Dallas scowls a lot at school as if she carries the world’s weight on her shoulders, so to see her look happy tugs at something inside of me.

I scroll through the rest of her posts. I don’t ask myself why I’m so curious, but the thought is there in the back of my mind.

Before last year there were plenty of photographs of her with the guy in the profile picture. I take a closer look. They have remarkably similar features. The same black hair and almond-shaped eyes. It must be her brother? There are other pictures of them too with an older couple who I guess are their parents. The family resemblance is there. She hasn’t uploaded any more family pictures in the last year.

Not since she moved here.

I scroll back up and look at the latest post she uploaded a couple of days ago. It was taken at the local lake late at night. Dallas sits next to a bonfire, looking out over the water. Her skin looks impossibly smooth, and her plump lips…

I almost drop my phone when a text message pops up on the screen.

Rick: Parents in bed?

I hurry over to the window and slide it open. The warm evening breeze feels nice on my skin as I look outside.

“Good evening, fair maiden,” Rick grins, climbing the trellis below. It’s a miracle how it holds his weight after all these years.

His dark head pops up. He palms the frame, hoists himself up, and throws a leg over. His heavy feet land on the floor with a thud.

I hush him. My parents are asleep. I don’t dare to think what my dad would do if he caught him in my bedroom this late.

Rick’s hazel eyes gleam with mischief. He stalks me deeper into my room, sweeping his gaze down my body, lingering on my bare legs in his football jersey.

My back hits the wall.

He trails the back of his fingers down my cheek and the column of my neck. My skin erupts in goosebumps, and I inhale sharply when he pinches my hardened nipple through the thin fabric.

“I like you in my jersey.” He skims his hand over to my other breast and palms it. “But you already know that.” His lips descend on my neck, kissing and nibbling. He smells of Rick, a heady mix of citrusy cologne, soap, and something uniquely him.

My eyes flutter shut. I grip his broad shoulders and arch my neck to give him better access. His lips capture mine, more demanding this time.

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