Page 60 of Counter Bet

April beats Matt in the game twice. He curses loudly and throws the controller to Josh, who catches it one-handed.

“Beat her ass! Don’t fucking disappoint me, man.”

“You’ve got it, chief.” Josh grins.

Ben rejoins us in the living room, freshly showered and changed.

I quirk an eyebrow at him, which he studiously ignores as he goes about picking up the empty plastic cups and pizza boxes off the floor.

“Dude, why the fuck are you cleaning?” Matt asks, looking at him like he’s grown three heads.

April doesn’t stop shooting as she replies, “His girl is coming over. He wants to make a good impression, Matt. You could take a page out of his book, you know. You would get laid more often.”

“Fuck!” Josh shouts, startling Nina next to him. “Sorry, dude,” he says to Matt, then passes the controller to Steph, who holds her hand out for a go. “April is fucking brutal!”

April sticks her tongue out to Josh. “I thought this was a boy’s game?”

He stands up and flips her off, then walks over to the coffee table and pours himself another shot.

“You’ve got it wrong, though,” Nina says to April. She pops her gum. “She’s not just Ben’s girl. She’s Dallas’ girl too.”

“Will you all shut the fuck up!” Ben growls, picking up an empty beer bottle. “She’s not anyone’s girl, alright! It’s a fucking bet!”

The others exchange glances, communicating silently.

It’s time to lighten the mood, so I joke, “You’re just worried I’ll make her come first and ruin your reputation when we get her in bed. I’m a woman, after all. I know the female anatomy better than you.”

He shoots me an incredulous look. “I never heard you complain.”

Well, I can’t argue with that. Ben is good in bed, and he knows it.

He walks around the back of the couch and leans in, whispering in my ear, “You stand no chance. So just admit defeat.”

I gasp in mock outrage. “Not a fucking chance!”

The doorbell rings.

We both freeze, staring at each other. Ben jogs over to open the door and leans his shoulder on the doorway. He lays it on thick with his trademark smirk.

Ben has game when he wants to and doesn’t struggle to get laid. When I first met him, his bedroom was a revolving door of girls. Things have calmed down since Emily stepped on the scene, and I can see why as she walks inside, looking around nervously. Ben’s eyes follow her as if she’s the most important person in the room. If he is ever going to fall for a girl, it will be her.

Worst of all? The same emotions are reflected in my own eyes.

Emily wrings her hands and sweeps her doe-eyes over the room, lingering on Ben’s broad form as he walks past. She looks nervous and unsure.

April waves the Xbox controller in the air. “We’re playing Halo. Do you know how to play?”

Her eyebrows shoot up. “Rick taught me.”

Weirdly, a twinge of jealousy knots my stomach at the mention of his name. I look over at Ben. Sure enough, his jaw ticks too.

Interesting.

“Awesome!” April replies, holding the controller out for Emily to take. “Why don’t you have a go? Show us what you’re made of.”

Josh tries to grab the controller in Steph’s hands. “Give me that.”

Steph scoffs. “Fuck off, Josh. I invited her, so I’m playing.”

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