Page 133 of Betting on You

I felt like he’d slapped me with hisI could tell that you were going to make something hugecomment, as if he were the adult in the scenario who knew silly little Bailey was going to fall in love. As if I were a lovesick idiot.

“Uh, for starters, it wasn’t justakiss, Charlie, and you know it,” I said, blinking fast as I tried keeping my thoughts straight. “But if anything fucked up our friendship, it was you ignoring me. Friends don’t do that.”

“Friends, friends,” he said, his words almost a groan. “It’s such bullshit.”

“No, your ideas are bullshit.”

“Really?” he asked, stepping a little closer. “Because it occurs to me that we’ve yet to discuss the fact that I actually won our bet. Because it wasn’t bullshit at all. I told you a long time ago that Theo and Nekesa were going to hook up, and I was right. You bet on friendship, and you lost because it’s impossible.”

“Oh my god, Theotoldyou he kissed her?”

So that guy was a dick, too.

“What the hell?”

Nekesa appeared from behind Charlie, where she’d apparently been hidden by his bigger, taller body.

Shit, shit, shit.

“What does that mean?” Nekesa asked, taking a step toward me. “You didn’t make aliteralbet that we’d hook up, did you?”

“No!” I nearly shouted, panicking as she glared at me. I cleared my throat as my heart started pounding in my chest, and I said, “It’s not like that.” Right? How could I explain. “I mean, there was this…discussionthat Charlie and I had.”Discussion? Jesus, Bailey!

Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes moved between Charlie and me. “What kind of garbage person makes a bet about their best friend?”

“It wasn’t like that,” I said, desperate to convince her. “Charlie just thought—”

“Charlie sure likes betting,” Theo said.

I hadn’t even noticed him standing beside Nekesa, but I could hardly keep up with the conversation, much less the attendance. He looked pissed as he glared at Charlie, which irritated me because this was none of his business. I mean yes, he’d been part of the bet, but I didn’t care how he felt about that.

Theo crossed his arms and said, “That wasn’t his only wager.”

I rolled my eyes—couldn’t help it. “No offense, Theo, but I—”

“Fuck off, Theo,” Charlie said, looking ready to fight.

“Oh, really?” Theo looked like a smug asshole because he wassmirkingin the midst of all the turmoil. “I should fuck off?”

“Spare us the machismo,” I muttered, out of patience.

“Machismo?” Theo barked, his smirk turning into a dickish grin. “He made a bet aboutyou, Bailey.”

“What?” I didn’t get it.

“Theo,” Charlie said through gritted teeth. “Shut up.”

He looked angry, his face flushed and his eyes burning as heglared at Theo, which mademeeven angrier. I said, “No,youshut up, Charlie.”

And then I said—

“What are you talking about, Theo?”

Theo was still looking pleased with himself, like he was the puppeteer and was having the time of his life pulling all the strings.

“Charlie made a bet aboutyou.” Theo said the words loudly, clearly, and while giving me direct eye contact. “With me.”

“What?” I pushed my hair out of my face and looked from Theo to Charlie. “What does that mean?”

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