Page 14 of Contempt

I grab the beach towel off the chair and wrap it around myself. I check the house for lights one more time, then head inside the beach house to put my clothes back on.

Since it’s late and I need to get some sleep, I don’t unpack the rest of the box. I close it up and make a mental note to tell Mom where it is at breakfast tomorrow.

But just as I’m pulling my hair out of my tank top and preparing to head back inside, I notice something sheer and black lying on the floor in front of the couch. Frowning, I bend to pick it up.

At first, I think maybe it was something I knocked out of the box, but when I hold it up, I know immediately it’s nothing of mine or Mom’s.

I know because I recognize it as part of the shirt Brittany Benson was wearing when she hopped into Landon’s Jaguar this afternoon.

All the peace I just found in the pool drains away in an instant.

My imagination can’t help but conjure the interaction that would have led to her top coming off and winding up on the floor of this pool house.

Gross.

I’m tempted to throw the damn thing in the pool, but I’m sure the top was expensive—maybe even dry-clean only—so I swallow down my annoyance and turn off the lights, then head back to my room with Brittany Benson’s fucking shirt balled up in my fist.

Chapter Four

Parker

“And that iswhy I need you to return Brittany Benson’s shirt.”

Hannah shakes her head as the car slows down at the last stop sign before we reach Baymont High. The car on the other side stops at the same time, so Hannah waves for them to go ahead. “I don’t really know her. I’m not even sure I know what she looks like. I think you should do it yourself.”

“No, what I should do is give it to Landon. Since he likes her so much,hecan return her stupid shirt.” Without giving her long enough to respond, I go on. “How do you just… not realize you’re missing half of your shirt? Honestly.”

“I’m sure she did notice,” Hannah says.

“And she didn’t go back for it?”

She smiles faintly. “Of course not. ‘Oh, hey, I think I left my shirt at your house the other day’ is the perfect way to invite herself back if she wasn’t sure he would invite her without the nudge. Sometimes I forget that for all your academic brilliance, you’ve lived in a boy-free bubble your whole life and you don’t know how dating works.”

I scowl. “Why would you want to see a guy you have to trick into inviting you back over?”

Hannah laughs and shakes her head. “Youwouldn’t, but some girls do. Any girl who likes Landon has to, because they all know by nowhe’snever going to put in the effort to seethem.”

I shake my head. “Mind boggling. Maybe I should slip a copy ofHe’s Just Not That into Youin the shirt before I give it back.”

“Too late to stop at the bookstore now,” Hannah jokes as we pull into the school parking lot.

Hannah finds an open spot near the back, and as we walk past the row of reserved spaces, I spot Landon hanging with Malek and Arden by their cars. Of coursetheydon’t have to search the lot for a parking spot.

My heart rate kicks up when Landon’s brooding gaze locks on me. I realize with growing horror I’m holding Brittany’s shirt and he cansee me. Without thought, I shove it at Hannah.

“Will you give it to her for me?” I ask again.

Hannah sighs. “All right. I’ll need to see a picture, though. I want to make sure I approach the right person.”

I pull out my phone to pull up Brittany’s profile so Hannah can see what she looks like. Since I was just on her socials yesterday, her name pops up immediately. I click the most recent picture—the one of her in Landon’s car—but my heart stops at the sight of a new comment.

“Troublemaker”it says with a little winking emoji.

The comment is from Landon.

At around 3 AM.

When I was downstairs in the pool.

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