Page 165 of The Neighbor Wager

“Yeah. I do.” She holds out her hand. “As long as you promise you’ll do what’s best for her. Not for me. Not for you. Not for Jake. For her.”

I start to shake.

“No. Like this.” She holds up her pinkie. “Me and Lexi always pinkie-swear. It feels right.”

We pinkie-swear.

And then, she explains everything.

Jake and Lexi meeting, via the app. Lexi coming home, the first night, already over the moon. The second night, shocked he didn’t invite her home. The third, aghast he turned her down.

And when he asked her to wait—

Lexi saw it as a challenge, even if she didn’t admit it to herself.

They were doing well. Lexi didn’t even notice how long they’d been together, until Willa brought up the suggestion for a poster couple. As soon as Lexi felt that outside pressure, she panicked. She lost interest. She ran.

But she loves him. She does.

That’s what Deanna believes, anyway.

“I promised myself I’d stay out of it this weekend,” she says. “And I meant that. I want to give her time and space to figure it out for herself.”

“But?”

“But Willa and her boyfriend are here,” she says. “And they’ll be watching. She won’t have time or space. She needs someone on her side. Someone who believes in love and romance and happily ever after.” She looks me in the eyes. “She needs you.”

Lexi needs me.

Damn.

My high school dreams come true.

In the strangest possible way.

Chapter Thirty-Five

River

After breakfast and another cup of tea, we meet Lexi and Jake at the hotel restaurant.

The two of them are sitting on the outside patio, in matching shades of pink, laughing at a shared joke.

They don’t look like two people on edge, yet to consummate their union. Or two people concerned about their sexual compatibility.

They look just-fucked.

Sure, they cleaned up well enough—neat hair, clean clothes—but they’re both wearing a post-orgasmic glow.

It might be the desert sun, or the rising temperature, or the hotel coffee.

But I doubt it.

For a moment, I imagine a different scenario. What would have happened if Lexi had met me at her car the first night I was here, instead of Deanna, driven me to the county’s favorite make-out spot, turned up the slow jams as she turned off the engine.

It’s hard to imagine. Even though I pictured the scenario a million times. Even though, a few weeks ago, I wanted it as much as I wanted anything.

That guy is a completely different person. One who doesn’t understand the world the way I do. One who barely understands himself.

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