Chapter 4 One Second to Spare

I slept until noon on the day of the party.

By the time I finally checked my phone, there were more than 99 unread messages waiting for me.

Most of them came from the group chat, where everyone had apparently spent the morning discussing the seating arrangements for that night.

Someone had even uploaded a picture of an extra-wide chair. "Let's save this one for Lauren. A normal chair probably won't make it through the night."

Another person immediately joined in. "How thoughtful. Someone give this guy the Harbor City Humanitarian Award."

Fred also had his own two cents to add.

"She's not coming. Stop wasting your time."

Rita replied a few seconds later, "What if she does come? Promise me you guys won't make fun of her anymore."

Her weak attempt to defend me only made everyone laugh harder.

I didn't bother replying.

Instead, I got out of bed and started getting ready.

Tessa arrived at my house around 2 p.m. with two makeup cases in her hands and murder in her eyes.

She dropped everything onto the table the moment she stormed into my bedroom. "I'm going to give you the kind of makeover that leaves an asshole emotionally hospitalized for life even if I die trying."

I sat down in front of the mirror and arched an eyebrow at her. "What exactly does that mean?"

Tessa started unpacking her brushes. "It means you're going to walk out completely unharmed while every idiot who sees you takes critical damage."

I laughed and let her get to work.

Once she was done curling my hair into simple waves, she walked over to my closet and pulled out a black spaghetti-strap dress.

The design was simple, with clean lines and a slightly fitted waist that showed off my shoulders and collarbones without looking like I was trying too hard.

When I stepped out of the bathroom wearing it, Tessa was so awed that she stopped breathing.

She stared at me for nearly 30 seconds before clutching her chest with a gasp. "We have a problem."

I looked down at myself. "What problem?"

"If I were a guy, I'd probably be serving two years in prison because of you by the end of tonight."

I burst out giggling.

Tessa grabbed both my hands and spun me around twice, looking more pleased with herself every second.

"Rita has that sweet, innocent, girl-next-door thing going for her. Oh, she's gorgeous on her own."

Then, she gave me another long, meaningful look.

"But standing beside you? That harpy's going to look like the girl handing out wedding favors at somebody else's reception."

I shook my head. "Be nice."

Tessa smirked. "Sadly, I'm all out of nice, but I've got plenty of objective opinions to spare."

Another notification appeared in the group chat at 5 p.m.

Someone had posted a video from the party.

A large white cake sat in the center of the private room, and someone had written a message across the top in bright red frosting.

"Welcome, 200-pound girlfriend!"

There was laughter filling the background of the video.

A guy with a buzz cut leaned toward the camera. "Lauren, we're going to start the couple's challenge without you if you don't hurry up!"

Fred was sitting on one of the couches behind him.

He glanced toward the camera and scoffed in derision. "I already told you. She doesn't have the guts to come. She wouldn't even turn her camera on. Do you seriously think she'd show up in person?"

Rita reached over and gave him a playful shove. "Stop talking about her like that."

I paused the video before I heard anything else.

Tessa grabbed her car keys. "Come on. I refuse to let tonight end without leaving these morons eating their bullshit. My honor as your makeup artist depends on it!"

We had barely stepped outside when a friend request appeared on my phone.

The name on the screen made me pause.

It was Oliver.

I accepted it.

His message arrived almost immediately.

"I'm sorry. This started because of a game I was involved in. I'll take care of it."

Another message followed.

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

I stared at the screen for a moment.

So far, Oliver was the only person involved in this ridiculous game who had actually apologized to me.

I found myself liking him a little more for that.

"It's fine. I'm already on my way."

I stared at the screen for a second before typing another message. "I'm still doing the challenges tonight."

The typing indicator appeared.

It stayed there for so long that I couldn't help but wonder what he was trying to write.

Eventually, only one sentence came through.

"Don't force yourself."

I looked at those three words for a few seconds before putting my phone away.

Tessa pulled up outside the hotel 30 minutes later.

She had originally planned to come upstairs with me, but an urgent call from her mother forced her to leave me unchaperoned.

She reached out to squeeze my hand before I got out of the car, saying sternly, "Call me immediately if anything happens. If anyone touches you without your consent, I swear I'll have his face all over Harbor City University's gossip page before midnight."

I smiled and nodded before stepping out of the car.

As I crossed the hotel lobby, the guy behind the front desk looked up at me more than once. I even caught him staring through the elevator's glass doors until they slid shut.

The private room was located at the far end of the third floor.

I walked down the hallway in my heels. The closer I got, the clearer the voices became. I could hear them laughing even through the thick door.

"It's already six. She's really not coming."

"Fred, you're basically guaranteed to win back that 10,000 and more."

"I told you. With a size like that, she'd need an oxygen tank before she made it halfway to the hotel."

Someone else laughed.

"Oliver isn't here either. Think he got scared off?"

Then, Fred's voice carried through the door.

"I told her not to come."

He sounded completely relaxed.

"Someone like her can hide behind a screen and keep lying to herself, but she knows that she'll just embarrass herself if she shows up in person."

Rita's soft chuckle followed.

"I don't think Lauren was trying to deceive anyone." She paused briefly before adding, "Maybe she just really wanted someone to like her."

Another round of laughter rippled through the room.

I stood outside the door, staring at the handle. Then, I slowly lifted my hand.

A low male voice came from behind me before I could touch the doorknob.

"Lauren Hogan?"

I turned around.

A tall guy stood beneath the hallway lights, dressed in a black shirt. His features were well-defined and aristocratic. Still, there was something naturally intimidating about the way he carried himself.

His expression changed the moment his eyes landed on me. The composed look on his face faded for the first time, replaced by a flicker of pure shock. "You're..."

I smiled. "Oliver Adkins?"

He continued staring at me.

Someone suddenly raised their voice within the private room.

"Last 10 seconds! If she's not here when we hit zero, the betting pool will be officially closed!"

The countdown began.

"Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

Oliver still hadn't looked away from me.

I turned my attention back to the door, grasped the handle, and pushed it open just before the clock hit zero.