A Bet

​Ava’s POV

​"You look beautiful, honey," my mother said, her voice tight with a nervous kind of excitement I hadn't seen in years. 

"Victor is so excited to finally have us all together. His son is joining us, too. I’ve heard he’s... well, he’s a bit intense, but I’m sure you’ll get along."

​"I'm sure," I murmured, smoothing out my silk dress. My mind was miles away, wondering if Ryan was currently telling the hockey team that I was his property for the week.

​I looked at my mum. She was glowing, grinning like a teenager. She had been absent for most of my life, especially since the divorce, and now she was moving on like nothing had ever happened. 

She chatted happily, her tone the same breathless pitch as when she’d called me at school.

​"Ava, darling! I know it's been a while, but I have the most incredible news," she’d said over the phone. "I'm getting married. To Victor. We’ve decided not to wait. We're moving into his estate this weekend."

​My stomach had dropped. "Married? Mum, I haven't even met this man."

​"That’s why we’re having brunch tomorrow at The Oak. You, me, Victor... and his son."

​

 I nearly laughed at the memory. I was currently "fake dating" the most dangerous guy in school just to survive a viral scandal. I didn't have room for a new brother.

​I had spent the rest of the night staring at my phone. I sent one text to Ryan: Everything okay?

​But he didn't answer. That was days ago. I hadn't seen him in school, either. It was like he had vanished the moment he got what he wanted.

​My phone buzzed on the restaurant table. Lily’s name appeared on the screen. I excused myself while my mum remained occupied on her phone, probably with Victor.

​"Hey Lily, what’s up?"

​"Ava, where are you? We need to talk. Right now." Her voice was urgent and far from its usual humor.

​"What happened? I'm with my mum, it might take a while. You can tell me what's going on."

​"Have you heard from Ryan since... you know?"

​"Yeah." I paused, my throat tightening. "Well, no. Not exactly. I haven't seen him since Monday."

​"Don't freak out but... I heard that Ryan took a bet from his friends to see if you'd fall for him."

​The air left my lungs. "What? No. That can't be right."

​"Well, it is. The whole school is talking about it, Ava."

​"No, it's not true. It’s probably just a rumor."

​"I don't think it is," Lily said softly. "I'm not trying to hurt you, but it’s best you know. Even his teammates were laughing about it. Maybe that's why you haven't heard from him. I'm really sorry."

​"No, it can't be..."

​"Honey! Ava, come on, they'll be here soon!" my mum called from the table. I was too shaken to even answer her.

​"Ava, calm down, it’s going to be—"

​I ended the call abruptly. I dialed Ryan’s number, my hands shaking so hard I nearly dropped the phone. It kept ringing and ringing, but there was no answer. He wasn't replying to my texts. He wasn't picking up.

​I couldn't believe it. Small, hot sobs started to form in my eyes. Again. I had trusted someone again and ended up broken. Wow, Ava. Just wow.

​I used the back of my hand to wipe my tears, forcing my breathing to level out. I didn't want my mum to start asking questions; she wasn't exactly the person I’d seek relationship advice from anyway.

​I took a deep breath and turned back toward the table. My mum looked at me furiously, her eyes narrowed as she mouthed, "Don't ruin this for me."

​She was selfish that way. Always had been.

​As I took my seat, she turned her head and beamed at a man walking in our direction. He was slightly older than I expected but fit, with silvering hair and a suit that cost more than a car.

​"Ava," my mother beamed, placing a hand on my trembling shoulder. "I’d like you to meet Victor."

​Victor was strikingly attractive for his age, but my mind was miles away from their introductions. 

"Where's your son?" my mother asked. "You said he was coming."

​"He'll be here soon," Victor said, his voice smooth and polished. "It took a while to convince him, though."

​As they fussed over each other, I tried to hold back the tears and keep my mind off the tragedy of my love life. First Daniel, then Ryan and his fake dating, which turned out to be nothing but a bet. Was that all I was worth? A game?

​A notification popped up on my screen. I hurried to check it, hoping that it was Ryan, that he was apologizing, telling me the bet was a lie, that he’d been busy.

​But no. It was just another comment on the viral video of Daniel cheating on me. It still stung. Every word was a reminder that I was the campus joke.

​"There he is," Victor said, gesturing toward the entrance.

​I didn't look up. I didn't want to see another happy face. I kept my eyes glued to my lap, picking at the silk of my dress.

​"Sorry I’m late," a familiar voice said.

​I slowly lifted my head.

​Ryan was standing there. He wasn't in his jersey or his school hoodie. He was in a casual outfit that made him look like a stranger.

​His eyes locked onto mine. He didn't look guilty. He didn't look like a guy who had just won a bet. He looked at me with a dark, knowing smirk that made my blood run cold.

​"Ava," he said, pulling out the chair directly across from mine. "I see you've already met my father.”