ANMELDENAvery"I'll think about it," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was still racing from everything Chase had just asked me."All right," he said with a grin. "Just make sure you give me an answer today."He smiled, reached over, and messed up my hair in that familiar way that always made me feel like his best friend again instead of the girl who had just been asked to fake a relationship with him. Then he leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.Warmth rushed straight into my face. He winked before walking away, leaving me staring after him with a ridiculous smile I couldn't control.This was what I had wanted for years, wasn't it? But underneath that excitement was a strange heaviness I couldn't explain."Boo!" Abby's voice burst beside me, and I jumped so hard my hand flew to my chest."Oh my God, Abby! You almost killed me."She laughed, completely unapologetic, dressed in a white off-shoulder top, short black shorts, chunky chains, and black boots.
Avery"Are you for real right now?" Piper laughed, but there was nothing amused in her eyes. She stared at Chase as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Yesterday we were still together, and now she suddenly became your girlfriend? How the heck did that happen so fast?"I stood there frozen, barely breathing as I looked between them.Girlfriend. The word kept echoing in my head, because Chase hadn't told me anything about us being together. I didn't even know there was an us. His arm was still around my waist, and I could feel the steady pressure of his hand against my side, but my mind was racing too quickly to make sense of any of it."You said it yourself," Chase replied, his voice losing the playful edge it had carried moments ago. "Yesterday we were still a thing. After that, I decided I was done and chose to move on. What's so hard for you to understand?"Piper's expression tightened. She looked at me for a moment, then back at him, her disbelief slowly turning into an
Avery"Are you gonna just stand there grinning?"Zane's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I blinked, realizing he was standing in front of the room across from mine. He was already dressed now, all black leather. I hadn't even realized that was his room."You're not gonna have a bath?" He added.I quickly looked away."I can't," I muttered, more to myself than to him. "Maybe I'll just skip today. And probably skip until my mom comes back."The thought of using his bathroom made me cringe, so I turned toward my room, hoping I could escape before Zane started teasing me again."What are you hiding for?" he called after me. "I've seen it all, so you don't need to hide anything." He paused, his mouth curving into that infuriating grin. "You know, I already know you have a—""Just shut up!" I snapped, spinning around with a glare that only made him look more amused."Wait, did you bathe her because she was smelling?" Brandon appeared, looking between the two of us with immediate curi
Avery "Didn't what?" Zane asked, clearly enjoying my panic.I swallowed hard, my face burning. "You know what I mean.""I'm not that bad, Avery. You were completely out of it, but you kept clinging to me, telling me to fuck you."I stared at him in disbelief, my eyes widening as I tried to imagine myself doing any of that. "No way. I know you're lying. I don't—I wouldn't—I don't even like you, you know that, so why would I?"Zane stepped closer, and before I could retreat, he was standing directly in front of me. "Really?" he asked, lowering his voice. "Because I recorded your voice. I knew you'd say exactly this when you woke up."My eyes widened. "You recorded me?"He gave me a knowing look. "Do you wanna hear?" he asked, already reaching for his phone, but I didn't want to hear myself doing that."No!" I screamed."Just admit it then.""Admit what?" I asked, even though I already knew where he was going."That you want me."My stomach flipped. "I don't." The answer came automatica
AveryI woke up the next morning with a pounding headache.I groaned and slowly opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling while pieces of the previous night began floating back into my mind. Then I noticed what I was wearing, and my confusion deepened. I was in my nightie, even though I clearly remembered being dressed differently before everything became a drunken blur.I pushed myself upright and looked down at myself, frowning. Who had changed my clothes? Chase? Zane? The thought made me sit a little straighter, because neither possibility made sense. Why would either of them have done that?Then the memory of Chase came rushing back, so vivid that my fingers instinctively touched my lips. After all those years of loving him, after imagining that moment more times than I could count, it had finally happened.Last night I had been so overwhelmed that I kept drinking until I was completely wasted. My stomach twisted as another question occurred to me.What else did I do last night?"Shi
AveryPiper gasped the moment she saw Chase, immediately pulling away from the man, clutching the bedsheet tightly around herself as she scrambled to cover up.Her eyes were wide with panic. "Chase, it's not what you think," she rushed out, her voice shaking.I almost laughed at the words because what else could she possibly say when we had literally caught her red handed?"It's not what he thinks?" I shot back, my anger spilling over before I could stop it. "We just caught you doing exactly what you've been doing. You are in a relationship and hooking up with someone else." "I wasn't talking to you, so just keep quiet," she snapped."Just stop, both of you!" Chase suddenly shouted, rubbing a hand over his face and shook his head. "I just need space right now.""Babes…" Piper called, but he turned and walked away."You spied on me, right?" Piper demanded, glaring at me angrily."You were the one who cheated," I shot back.She gave a bitter laugh and looked me up and down. "If you re







