2. How I Met Josh Carter

Cassie POV

One Week Ago

I was hiding in the closet of that room, covering my mouth with my hands as I listened to my boyfriend hooking up with my friend.

Lately, I’d been suspecting Mark was cheating on me, so I’d been meticulous in following him, but I never expected to actually catch him in the act. Like, for real, and with Piper McCoy of all people— who pretended to be my friend just to sleep with my boyfriend.

“Oh yes, Mark…!” she moaned like a cheap hooker, accompanied by obscene sounds.

“You’re so damn hot, Piper…” Mark groaned too. Both of them were on the bed in the apartment we were paying for to live together. And I didn’t doubt for a second that Piper wasn’t the first girl he’d brought there. How could I have fallen for this guy’s charm?

It all started when Kaylee, a freshman who attended my tutoring sessions—since I was super smart and helped people—seemed traumatized and told me that Mark wasn’t who I thought he was.

She said she cared about me too much not to warn me. She didn’t give me many details because she was scared, but I wasn’t that naive, at least not as naive as Mark thought I was.

That weekend, I told him I was going to visit my parents in my hometown, but instead, I hid in the closet. And as the saying goes, “Seek and you shall find.”

“Am I hotter than Cassie?” Piper asked, dripping with malice. Even in a moment like that, she wanted to one-up me?

“Pfft, obviously! That plain Jane? She doesn’t even come close to you, babe,” he said to her, and they both laughed.

God, what a jerk!

Not only was he cheating on me, but now he was talking crap about me too? I sniffled, wiping away tears. I hated him so much. I didn’t even want to date him at first, but he insisted so much, and I gave him the benefit of the doubt. And this is how he repays me, treating me like I’m nothing?

I wanted to burst out of the closet and ruin both their lives right then and there. He had no right to barge into my life and then betray me like this.

---

That same night, I was parking my car in front of a nightclub. I’d considered confronting Mark, telling him to go to hell, throwing out all the stuff he’d left at my apartment, blocking him, and never seeing him again. But Beck had other plans.

“In moments like this, you’ve got to think cold, Cassie. That guy doesn’t deserve anything from you. So you’re going to get revenge on him the right way.” Unlike me, Beck was experienced with guys and knew exactly what she was doing. The plan was to dig up dirt on Mark and ruin his popularity at college, make him truly regret messing with me.

“It seems like he’s been harassing Kaylee, a freshman at my college,” I said, sniffling. After managing to sneak out of that room without Mark noticing, I went straight to my friend’s apartment to tell her what was going on, and Beck comforted me. “If that kind of thing gets out, it could completely destroy him.”

“Perfect, we can expose him good,” Beck agreed.

“And I want him to suffer!” I said through gritted teeth.

“But first, you’re going to do it the old-fashioned way. Give him a taste of his own medicine. I know a nightclub downtown with plenty of interesting guys. What do you think?”

That was definitely not something I’d normally do, but I was feeling so awful. I had just turned 20, I was prettier than most, in control of my life, and knew exactly what I wanted. I couldn’t let that jerk destroy me like this.

“Beckie, do you really think I need to do this…?” I asked, my mouth dry. I was wearing a tiny, low-cut dress that made me look absolutely stunning.

“Of course, girl,” my best friend replied, rubbing my back as I parked the car at the club’s entrance. The plan was to get wasted, dance, have fun, and hook up with the first guy who caught my eye.

If Mark could cheat on me, then I could sleep with whoever I wanted, right? “He told that skank she’s hotter than you. Can you believe that?” Beckie sounded outraged. “Who does he think he is?”

“He’s a jerk, that idiot!” I huffed angrily.

“He sure is, and Piper’s a slut. I told you not to let her get too close to you,” Beckie said, frustrated. “If I get my hands on her, I’ll smash her face! I’ll destroy both of them. I’ll kill them!” she swore.

“No, Beckie. You’ll end up in jail if you do that,” I said, giggling despite my sadness.

She laughed too. “Then let’s get wasted first before I end up in jail,” she said, stepping out of the car.

I sighed deeply, knowing Beckie was right. Mark Skyland would never win.

When I got out of the car, my high heels clicked against the asphalt. I adjusted my skintight, slutty dress and fixed my hair using the car’s side mirror. My brown hair with blonde tips fell straight and loose down my bare back.

My makeup was flawless—mascara highlighting my almond-shaped hazel eyes, and my small but plump lips, perfect for kissing, I’d say. Beckie looked hot too, with her chin-length black bob, tight mini-skirt, and scandalous crop top. We were both stunning.

“Ready, babe?” She extended her hand to me with a little smirk.

I smiled back, nervous but determined, and took her hand, fueled by my desire to get revenge on that jerk. “Let’s do this.”

The club was called The Night Sins, a place Beck frequented often. She pretty much knew all the staff, and the club was super popular in that part of Chicago. As we approached, I felt discouraged seeing the long line to get in.

I bit my lip in frustration and glanced at the VIP entrance. There was no long line there—people parked their fancy cars, strutted down the red carpet, and walked in. They looked so confident and well-dressed, and for a moment, I longed to be part of that world.

“What would you give to be part of that, Cassie?” Beck asked when she noticed where I was looking, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and sighing.

“Oh, stop with the drama. It’s bad enough I found out I’m being cheated on—don’t make me dream about what I can’t have,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I’m just saying,” she complained, sighing again. “It’s crazy how easy their lives seem compared to ours, but you know we can make the most of this situation, right?” She grabbed my hand and led me toward the VIP entrance.

“Hey, what are you doing?” I asked reluctantly. We didn’t have the money to pay for that entrance.

“I’m making sure we have a fun night,” she said, laughing casually, and I shook my head. Beckie led me to the entrance, walking down the red carpet. My legs trembled just being there.

Her plan was to make the bouncer think we were rich like everyone else strutting down that carpet toward the VIP gate. A couple passed by arm-in-arm, and the bouncer let them through without a word. I felt confident he wouldn’t stop us either, but to our dismay, the guy blocked our way.

“Where do you sluts think you’re going?” he asked rudely. The man was a huge Black guy, staring at us with an unfriendly expression.

Beckie laughed to defuse the situation. “Well… we came with a friend of ours, you know. He’s probably already inside…” She lied so blatantly.

“Then call him to see if he’s really in there,” the bouncer said gruffly, not budging. Beck and I exchanged looks. Now what?

“No need to call. They’re with me,” a man’s voice said from behind us.

I turned to see who it was and froze. He was tall and muscular, with tanned skin and defined muscles. His light, striking eyes and neatly trimmed beard made me want to run my hand over it.

He was looking at me too, the corners of his lips curling into a gorgeous, inviting smile. He wore a modern, tailored suit that hugged all the right places.

For that split second as I looked at him, I couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement spread slowly through my body, making me tremble with attraction… He was, without a doubt, the sexiest man I’d ever seen in my life.