Liam grins.
I scowl.
“Let’s make a bet then. Think of it like a goal, Callahan. An end date to work toward,” Marcus says, sounding pleased with himself. “I bet you can’t fuck Addison Douglas by Halloween.”
I blink at him, mentally counting the days. I could definitely fuck her by Halloween. Hell, I could probably fuck her by my birthday.
Wait a minute. What the hell am I thinking? I should not fall into this trap. I can’t. Addie means way too much to me.
“What if he doesn’t?” Liam asks, goading his friend as he slides his gaze toward me.
“Then he owes me…two hundred bucks,” Marcus says.
“I want in on this,” Liam adds.
“You guys are fuckheads,” Dom practically growls. “What the hell? He can’t make a bet like that.”
“No, I’ll take the bet,” I say without thinking, my gaze on the two idiots sitting across from us. “You’re on.”
My voice is weak, and my heart is pumping wildly, like I just ran across the entire football field at full speed.
What the fuck did I just agree to?
Liam high fives a surprised Marcus. “Easy money, just like you said.”
The subject is dropped, thanks to Dom talking about the game, and we eat our pizza, the occasional group of girls stopping by our table to say hello. Dom doesn’t pay attention to any of them and neither do I since I’m sulking and feeling like a goddamned idiot. Besides, the girls we want to talk to are on their way to a volleyball tournament.
Marcus and Liam though? They flirt with every single one of them.
The more I think about it, the more I can’t believe I agreed to that stupid bet. I feel like shit for even agreeing to it. Why the hell did I say yes? It’s like I didn’t even think. But I also really hate it when they give me shit. I can’t help but agree to whatever they’re saying just to shut them up.
This could turn messy quick. If Addie ever found out—and knowing these two and their big fucking mouths, she probably will—she’s going to hate me.
And with good reason too.
“What the hell were you thinking, agreeing to that bet?” Dom asks me after we’ve finished eating, and Liam and Marcus are refilling their cups at the soda machine.
“I don’t know,” I say morosely. “I wasn’t thinking at all.”
“Clearly.” Dom snorts.
“They were running their mouths and it pissed me off,” I admit.
“That’s their plan. It worked. Now you’ve agreed to have sex with Addie by Halloween and tell them all about it, or you’re out four hundred bucks.” Dom shakes his head, reminding me of a disappointed father. Something I’ve been used to seeing lately.
If my dad ever found out about this? And he could, he hears everything in that locker room, and man, he’d be pissed. Angrier than Dom.
“She’ll never find out.” I sound way more confident than I feel.
I don’t trust those fuckers. Not even close.
“Oh, she might, and if she does…” He whistles low. “She’s going to hand your ass to you on a plate. You made a bet. With Liam. The guy who tried to steal Addie from you.”
“I don’t own her.” Though I feel like I do. And I want to. In my head, she’s already my girl.
She’s been my girl for a while.
Dom shakes his head, clearly aggravated. “Listen, bro. You’re contradicting yourself right now. You throw down for her. Get suspended for her, then claim you don’t own her, yet make big dollar bets with two dickwads who can’t wait to see you epically fail. Guys who are supposedly your friends.”
“They’re your supposed friends too,” I remind him, irritated with Dom for making me feel like a dumb shit.
“Yeah, they’re my friends, but they’re guys I don’t really trust. I keep them at arm’s length. You usually do too. Until now.”
“What am I supposed to do? If I back out, they’ll give me endless shit.”
“You back out and pay them their money, they won’t say anything. They’ll feel rich,” Dom says.
Liam and Marcus both come from families who don’t have a lot of money. They’re not hurting, but they don’t come from wealth like I do. And while I know I’m lucky and I’m grateful for what my dad can do for us, I also didn’t necessarily ask to be born into this family. Just luck of the draw, I guess.
My two supposed friends love to give me shit about it. Like I’m some privileged asshole, which I suppose I am. I could give them their money and it wouldn’t hurt me. Not one bit.
I’m coming up with a convincing speech in my head when Marcus and Liam return to our table, clutching their refilled cups in their hands.
“Ready to go?” Liam asks, seemingly impatient.
“Look guys.” I blow out a harsh breath, hating that I have to do this. Mad at myself that I agreed to their stupid bet in the first place. “I can’t agree to that bet.”
“You already backing out?” Marcus lifts his brows. “You’ll owe us money.”
“That’s fine.” Tension eases from me at his words. Guess Dom was right. That’s all they want.
“Nope,” Liam says, earning a quick look from Dom. “I’m not letting you back out. A bet’s a bet, Callahan. And I think I can make it more interesting.”
“What do you mean?” I ask warily.
“I bet I can bag Addie by Halloween.” A little smile plays upon Liam’s lips. “Double or nothing.”
“No fucking way,” I say firmly. “You can’t get involved in this.”
“Who says I can’t? Let me be the challenge you need.” He grins as Marcus nudges him in the ribs. “Either way, we both win a prize, don’t you think?”
“Fuck that,” I start but Liam just laughs, cutting me off.
“Naw, fuck you, Callahan.”
They walk away from the table, laughing together as they leave the restaurant, and I clench my hands into fists, pounding them on top of the table and making everything jump.
“You asked for that,” Dom says with a sigh.
I don’t need him to remind me. “I’m fucked, aren’t I?”
Dom nods. “For sure.”
“I can’t let him win. I don’t want him coming after Addie.”
“Then you need to stake your claim, bro,” Dom says. “Don’t mess around any longer. Go for it. Make that girl yours.”
Yeah. Dom’s right. I thought that’s what I was doing all along, but I need to step it up.
Fuck that bet. I need to tell her about it. If she hears it from me and I explain myself, she won’t be mad.
Hopefully.
God, I’m such a fuckup. I gotta make this right.
And then I need to make that girl mine.
Once and for all.
TWENTY-EIGHT
ADDIE
We’re in the van on the way back home after the tournament and I’m exhausted. We played hard Friday night and most of Saturday, and sleeping in a tent both nights in the freezing cold wasn’t ideal, but I had a great time.