Page 45 of One Bet

Avery crossed her arms.

“That’s why I goaded him into the bet, and I made sure you knew about it. I wanted to hurt him, to make him hurt you. I thought I would be able to rush in and pick up the pieces after you found out about the bet and the video. I thought you would blame him.”

All this was because he was jealous? Because he was too chickenshit to ask her out himself? I glanced at Avery who was buying every second of this bullshit.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” She asked, doubt in every inch of her face.

“You wanted him.” He jerked his finger toward me.

“So, you decided to humiliate me? To have me almost kicked out of school?” She screeched, and despite how much it hurt my ears, I couldn’t blame her.

He blew out a breath and nodded, blood roared in my ears. He’d ruined everything.

“And he got you anyway.” Ryder wasn’t even listening to her anymore. Or looking at her. “He got everything I ever wanted.”

Avery’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me, right now?” She shook her head. “You almost ruined my life, you definitely ruined my relationship with Keaton.” She turned to me.

“I was hurt when I wrote the article. All I could see was all those people laughing at me, watching me on those TVs in the Alpha house, thinking you were a hero and I was this pathetic chick who…” She shook her head and cleared her throat. “I don’t know what I thought. All I knew was I was hurt and I thought…”

“You could’ve talked to me. I would’ve…explained.” I wanted to touch her but kept my hands curled in my pockets. “I would’ve told you I didn’t know about the videos or that he was going to play it.”

She nodded and her voice softened as she laid her hand on my chest. “I know.”

Ryder stood. “Oh look. He’s gonna get the girl again.”

I shot him a glare. I didn’t give a fuck about Ryder or what he said, I didn’t care about his jealousy or the fact if he wanted her back then, he could’ve tried to date her. And he probably would’ve succeeded, all I cared about was that she was standing so close to me and I gave up the right to touch her, to be with her when I challenged her motives when I forced her to choose between me and her friendship with Alex.

She glanced at Ryder then at me then back to him. “There was a time when I would’ve sold my soul to hear you say you wanted me. When I would’ve turned myself inside out to be with you.”

And now, I wasn’t sure whether she was talking to me or to him.

“But you hurt me and there’s no excuse for what you did, no way can I forgive you.” And this time I was almost sure she was talking to me. “I was never going to be enough for you.”

“That isn’t true,” I whispered the words. “You were always more than I deserved. More than I knew what to do with.”

She gazed at me, smiling, shaking her head, holding out her hand. “I should’ve talked to you before I wrote that article.”

“I should’ve never given you a reason to write it.”

Ryder blew a pfft between his teeth. “What about me? I lost everything, my education, my chance at a pro career, my best friend, and the girl of my dreams.”

I ignored him and pulled Avery close, I needed her and I would spend every day making the last ten years up to her, savoring every minute we had together.

EPILOGUE

Avery

“Do you, Avery Leticia Stroh, take Keaton to be your lawfully wedded husband?” He scrunched up his nose as he mimicked the judge who’d married us. The man’s voice had been tinny and thin, nothing like that of the dreamboat of a groom trying to sound like him now. “I was so scared she was going to say no.” He chuckled. “Almost peed my pants.”

He glanced at Susie and Jameson, then at Alex, and finally at Finn who had pitched the idea of our story to a movie producer out west, and now we were knee-deep in writing the script. Together with Keaton and Jameson as helpers.

Keaton lifted his glass and covered my hand with his free one. “I love you, Avery. Now and forever.”

We all drank, and Keaton leaned in to kiss me.

Jameson waited until we parted then smiled. “Ryder’s standing at the bar.”

Of course, he was. But I had something to say, I winked at Keaton and nodded to his former best friend. “I’ll be right back.”