Page 24 of Under My Skin

He snorted. “What’d she do this time?”

This wasn’t the first time I’d complained to him about Vicki, and he’d suggested more than once that I just pay to get out of my contract with her and be done with it. But if I went around firing people for no good reason, no one would want to work with me, so I was determined to just suck it up and deal with her until our contract was up next year.

But I needed to vent, so I started at the beginning and told him everything.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he snickered when I was done talking. “You…you’re actually paying her to…oh, my God.”

Ian broke down in a fit of laughter, and I had no choice but to join in. Because when I really stopped and thought about it, this whole situationwascompletely bizarre.

“Shit, with friends like you, who needs enemies?” I teased.

“Seriously, B, this could only happen to you,” he cackled.

“No fucking joke,” I agreed, chuckling. “But I swear, ever since I told Vicki I’m doing thismyway, not hers, it’s like she’s fighting me on every little thing. She’s convinced Dani’s only in this for the money and is going to sell the story to the highest bidder the second she gets a chance.”

Even saying that out loud rubbed me the wrong way, and I didn’t get why. Because the truth was, Daniwasin this for the money. But somehow, I just knew I could trust her not to tell anyone about our arrangement.

“I mean,isn’tshe in it for the money?” he asked.

“Yeah, but…I don’t know, man. It’s not the same thing. It just pisses me off to hear Vicki talking shit about a girl she’s never even met. I’ve only spent like an hour with Dani, and I can already tell she’s not the kind of person who’d try to fuck someone over like that.”

Ian let out a quiet chuckle, but didn’t say anything.

“What?” I wondered.

“You just remind me of me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hearing those rumors about Ky always used to piss me off too, even before I got to know her. I knew there wasn’t even an ounce of truth in them from the second I met her.”

Oh,hellno. No fucking way was I about to let him think I was starting to catch feelings for this girl – oranygirl. Because ifhethought that, then he’d go telling Kyler. And I couldn’t let him get her hopes up about this. Not when she’d been telling me for years that she knew there was someone out there for me and Ijust had to find them. It’d just break her heart when this charade ended.

“That’s different,” I insisted.

“How?”

“You saw Ky at school every day. I’ve spent a grand total of one hour with Dani. I like her, sure, and I admire the hell out of her for still finding a way to get out of bed every morning after everything she’s been through.That’swhy it pisses me off that Vicki’s talking shit about her.”

“Whatever you say, man,” he chuckled. “Look, speaking of Ky, I hate to change the subject, but I actually called for a reason, and I need to talk to you about this before she gets home.”

“Okay…” I said slowly.

“I’m gonna ask her to marry me after graduation. Before life gets crazy with me going to training camp and her documentary premiere and speaking engagement tour. And I was hoping to get your help.”

An ear-splitting grin spread across my face. “About damn time. What do you need?”

“I’m putting together a scavenger hunt for her, sort of taking her through how we met and started dating, and I want someone she loves to be at each stop with a gift and a note. I’ve already got Melissa and Izzie, but I need one more person, and I know it’d mean a lot to her if it was you.”

“I’m in,” I said immediately. “Just tell me when and where.”

“Thanks, B.” His voice was thick with emotion.

“Don’t go getting all weepy on me, dude.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled. “Really, though. Thanks. I know you’re about to be busy with your escort—I mean fake girlfriend.”

“I’m never gonna live this down, am I?”

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