Page 21 of The Bet

“I know.” I run a hand through my drying hair.

“Anyway. I’m sorry. I’ll be there this weekend.”

“You will?” That’s the best news I’ve received in hours. It’s been too long since I’ve seen her.

“I have some things I need to work out.”

I smile for the first time since I fled my kitchen. “I can’t wait to see you. It’s been forever.”

“Too long. Long enough that you start coming up with ridiculous plans.” Jenna’s exasperation with me is loud and clear through the airwaves.

“Yeah.” After I hung up, I rest my forehead on my knees. “What do I do now?”

Chapter Fifteen

Rich

The next day, I stride into the fire station in search of Kameron. It’s time for this bullshit to end. After a cursory glance around the bays, he’s nowhere to be found, so I head to the breakroom. He’s at the table with the newspaper propped in front of him to the sport’s page.

“The deal’s off.”

“What’re you talking about?” Kameron wrinkles his nose and stares at me like I popped a red Rudolf nose on my face before I came to work this morning.

I swallow.What the hell?“The bet we made over Chloe.”

“Chloe, who?”

“Chloe Sparks.” My stomach churns.The bet had to have been with Kameron. Who else could it have been?Kameron has had the same phone number since he started at the station.

“I didn’t bet you anything over Chloe. What would we have wagered on? Who makes a better cupcake? You don’t stand achance. I’ve tasted your cooking. It’s atrocious.”

“Here. Just a second.” I pulled out my cellphone and run through my text messages until I find the one with Kameron. “Look, right here.”

He shakes his head as he read through the messages. “That’s disgusting. Why would you think I did that?”

“Look at the phone number.”

He frowns as he studies the number and then scrolls upward to our earlier conversations. “Son of a bitch.” His teeth grind together. “I gave Tabitha my old phone when hers broke. She had to have been the one to do this.”

“Shit.” I stare at the ceiling –what a clusterfuck.Tabitha’s high school hatred for Chloe has turned nasty. “Why would she do that?”

He shoves his chair back, causing a loud scraping noise on the cement floor. He paces and shakes his head. “I don’t know, but I didn’t do it. And she has my old phone. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“That’s total bullshit.”

“Yeah, I realize that. I knew Tabitha didn’t like Chloe, but I had no idea it was this serious.”

“Are you still dating her?”

“Not after this. That’s disturbing, and then, to use me in the process.” Kameron rakes a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on edge. “Hell, Chloe has been nothing but nice to me.”

“Yeah, Chloe is a good person.”

Kameron crosses his arms and puffs out his chest. “Does she know you took the bet?”

“Yeah, it was her idea. The first bet was with Jim, and she wanted to get back at the two of you.”

“Whoa.” Kameron raises his hands in defense. “I was supposed to have made the same bet with Jim, too?”

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