Page 14 of Switch

Brianna and I groan in unison, though I can’t help but laugh. “You say that every time, Brooke.”

“And I mean it every time,” Brooke replies with a grin.

We settle into our lane, Brianna going first as usual. Her ball zooms down the lane and hits just off-center, knocking down seven pins.

“Not bad!” Brooke calls out as Brianna pumps her fist.

While they reset for the next turn, I glance at my phone, catching myself before I unlock it. I’d been half-hoping to hear from Jax again today, but I hadn’t. Not that I expected to—it’s not like we’re anything to each other. Still, the thought of him lingers in the back of my mind.

“You’ve got that look,” Brooke says, leaning against the scoring table.

“What look?” I ask, grabbing my ball and trying to act casual.

“The ‘I’m thinking about someone’ look,” Brooke replies, narrowing her eyes. “You’ve been smiling to yourself since we got here. Spill it.”

“There’s nothing to spill,” I say quickly, heading to the lane.

“Oh, come on!” Brianna chimes in from behind me. “This is about the motorcycle guy, isn’t it?”

I freeze mid-step, glancing over my shoulder. “Motorcycle guy?”

“Yeah,” Brooke says, crossing her arms. “The one you told me about when we talked on the phone—the guy who saved you at the carnival. What’s his name? Jax?”

Brianna gasps dramatically. “You told her about him and not me? Rude!”

I groan, setting my ball down and turning to face them. “I didn’t tell her anything. She asked, and I said someone stepped in. That’s it.”

Brooke raises an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And now you’re smiling every time you think no one’s looking. So, have you heard from him or not?”

I cross my arms, trying to keep my expression neutral, but my sisters are relentless.

“Ohhhh!” Brianna exclaims, clapping her hands together. “She has! Look at her face! You have to tell us everything now.”

“There’s nothing to tell,” I insist, though I can feel my cheeks heating up.

Brooke smirks. “Bella, we’ve known you your entire life. You can’t hide this from us. Now spill. Did the motorcycle guy text you or not?”

I sigh, knowing there’s no way out of this. “Fine. Yes, he texted me. We’ve talked a little. That’s it.”

Brianna practically bounces on her toes. “And?”

“And… he’s nice,” I admit, feeling my stomach do a little flip at the thought of him. “He’s different.”

Brooke’s smirk softens into a smile. “Different how?”

“I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “He’s just… solid. Like he means what he says. He’s not fake, you know?”

Brianna and Brooke exchange glances before turning back to me with identical grins.

“Oh, you’re in trouble,” Brooke says, laughing.

“Big trouble,” Brianna agrees.

I roll my eyes, picking up my ball again. “You two are ridiculous.”

“Maybe,” Brooke says, leaning back in her chair. “But we’re not wrong.”

I shake my head, hiding my smile as I step up to the lane. They might be teasing me, but part of me knows they’re onto something.

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