Page 6 of The Wrong Bachelor

“She just deserves better,” I added.

Tanner laughed at my comment. “What, like you?”

I didn’t like the way he was grinning at me. Was the thought of Madi and me together really so weird?

“I’d be a great boyfriend,” I said.

“Maybe.” He looked unconvinced. “But not with Madi. You two would kill each other.”

He was probably right.

As we carried our trays of food back to our table, I found myself studying Madi. She was chatting happily with Hayley, who was sitting next to her. There was no hint that she was upset and she definitely didn’t seem to notice the way Laurie was making eyes at her boyfriend. She really must have no idea about Saturday night.

It really wasn’t my place to tell her. Tanner said that nothing happened, and it’s not like I was there to see it with my own two eyes. I blew out a long breath as I placed my tray on the table and took a seat. I decided I wouldn’t say anything—for now. But I was definitely keeping an eye on the situation.

Even after I sat down, I couldn’t focus on my food, or what Tanner was saying from beside me. I found my eyes were still drawn to Madi. She was nothing like the rest of the girls at our table. They all had so much makeup caked on they looked ten years older, but Madi didn’t appear to be wearing any. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, while the other girls were sporting short skirts and heels. They must have hated her for looking better than them without trying.

It wasn’t just her outfit that was different though. Her whole personality was completely at odds with the other girls in our group. They were all laughing loudly, and shouting over one another to be heard. Madi had never been that way though. She was quiet, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t heard. It seemed like everyone was always drawn to her. People would quieten down when she spoke, wanting to listen to what she had to say.

She was doodling something on her napkin, and I tilted my head to try and see what it was. I was interrupted before I got a chance to get a good look at it though.

“I didn’t see you at the party on Saturday night,” a voice purred beside me.

I glanced down at Laurie, wishing I hadn’t somehow ended up next to her. The girl was the worst kind of toxic. One whiff of her and it was like the poison was in your bloodstream for life.

“I wasn’t there long. I had an early start on Sunday,” I replied bluntly.

She draped herself on my arm. “I missed you,” she said. She glanced over at Jake for a brief second before focusing back on me. There was no way I was playing this game with her.

“Funny, can’t say I felt the same.” I was normally much more gentle when letting girls down, but that tactic didn’t work when it came to Laurie. Give her an inch and she’d swallow you whole. “And can I steal my arm back, please? I kind of need it to eat.”

She grunted unhappily but detracted her nails from where they’d lodged in my skin.

“I voted for you to be the True Love bachelor,” she said, her gaze still focused on me. “If I’m one of your girls, will you give me a rose?” She pouted her bottom lip and fluttered her long eyelashes.

“Depends,” I replied.

“On…” There was a warning tone in her voice.

“How much the audience likes you,” I replied. “This is for charity after all. And if you’re not bringing in the dollars…”

A sense of determination filled her eyes. “Oh, the audience will love me. You’ll see.”

She spoke about it like she was already a sure bet. Since she was pretty popular, I guessed it was highly likely she’d be picked. There were ten places for the girls, after all.

I glanced around the table, wondering if any of our other friends would be selected. I felt certain that some of the girls would be picked, though it was a little harder to know if any of the guys would, seeing as there was only one being chosen.

When my eyes landed on Madi, I had to smother a smile. She was so confident that she wouldn’t be voted for. But I had a strong feeling she was about to be proved wrong, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when they called her name.

3

Madison

Everyone from school was packed into the gym. Laurie and half the cheer squad had even arrived early to reserve some of the seats at the front. I got along with those girls well enough, but they weren’t really my friends. Not in the same way Hayley was.

The two of us ended up closer to the back of the bleachers, sitting with some of the girls from my drama class. There was something about drama that bonded kids together in a way none of the other classes at school did.

“Who’d you vote for?” Teagan asked as I sat down beside her. She’d been the lead in our last three school productions, and I was pretty sure the girl was going to end up in Hollywood one day. It wasn’t just because of her white blonde hair, dazzling green eyes, and perfect skin either. She was just that talented.

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