Page 25 of Zero Chance

He glanced over, skimmed his gaze over me without really seeing anything, and then he turned back to Hope with a confused frown.“What am I supposed to be looking at here?”

“You’re supposed to be looking atWaverly,” she said, jabbing both hands my way to emphasize me the same way Oaklynn had to Damien.

“Wave—?”He scowled harder, searching for me in the crowd before finally settling his gaze on me.His eyebrows furrowed before he turned back to his girlfriend and repeated, “What the fuck did you do?”

“Hey!”Hope cried in defense.“I didn’t do anything.Xander and Oaklynn were the ones who decided to give her a makeover.”

Parker arched a brow in disagreement before glancing back at my outfit.“I distinctly remember peeling that very shirt off you last week.And that skirt the week before.She’s inyourclothes, darlin’, and yet you’re claiming no responsibility for this?”

“I mean, okay, the clothes are mine,” Hope relented with a sigh.“But the rest was done before I got here.Don’t you just love her hair, though?”Stepping closer, she reached out to run her fingers jealously over my locks.“These bangs really bring out the soft lines of her face, don’t you think?It’s making me want bangs now.”

Turning back to me, Parker studied me for a moment before moving forward.“Are you okay with this?”he asked, speaking directly to me.

He was the only person in the room who knew what kind of past I had, and it made me want to squirm uncomfortably.

He made it worse by saying, “Guys are going to hit on you.Maybe a lot of them.Are you ready forthat?”

I swallowed thickly, not ready at all.

But Xander stepped up next to me and hooked her arm through mine in solidarity.“She’s going to love it.It’ll be awesome.Besides, I’ll be with her all night.I won’t leave her side.Not once.She’ll be fine.”

“And I’ll help out when Xander has to step away,” Hope answered, appearing at my other side.

Parker heaved out a breath like a hesitant father who was too afraid to let his daughter go on her first date.His eyes never left mine as he waited for me to reply.

I inclined my head to reassure him.“I’ll be fine.”Even though I was growing more nervous and not fine by the second.

From the doorway, Damien said, “We’ll have to put a leash on Dugger to keep him away from her.”

Parker scoffed.“We’d have to fuckingneuterDugger to keep him away from this.”

Xander waved an unconcerned hand.“Oh, whatever.Keene’s harmless.”Tipping her head toward me, she assured, “He might flirt shamelessly and not know how to stop, but he’s never laid an inappropriate hand on me.Not once.All you gotta do is reject him a single time, and he’ll respect your boundaries.I mean, he’ll stilltalkthe talk, but that’s it.Don’t worry aboutKeene.”

Yeah, but what if Ididn’twant to reject him?Did I worry then?

Because the idea of Keene being drawn to my makeover made my stomach flutter with a sick but thrilling anticipation.I had a sudden, terrifying thought that this party just might change the rest of my life.

What was worse… I think I wanted it to.

5

WAVERLY

So the party began, and somehow, I missed seeing Keene throughout all the preparations.

Since Xander still needed to dress and do her own hair and makeup, I hung out in her room with her while she primped.

She made it look effortless, and yet the end result was stunning.

“You’re going to have to teach me how to do that sometime,” I said as she sprayed it all into place.

Brightening, she flashed me a smile.“Really?I’d love to.I know my parents want me to be all academic, but fashion is my true passion.Clothes, shoes, makeup, hair products, just all of it.”

I hugged myself, smiling lightly, as I watched her slip on some heels that made her even taller than she already was.

Heaving out a deep, bolstering breath, she sent me a brave smile.“Ready?”

I shook my head no.

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