Page 93 of Zero Chance

“So…?”Hope kept eye contact as she tipped her face down.“You’re saying you’re not actuallysureif the girl you saw inside was her at all?”

“Well, Iwasn’t,” I agreed with an accommodating nod.“Until you came in here and just confirmed it for me.”Grinning smugly, I added, “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Shoulders collapsing, Hope closed her eyes briefly.“Shit,” she muttered, realizing what she’d done.Opening her lashes, she pointed threateningly.“You trickedme.”

I rumbled out a laugh.“Yes, I did.I tricked you so fucking hard,” I agreed, totally rubbing it in her face.“You didn’t even see it coming.”Throwing up my arms, I roared, “Keene is the best!”Doing a little chair dance, I nodded my head and asked, “Who’s the best?Keene!”

“Oh my God, stop,” she demanded, scowling at me dryly.

But I was too busy to heed her suggestion, coming out of my chair to do a little hip swinging and arm circling.

“Lord, do I even want to know what he’s celebrating?”Oaklynn asked as she entered the kitchen; the pantsuit she wore signifying she was going to air another segment on the campus news today.

“No,” Hope muttered.“You really don’t.”

“Gotcha.”Chuckling, Oaklynn headed to the Keurig machine and started to brew herself a mug of cappuccino before leaning against the counters and turning back to greet the non-roommate.“So what bringsyouby this morning?”

Alec and I exchanged an insulted glance as if we both felt slighted for not getting an acknowledgment from her.

Hope answered, “I’m taking Alec out for breakfast before class this morning.”

“Oh shit.”Flying up from his seat, Alec cried, “I forgot all about that.I need to change.”

As he sprinted from the kitchen, Hope smiled after him fondly and plopped her book bag on the table.“Which is why I brought some homework inside to work on while I waited for him.”

This was her first semester as a transfer student at Haverick.She’d doubled up on courses, hoping to graduate on time, because she’d had to skip last semester to get a liver transplant andnotdie.

So while she pulled a notepad from her backpack to study, I took control of Alec’s computer to swivel it more fully toward me and have another look at my mystery girl, tapping my chin in the hopes I’d recognize her.Because there did seem to be something vaguely familiar here.

For the life of me, though, I couldn’t quite put a finger on that face.Possibly because she didn’t have one.

But I was glad she’d ended up being Legs after all because from what I’d seen, Legs had been hot as hell.And also, I loved being right.

“Oh, hey,” Oaklynn said, coming up behind me to peer over my shoulder.She took a sip from her steaming mug and pointed to the screen.“That’s really accurate.But why did you make a picture of?—”

“No!”Hope screeched suddenly, lurching from her chair and diving toward Oaklynn to slap a hand over her mouth.

As Oaklynn gaped at her from wide brown eyes, I sprang to my feet as well.

“Holy shit,” I realized.“You know who this is.”

Oaklynn looked my way before sending a questioning glance toward Hope who shook her head and slowly lowered her hand.

“DoI know who this is?”she asked Hope carefully.

“No,” Hope answered for her.“No, you don’t.”

“Hey, shh.”I pointed threateningly at Alec’s sister.“No more influence from you.”I spun back to Oaklynn.“It’s okay, Vargas,” I assured her with what I hoped looked like an encouraging smile and gentle, trusting eyes.“You can tell me.What’s her name?”

Her brow furrowed in confusion.“Why don’t you alreadyknowher name?”

“I don’t know,” I countered, trying to remain calm.“DoI already know her name?”Slicing a surprised glance at Hope, I demanded, “Shit,doI already know her?Howwelldo I know her?”

With a snort, Hope said more under her breath than to anyone directly, “Apparently more than anyone else in this room.”

“I’m so confused right now,” Oaklynn admitted, lifting a hand.“Just who is thissupposedto be?”

I groaned in frustration and bit out, “It’s Mystery Girl.”

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