Page 95 of Zero Chance

“Why won’t you just tell me who she is?”I demanded.

“Because,” Xander said simply.“She needs to be the one to tell you herself.Whenshe’sready.”

I stared at her, kind of wanting to strangle her for doing this to me.But I blew out a long, steadying breath and tried to take a mental step back to see everything from a broader perspective.

Only to realize, nope.Still not happy with this situation.

“All three of you are dead to me,” I stated, totally not meaning it, but also kind of meaning it.

“Oh, come on now, Sneezy,” Hope tried to cajole.“It’s going to be all that much sweeter when you figure it out for yourself.”

I lifted a finger in her direction, not even daring to look at her because I just might blow a gasket if I did.

But then Damien entered the kitchen.

Thank God.

I pounced on him before anyone else could warn him of anything.

“Archer!”I cried, leaping into his face and making him stumble a surprised step back and gape at me as if I’d finally lost the last crayon in my box.“Does this girl remind you of anyone from campus that we know?”When I shoved the computer in his face, he blinked at it, totally not noticing the three traitorous women behind me trying to get his attention, and he frowned at the screen.

“No,” he said.“Should it?”

I groaned in defeat and slapped the screen shut.“Motherfucker.”

Behind me, Oaklynn squealed happily and leaped forward, throwing her arms around Archer’s neck.“Oh, thank God you’re totally oblivious to every other woman out there but me.”Lifting onto her toes, she kissed him all over the face, only to pull back and smile dreamily.“I don’t think I’ve ever loved you as much as I do right now.”

He growled possessively and wrapped a proprietary arm around her waist.“Why the hell would I look at other women when you’re all I ever want to see?”

As she whimpered in adoration, he lowered his mouth to hers, making both Hope and Xander sigh.

I, on the other hand, grimaced.“Gag me.”

Sidling up next to me, Hope patted my back sympathetically.“Better luck next time, bud.”

22

WAVERLY

“Frankie…” Xander groaned my name in defeat as she dropped into the chair next to mine before our Early American Lit class started while I was playing Duolingo on my phone, waiting for the professor to arrive.

Hej!meant hello in Swedish for the win.Go me.

“You will not believe what happened this morning.”

Her tone had me sighing and setting the phone down.When I glanced over, it was worse than I expected.She actually winced in apology.Which meant—joy—Keene was involved.

“What’d he do this time?”I asked, already shaking my head.

“Well, for starters,” she broke in, looking vexed.“He called me a traitor and then—thenannounced that Hope, Oaklynn, and I were dead to him.And finally, right when I was leaving the house, he said he and I were at war because I had called open season by being loyal to my own freaking friend.Can youbelievethat?”

I blinked at her, trying to make sense of her rambling before I realized, “So he figured out you know?”

She scoffed.“Oh, he figured it out alright.But it gets better.Oaklynn knows too, and probably Damien, as well, by this point.Which means, I’m sure Faith, Raina, and their two boyfriends will learn by the end of the day.”

I sat up a little straighter, growing alarmed.“Wait, how didOaklynnfind out?Did you?—”

“Oh, hell, no,” Xander assured me, reaching out to set a calming hand on my arm.“I told no one.I promise you.”

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