Page 101 of IOU

Ha! I stare at him all wide-eyed. “Why would I ever do you a favor?”

“Because you once cared about me,” he bites back.

I sneer. “Oncebeing the operative word.”

“Come on, Ainsley. Don’t be like me. You’re better than that.”

See how freaking manipulative he is? He wants me to feel bad for being mean to him. Honestly, it’s working. Being mean is not in my nature.

“What favor do you want?”

I have to admit, I’m curious. Tucker’s family is wealthier than mine. What could he possibly want that he can’t get himself?

He scrubs a hand through his hair and looks around. “You know Sebastian, the internet guy?”

I arch a brow. “Maverick’s friend?”

He nods. “Are you friends with him?”

“No ...” I drawl, still confused as ever. “Why? What do you want with him?”

Tucker blows out a breath and looks at the sky before slowly lowering his head to meet my eyes. “I need him to stop posting clips of Taylor on his MyView videos. It’s making her look bad.”

My heart fucking sinks. “You came to me for a favor to help Taylor?” I take a big breath and laugh. “I can’t believe you. After all these years.”

I’m not hungry anymore. I roll the sandwich up and put it in the bag with Maverick’s. “Enjoy your life, Tucker.”

I stand to leave when his next sentence stops me cold. “Maverick and I had a deal!”

“What did you say?” The wind blows a lock of hair in my face. “When did you make a deal with Maverick?”

His eyes stare down at the ground and then it hits me. “That day I dumped food in his lap ... You weren’t comping his meal because of me; you were negotiating for your little girlfriend.” This is unbelievable. “Tell me, Tucker. Did you ever care about me or was I just someone to pass the time with?”

Why I even asked, I’ll never know. The point is, it doesn’t matter—lesson freaking learned.

“I did care about you, Ainsley. But you were never supposed to turn down that scholarship and come with me.”

Stupid, betraying tears trail down my face. Bastards.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Thomas?” a familiar voice growls. If I wasn’t so hurt at the moment, I would have high-fived Maverick for using the same name I did.

I feel his big body dwarf mine as he slides in behind me and secures an arm around my waist. Immediately, I relax into his hold.

Now let Tucker talk some shit about Maverick’s friend.

Tucker stands, giving me one last fleeting look before focusing on Maverick. “I needed to talk to you,” he lies.

“Ha! You said you needed to ask me for a favor!”

Tucker narrows his eyes and Maverick’s body goes tense behind me. “Is that so, Thomas? Are you asking my girl for favors?”

I can’t help but enjoy the tingling in my nipples as he calls me his girl.

“You know better than that,” Maverick scolds, his grip on me tightening.

Tucker inhales and puts his hands up in a peaceful gesture. “I need you to talk to your friend Sebastian. He’s destroying Taylor’s reputation on social media.” He nods in the direction of someone behind Maverick.

“I heard she was getting more followers than ever,” Maverick says, a light laugh mixing with his words.

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