Page 277 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 11
Mr. Halifax wasn’t playing hard to get. He was playing the role of her teacher.
“So the mascot thing was a bust,” Sophie said.
I hoped so. I really hoped so. But I had this unease in my chest that I couldn’t shake.Your kiss thief isn’t Mr. Halifax. I said it over and over again in my head, hoping the phrase would become true if I thought it enough. I should have told Sophie as soon as I saw Mr. Halifax in the costume. That could have saved me a couple hours of spiraling. I just wanted the thought of Mr. Halifax out of my head.
“But your kiss thief is definitely here...wait.” She grabbed my phone back and started texting.
I looked over her shoulder. She’d just texted him: “Prove you’re at the party.”
My kiss thief didn’t respond.
“This wait is killing me,” Sophie said as we filled up our cups again.
It was killing her? I was the one basically having a heart attack every day from the suspense. I took a huge sip of my drink.
It took a few minutes, but then my phone finally buzzed. He’d sent a picture of Sophie and me staring at my phone. Back from before we’d walked over to the keg.
“It must have been taken from over there.” I pointed toward one of the bonfires. It had the perfect angle of where we’d been staring at the phone a few minutes ago.
There were a few guys standing around the bonfire laughing. But none of them were paying us any attention.
“Let’s go talk to them,” Sophie said.
I grabbed her arm before she could walk over there. “But the kiss thief could have snapped the picture a few minutes ago and moved.” I sighed. “None of those guys are even looking at us.”
“That sneaky bastard,” Sophie said. “Wait! Is that Eli Jones over there?”
“Yeah.” It was indeed Eli Jones. He was one of the guys standing at the bonfire laughing. Could it have been him who’d taken the picture?
“He’s probably forcing himself not to look over here,” Sophie said. “So that we don’t suspect him.”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Follow my lead,” Sophie said.
I didn’t love the sound of that. But I quickly followed her.
We walked over to the bonfire, our shoes crunching on the freshly fallen leaves. The guys kept laughing about something.
And I really hoped they weren’t laughing about the mysterious texts I’d been getting from...Eli?
“Great game,” Sophie said.
Eli turned toward her. “I’m just sad I missed your kissing booth.” He gave Sophie a flirtatious smile.
Well...I didn’t think my kiss thief would flirt with Sophie so hard. But you never knew.
“It’s not too late,” Sophie said. “Scarlett is still taking kisses.”
This never got any less mortifying. I finished the rest of my drink.Here goes nothing.I was starting to become a pro at this.
Eli turned to me and smiled.
But before I could even think of what to say to him, I was being lifted off my feet by someone behind me.
I heard Jacob’s laughter in my ear.
“There you are,” he said as he spun me around. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” He set me back down on my feet.
