Page 44 of How to Get Revenge on a Cheating Ex
Grayson’s eyes are wide as he turns to her, and her cheeks turn the most adorable shade of pink. But she’s smiling, all proud of herself for getting a dig in at my expense for once.
I clap my hands slowly, a wide grin creasing my face. “Bailey Tucker, I think I love you.”
She laughs at that, and I know neither of us misses the caustic glance Grayson shoots my way.
He’s not outright antagonistic. Oh no. He’s still way too sure of himself to be truly worried.
But all week we’ve been doing crap like this. The occasional teasing remark that’sjustthis side of flirting. The familiar bickering banter but with a little less heat and way more inside jokes.
He’s not going crazy with jealousy or anything—not yet. But it’s getting to him. And watching his discomfort every time our teasing takes a flirty turn is so freakin’ satisfying. It almost makes pretending to be his friend worth it.
Almost.
I’m ready to be done with this, though. I’m just not sure Bailey’s ready.
I keep telling her it’ll be like pulling off a Band-Aid. But she keeps worrying about all the wrong stuff. Like what everyone else is going to think of her. Or how ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ That’s been her new favorite phrase lately, and I swear if she says that trite cliché one more time, I’m dumping her out of the car and letting her walk home.
Grayson turns to me as he picks up his burger. “Looks like your sense of humor is rubbing off on Bailey.”
I laugh at his bland remark that hides so many questions.
I hope like hell he’s wondering right this second. I hope he’s replaying every flirty exchange trying to reassure himself it’s nothing.
“Rubbing off on her? Nah.” I point a finger in her direction with a knowing smirk. “If it was, she’d have come back with a dirty joke about how I’d like to rub one?—”
“Ew, Zack!” She throws a beet at my face so hard it stings.
“Ow.” I rub my cheek, but I’m laughing too hard to care.
Annoying the crap out of Bailey has always been my favorite pastime, and it’s definitely been the highlight of this shitty week. Trying to make her blush is the only entertainment I have at this lame ass job. “I didn’t even finish,” I say.
“You don’t have to. Whatever you were going to say was going to be disgusting and degrading.” She leans over the table, reaching past Grayson to jab a finger in my face. “Stop being gross.”
“It’s sex, Bailey, not waste removal.” I turn to Grayson. “No offense, man.”
Toni snickers again because we’d all seen Grayson pulling garbage duty this morning. Probably after cleaning up puke.
Even Bailey looks amused for a second—before she remembers she’s giving me a lecture. “Not everything is about sex, Zack.”
“True,” I agree. “Sometimes it’s about Call of Duty. But most of the time it’s about sex.”
She narrows her eyes. “What is wrong with you?”
I shrug. “I blame it on the neighbor I had growing up. Bad influence.”
Only Toni is laughing. Jessica and her friend are looking between me and Bailey like we’re a tennis match on TV, and Grayson is watching us with an expression I can’t quite read.
“Why do you have to make a joke out of everything?” Bailey’s brows are arched high and she looks so freakin’ holier than thou I just want to lean over and...
And what? I don’t know. Make her smile and laugh, and forget for a second that she’s the responsible one, I guess.
“I just don’t get why you can’t be serious for five seconds,” she says.
I lean forward too so we’re talking past Grayson like he’s not there. “And I don’t get why you freak out anytime I make a sex joke.”
“I don’t,” she says.
“You do.” I look to Grayson. “Am I right?”
