Page 110 of Play With Me
A million dollars.
He’s worth more than that.
Even though we have all of that, nothing proves their guilt, but it’s enough to get the public talking about it, to let the conspiracies spread.
“This is a lot,” Paulie says.
“It is. Fuck. I had no idea Maya had so much.”
“She must have been tenacious.”
“Didn’t expect anything less,” I tell him, and he nods.
“All right, you better shower and look your best when we head out. Don’t want people thinking Colton traded down when he met you.”
“Fuck you,” I reply with a laugh. “We both know I’m hotter.”
Paulie scoffs and then elbows me. “Dunno, man. There’s just something about him.”
I hit him with a pillow and we wrestle for a few minutes until I’m pinned beneath him, his red hair falling into his face, his cheeks pink from exertion.
“Seriously, though,” Paulie says. “I got your back.”
“I know.”
“Okay, enough horsing around. It’s time to make an appearance.”
“Yeah,” I say, pushing up onto my elbows and closing my eyes. “I’m scared.”
“So am I, but that’s okay. We push through. We make this mean something.” He hops up and holds out his hand. “You’ll always have me.”
I let him lift me to my feet, and I pull him in for a hug.
“Thanks. You know you always have me as well.”
“Yeah, but now it’s getting a little too sappy, so we better get on with it before things get weird.”
That gets me moving, and within thirty minutes, I’m showered and dressed and shaking out my hands by my front door. I’m preparing for the onslaught I’m going to face while I make my way to the Cove, but it will all be worth it when I meet Colton there.
I know it will all be worth it.
“Come on. I’ll drive,” Paulie tells me, moving up next to me and opening the door. I don’t know what I was expecting, but there’s no one outside, no cameras in my face. Not that I thought anyone would be that interested in me and my sex life, but still. It’s almost like an ordinary day. Even the fall weather is nice.
But when we make it to campus and walk to the Cove from the parking lot, I can feel the stares following me. Paulie seems to stand a little taller, almost as if he’s trying to shield me from this, but he can’t. I made my choice. And my choice was Colton. I’ll take this and more if it means he’s there at the end of the day.
“Almost there,” Paulie says as we walk past a few girls who are fanning their faces as we pass.
“Wonder if they’re sleeping together, too,” I hear one say to the other.
That makes my skin flame. I knew Paulie would be dragged into this, but I never thought his sexuality would come into question.
“I don’t care what they think,” Paulie tells me. “I really don’t. I know who I am, and that’s all that matters.”
“I’ve never thought you were sexy until today.”
That makes him laugh as he pulls the doors open to the Cove. It’s crowded in here, and as we stand in line, the stares from students make me squirm. But I manage a steady voice while ordering food, and when I take a seat away from Paulie, who is chatting with a few guys from one of his classes, I pull up my phone, waiting for Colton to text me that he’s on his way.
He still has a few minutes to get here, and I hope he’s not fucking late. This is already bad enough.
