Page 111 of The Forever After Bet

“Okay.” She breathes.

“Just listen.” I tell everyone in the room.

“I’m going to tell Bree I’ll do what she wants under one condition. That I get a week before we officially become a couple. I’ll tell her I need time to break up with Hannah and make up some excuse about how it will be better for us socially if we’re not seen together right away. I could tell her that if we came out publicly immediately, it would look bad for her, like she’s a boyfriend stealer. I’m still trying to work out the details.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” Leah shakes her finger. “But it might be better if you focus on you. How breaking up with Hannah one day and then getting together with her the next would make you look like you’re back to being a player. Tell her all the girls would get the wrong idea. They might think they have a chance with you again. Bree won’t like people thinking she’s a rebound, or that you’re back to girl-hopping. She wants everyone to know you’ve picked her as your girlfriend.”

“I agree,” Hannah says. “If you put the focus on her, it will piss her off. Make it about you and how you want people to perceive the two of you as a couple. Do that, and you’ll have her eating out of your hand.”

“I don’t like this,” Ty says. “We’re playing with fire. If Bree finds out we’re playing her, she could say screw it and publish what she has on Hannah. True or not, it could hurt her.”

“Maybe,” Hannah says, shaking her head. “But she wants a chance with Ford. She’s concocted this scheme because she’s convinced herself that if Ford dates her and spends real time with her, he will fall madly in love with her. She wants that chance. I If she publishes whatever she has on me, that chance is gone—forever. She’d have to know for certain that Ford isn’t going to hold up his end of the bargain when she publishes what she has. Bree will push him to his limit, because this is about him, not me.”

“Ford, she knows you would tell your friends about this, right?” Cam asks.

I shrug. “The only thing I know for sure is that she’s dying for a chance to call me her boyfriend. Hannah’s right. This is more about me than her.

“What if we went to Principal Forrest and asked him for help?” June asks. “Bree is forcing you into something. That’s a form of bullying.”

“If that happens, she’ll publish for sure,” Aubrey says.

“But it’s false! Hannah hasn’t done anything wrong.” June looks at Hannah, and then everyone looks our way.

She fidgets on my lap. “I promise I’ve never knowingly lied, cheated, or manipulated anything or anyone to get a good grade, but I admit I’m worried. What if I did something without realizing it? Or someone else did something that affected me? It’s scary to think everything I’ve worked toward for the last four years could disappear just like that.”

I wrap my hand around Hannah’s face, turning her to look at me. “That’s not going to happen. I swear it. You’re going to be valedictorian. You’ll get into Sutherland and get a scholarship.” I swear she will, even if I must pretend to be Bree Chandler’s boyfriend.

“I believe you,” she whispers.

“Do you think Ryker is scheming with Bree?” Leah asks.

“I think he is,” Ty says. “I think it’s too much of a coincidence that Ryker’s the one who gave you that note from Bree after one of our basketball games. Then there’s his social media posts about Clark saying she’d go to the winter formal with him.”

“What note?” Hannah asks, her forehead scrunched.

I scrub a hand down my face. “I completely forgot about the note,” I mutter. I twist my finger around one of her curls. “It was stupid. She kissed the note and said she was looking forward to volunteering at the craft fair with me. I promise that’s all it said. Ask the guys. They read it. I crumpled it up and tossed it in my gym bag. My bag is in the car. I can go get it.” I sit up, but Hannah puts a hand on my chest.

“Stop, I believe you,” she says, smiling. “If Ryker is colluding with Bree, it’s only because he thinks he’s going to get something out of it.”

“Colluding, nice, five points for you,” I whisper.

“Thank you.” Hannah sticks her chin up, proud of herself.

“Yeah, he thinks he’s going to hook up with Hannah. That guy is the slimy version of Ford.” Aubrey makes a disgusted face.

“Hey, I take offense at that,” I laugh. “He only wishes he could be a sleazy version of all this.” I hold my arm up, flexing my biceps.

“Oh, jeez.” Hannah laughs, slapping my chest. “He’s left me alone since the Instagram post. He didn’t even try to get my attention at last night’s game. He could be in on it with Bree, but I think it was about opportunity for him. I think he knows I’m not interested and has moved on.” She sighs, laying her head on my shoulder.

“I hope so. It still wouldn’t hurt to ask him about it,” Jack says.

“Can we be done with this conversation? I’m so sick of talking and thinking about Bree Chandler. She’s a thorn in my side that won’t go away.” Hannah sighs.

“Everyone, keep your eyes and ears open for gossip. Anything might help.”

I nuzzle my nose along Hannah’s neck. “Want to go for a drive?”

She shivers, and goosebumps bead along her arms and neck. “Yes, but what about our friends?”

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