Page 45 of The Forever After Bet

I shake my head no.

“Uh, why?” Jack asks.

I scrub my hand through my hair. “I don’t know. She doesn’t know about you sticking the envelope in the mailbox. The whole thing was traumatic for both of us. Hannah didn’t mention it either.”

“Do you have a plan for after high school?” Ty asks.

I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t want to think about it, either. Right now, Hannah and I don’t have a plan for after high school. I told Hannah I’d keep my promise, and we talked about being together after high school; but we didn’t talk about or make plans. I’m not ready to tell the guys about the promise I made to Hannah. “We’ve talked about being together after high school, and we got a first-hand look at what that might be like last night. We stayed in the apartment over my grandparents’ garage.”

“You two were alone all night?” Ty’s mouth drops open.

I scratch my head, giving him a sheepish smile. “Yeah.”

“Did you have condoms?” Jack asks.

I scrub a hand down my face. Usually, I want to tell the guys everything, but for some reason, I want to keep this private. “Hannah’s on birth control, and we found a strip of four in the bathroom.”

“I hear a ‘but’ in this conversation,” Ty says.

“We didn’t use anything the first time.”

Jack curses, and Ty lets out a low whistle.

“Birth control is ninety-nine percent effective.” I sound like Hannah did last night when she was trying to convince me. “It will be all right, Jack. She’s not going to get pregnant.”

He purses his lips and gives me a stiff nod. “Okay.”

Later that night, I can’t sleep. Well, I was asleep but woke up to my heart pounding from a bad dream. It started out as a dream, then turned into a nightmare. I dreamed Hannah and I got married, and she was pregnant. Then somehow, Hannah morphed into Bree, and she was pregnant. She rubbed her belly and told me I was going to be a daddy.

It was from all the future talk with Jack and Ty; and Jack freaking out about Hannah and me having unprotected sex that wasn’t really unprotected. It’s also because I need to do something about Bree. Somehow, I need to make it clear I’m not interested in dating her, and nothing will ever happen between us.

21. Truth or Dare

When I come downstairs Friday morning, Jack is rinsing out his cereal bowl. Usually, he’s gone by the time I come down for breakfast. I walk around the counter, grabbing a banana. Jack picks up his backpack and pulls the Venue keys out of the bowl by the door. “Let’s go already, Clark,” he says, dangling the keys.

I’ve just taken a bite of my banana. “You’re riding with me?” I ask, my mouth full of food.

“Yeah, if you get a move on.” He taps his smartwatch. “Tick, tick, let’s go.”

I dump my half-eaten banana in the garbage, put my coat on, grab my backpack and cheer bag, and head for the door. “Come on, slowpoke,” I say, opening the door and walking outside.

“I’m driving,” Jack exclaims behind me.

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t want to drive on these roads anyhow,” I mutter and go around to the passenger side.

Jack gets in and starts the car. I put my seatbelt on and sit back, feeling happy. “What’s with the smile?” he asks.

I shrug. “I’ve missed this.”

Jack quirks a smile. “Yeah, me too.”

When we get to the school, Ford is standing next to his Range Rover with Ty, waiting for us. Before Jack has even turned the car off. Ford opens my door. “Good morning, Sweet Cheeks.” He smiles and leans in, giving me a quick little kiss.

“Oh jeez, that nickname is going to stick, isn’t it?”

“Like super glue.”

“It’s a good thing I like it. Well, I like it when you say it to me. Just know that I’m going to resurrect Hot Cross Buns.” Ford leans in, kissing me again. “What was that for?” I ask.

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