When class lets out, we stroll out to the courtyard. Sienna is walking by with some friends and does a double-take. “Gabby! Hey! Oh, my God, I never see you.” She rushes over and gives me a hug, almost knocking me down in the process.
No one is ever this excited to see me.My social life has turned intoThe Twilight Zone. I chuckle to myself.
She waves to her friends. “I’ll call you later, Destiny!” When she turns back to me, her face lights up. “How did your date go on Saturday night?”
“How have I not seen you all week?”
“I know, right?” A giggle escapes her. “Kinda met someone over the weekend.”
“And you’ve been hooking up ever since?” I say it as a joke, but her cheeks redden, and she nods wildly.
“Crazy, right? I mean, I eventually put my foot down and demanded we go to class, but otherwise, yeah.” She sighs deeply. “It just feels karmic. Like, I’ve put good vibes into the universe, and it’s finally coming back to me.”
I swear she’s speaking another language. I don’t understand exactly what she means, but I’m happy for her regardless. “That’s great. Is he a jock?” We’ve already established she loves football players.
Her eyes roll back in her head dramatically. “Yes. So many muscles!”
Laughing, I sidestep the topic of Jason and introduce Sienna to Bree. In my peripheral vision, I see Zoe walk by with a bunch of her catty friends, who all stare at me and whisper.
I want to flip them the bird and ask Zoe what the hell I ever did to her. She gotmefired from my tutoring job, and shestillgives me shit? For a brief, nausea-inducing moment, it’s like I’m in middle school all over again, and the popular kids are making fun of my hand-me-downs and thrift-store fashions.
Annoyed, I’m about to take off before I’m late to my job at Archer, when Bree pulls up her phone and squints at the screen.
“Rider says he’s been trying to get ahold of you.” She glances at me, then at Sienna, then back to me. “You know, forthat assignment.”
We agreed we would limit the Poppy circle of trust as long as possible, but I feel weird not telling Sienna. Still, it’s not my secret to tell.
I pull out my cell. “I don’t have any messages from him.”
Since I had the guys email me their daily routines last weekend so I could set up the babysitting schedule, I’ve only communicated with him in group emails.
I’ll do anything to avoid talking to Rider right now, especially since the guys are working on their “mommy list” and trying to narrow down their possibilities. They eventually did draw up a list on a whiteboard, but I made them use anonymous monikers so some poor unsuspecting girl didn’t get dragged into the drama.
If I weren’t so annoyed by the whole thing, the pseudonyms would make me laugh. With names like Harley ‘I’m Coming’ Quinn, Doggy-Style Catwoman, and my personal favorite, Super-Tits & Ass, I wouldn’t be surprised if they all had a superhero kink.
I made a point to leave before we got to Rider. The last thing I need in my life is a list of the girls he banged.
Bree elbows me. “Rider. He needs to talk to you. He said he tried texting you.”
Speak of the devil.
Flipping my phone around, I show her my messages. “I don’t have anything from him.”
But then I pause because…
“Wait.” Oops. “I forgot to unblock him.”
Sienna’s eyes widen. “Are we talking about Rider Kingston? Hottie neighbor and all-star athlete? A face to die for?” She doesn’t wait for my response. “Why would you block him?”
I swallow. “It was years ago.”
“Is that why you gave him the finger that first day I came over? I thought you were joking.” She blinks slowly. “Holy crap, were you two fuckbuddies? I’ve heard he has a stable of girls. That they all love him but hate each other.”
I cringe, hating that I care.
That insidious question niggles at the back of my brain, and I wonder why he wouldn’t go there with me. He basically screws anything with two legs, but I wasn’t his type. I know I accused him of not wanting to bone a virgin, but I can’t help but wonder if there was more to it.
“He and I were never like that.” I’d like to tell her we were more—we were friends, and we had a blast together, and he made me feel optimistic about life again.
