Her Bet

chapter 33

Barry

The late afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow over my cluttered room. I was perched on the edge of my bed, phone pressed to my ear, engaging in a lighthearted conversation with Danton about his weekend lately . I'm still shocked they slept together again , and so out of nowhere. And the fact that their parents dated too?

"Seriously, man, what's going to happen now between you and her when she finds out , are you going to talk about it  ?" I asked, leaning back against the wall, trying to ignore the mess that surrounded me in my room. Just then, the door swung open without a knock, and in walked Cole.

I raised an eyebrow; Cole rarely barged in like this, and the look on his face—dark circles under his eyes and tension in his brow—sent a jolt of concern through me. "Hey, Danton, hold on a sec," I  said, quickly covering the phone's mouthpiece. "You alright?"

Cole  barely acknowledged me, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Hey," he muttered, his voice low and strained.

“You don’t look okay,” I  replied, as he stepped into the room. “What’s going on?” I asked as I hung up my phone .

Cole  sighed, sinking into the old armchair near the desk. He looked up, and for a moment, I  saw a flicker of vulnerability cross my brother's face. "It's Laria," he finally admitted, his tone almost defeated.

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. Laria and Cole had been together for almost a year before they broke up. I don't even know what he's crying about because he literally cheated., and even after ,they always seemed so solid. "What about Laria? Is everything alright?"

"Not really," he said, his voice cracking. "Things have changed. She’s… different. Distant.”

I sat down on the bed, concern mounting. Why would he care , he was the one saying that she's nothing but a past time to him .

“Distant? How do you mean?” I ask just trying to be a listening brother.

Cole looked out the window, his gaze far away, as if searching for answers just beyond the glass. "She used to be so eager to hang out, you know? But lately, it's like she’s always busy. She even ended things for good , the Laria that I know wouldn't do that ."

"Do what? Leave you forever? Why do you think so ?"

"Because I know she loves me and she's obsessed with me . It doesn't make sense that...she would just turn it off."

"You cheated on her.  God knows how many times but she probably understood her worth . "

"Worth? She literally sleeps with people for bets ."

"What do you mean ?"

"I don't know if I should tell you  but this might wake her up and she will realise that she shouldn't have messed with me."

"Tell me."

"She slept with your friend , Danton. For a bet that we made. She won and got a Lady Dior bag.  An expensive bag might I add. So do you really think she's worth anything."

“What do you mean, ‘a bet’?” I replied, my heart racing as I  tried to process the implications.

"A bet . He was an exchange for a fucking bag. I'm guessing he was a virgin too , even seemed more fun."

I  felt a surge of emotions: confusion, anger, and a deep sense of betrayal.

“How could you?”  I muttered under my breath, clenching my fists. 

But this? This wasn’t fun. It felt like a betrayal, a violation that went deeper than I  wanted to admit. Danton ,  his virginity valued more than a bet . He always wanted to lose it to someone whom he connected with and he even told me he felt the connection between them , but this...