An Inconvenient Bet

Chapter Twenty Three

It had been a week since Carter and I had fought and a part of me wished that he would show up at my door and apologise, but I wasn't that much of an idiot to believe that I actually meant that much to Carter.

"Earth to Saffie," Aria said as she waved her hand in my face, bringing me back into the present, as opposed to wallowing in my own self-pity.

"Sorry," I muttered, shifting myself on my lounger.

Aria had insisted that I come over and use her pool, while spending the entire day sunbathing and well I couldn't resist attempting to get a tan.

"Look I know you're really bummed out about the whole Carter thing," she said and I half flinched at his name.

"I'm fine," I said dragging out the word.

"You're a terrible liar, but..." she said, sitting up on her lounger. "Jayden is having a few people round his tonight, we could have some drinks, maybe a little dance, you know some fun considering next week we all graduate for the summer," the excitement in her voice only grew the more she talked.

I rolled my eyes but gave her a smile. I knew that Carter would be there considering he was friends with Jayden and the rumours had gotten around so quickly that all our friends knew we'd been hooking up. Inwardly everything was screaming, telling me not to go, but Aria was trying her best and I wasn't about to let Carter take anything else away from me.

"Sounds great, babe," I said letting the lie roll right off my tongue.

"Perfect," she said, before putting her sunglasses back on and lying back.

*****LATER THAT NIGHT *****

Normally I was all for looking good, especially if it meant I would get Carter's attention, but the idea of seeing him made me sick to my stomach. Aria had to practically force me to not wear sweatpants out the house, as comfy as I was. Eventually, I just gave in and let her style me as she pleased and if anything, I looked more glamorous than I had before.

"Hello my beautiful lady," Jayden said with a beaming smile when he saw me and instantly, I was matching his grin.

"Hey Jayden," I replied, falling into his open arms for a cuddle.

"You doing ok?" he asked, searching my face.

"All good," I said, forcing another smile, it was beginning to get exhausting.

"I told him he was out of line, if it makes you feel any better," he grinned as he kissed the top of my head.

"Thanks Jayden, if only you were single," I joked, as I unravelled myself from his grasp and searched for anything alcoholic I could drink.

He passed me a cup, "he'll come around," he said.

I scoffed as I downed the contents of the cup and when I looked up there he was.

My breath caught in my throat and just when I thought I couldn't feel any worse, his eyes met mine and we stood there staring at each other through people's heads. I forced myself to tear my eyes away from him and with a quick goodbye to Jayden, I made myself scarce so I could avoid seeing him again.

I took myself off to one of the many bedrooms in the house and when I had shut the door behind me, I let myself breathe. As I sat down on the bed, I noticed that this was the room I had been in with Carter after I had lost the bet.

That stupid bet that had started all of this. Except, it was partly my fault for driving over to his house in the middle of the night and basically offering myself to him on a plate.