Chapter 23

The backyard was packed with loud music, flashing lights, and people either gathered in small groups or crowding around the pool. Some had their feet dipped in the water, others were just standing around, red solo cups in hand, caught up in conversation. The atmosphere was lively, the kind of post-game energy that made it feel like the night was just getting started.

Will, Gabi, and I scanned the area, looking for Macklin.

It didn't take long to find him. But he wasn't alone.

Across the pool, under the glow of the string lights, stood Macklin with a blonde woman.

Gorgeous. Barely any makeup, so pretty. Like, the kind of effortlessly pretty that made me want to rethink my entire skincare routine. She had bright blue eyes, sun-kissed skin, and the type of killer body that only further emphasized the fact that she belonged next to him. She laughed at something he said, lightly hitting his chest as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.. and he didn't step away.

I felt my stomach tighten but my feet stopped moving.

"Oh," I said, turning on my heels so fast it was almost embarrassing. "Actually, you know what? He looks busy. Let's go back inside."

Will hesitated. "Lex, maybe it's a misunderstanding."

"Yeah," Gabi added. "They could just be friends."

I shrugged, keeping my face completely neutral. "Yeah, totally. He can talk to whoever he wants. We're not exclusive."

Will and Gabi exchanged a look, one I definitely caught, but I ignored it. Instead, I turned back toward the house, walking as if I hadn't just felt my stomach drop.

Because the truth was, I was completely right. Macklin was valid to talk to other girls. We weren't official. We had barely started seeing each other.

So I had no reason to feel weird about this. None. And yet...

I couldn't stop wondering who she was. How long they'd known each other. How good they looked together.

Gabi must've sensed where my thoughts were going because she nudged me. "Hey. Let's play cup pong."

I blinked. "Huh?"

"Cup pong. Let's get your mind off whatever it is you're thinking."

"I'm not thinking about anything," I said quickly.

Gabi gave me a knowing look. "Mhm. Sure."

Will excused himself to go catch up with some teammates, leaving me with no excuse not to play. So, Gabi and I found a table and got paired up with two guys who looked more than ready to talk to us. Once we started setting up, Will and a few more of his teammates joined on the sidelines to watch our game.

Luke, who was on the taller side with light brown hair and a grin that suggested he was very confident in his ability to win, immediately focused on me. Austin, his friend, had dark curly hair, a lip ring, and an easygoing smile. He was clearly more into Gabi, which was funny because she was very much not into him.

"Alright, ladies," Luke said, spinning the ping pong ball between his fingers. His grin was full of confidence, the kind of cockiness that made you want to knock him down a peg. "Hope you don't mind losing."

I leaned against the table, mirroring his smirk. "Bold of you to assume we lose."

Luke let out a low whistle. "Oh, I like this one." He turned to Austin, nudging him. "You got some fire in you."

Austin, who was busy sending a wink in Gabi's direction, barely paid attention. "Mmm, yeah, love that for you, man."

Gabi rolled her eyes, already regretting every life choice that led us to playing against these two. "Great. Flirts and overconfidence. My favorite combo."

Luke placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. "Overconfident? No, no, I'm just stating facts. I don't lose at cup pong."

I cocked my head. "Oh, really? Then why are you sweating?"

Austin couldn't hold back a cackle from my statement. Luke wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead. "Alright, I see how it is. You talk a big game, Lex. Let's see if you can back it up."

I picked up a ping pong ball, rolling it between my fingers. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

His grin widened. "Actually? Yeah, I really would."

The first few rounds were easy. Gabi and I played like we had something to prove. We sank shots effortlessly while Luke and Austin struggled to keep up.

"Oh, this is embarrassing for you," I teased as Luke missed his second shot in a row.

He scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm just warming up. Gotta keep things interesting."

Gabi smirked at Austin. "And you? What's your excuse?"

Austin groaned. "You're just... distracting."

Gabi blinked. "Oh, please."

Luke raised his eyebrows at me. "I mean, you're pretty distracting too, Lex. Maybe that's your secret strategy."

I twirled my ping pong ball between my fingers. "If I say yes, will it throw you off your game even more?"

He exhaled a laugh. "Damn. Alright, I respect the mind games."

Gabi took her shot and nailed it.

Austin groaned. "Okay, okay, I see what's happening. Y'all set us up. You knew you were gonna destroy us."

I shrugged, feigning innocence. "Maybe."

Luke narrowed his eyes playfully. "You're trouble."

I smiled sweetly. "You have no idea."

As the game continued, the energy shifted. What had started as playful banter had now turned into a fierce competition. Luke and I were tied, the cups dwindling, and the crowd's energy was palpable.

Luke leaned against the table, shooting me a teasing smile as he watched me line up my next shot. "You know, you're really making me work for this," he said, his tone light but his eyes narrowed with focus.

I couldn't help but smirk. "I'm just getting warmed up," I replied, bouncing the ball in my hand.

Gabi was still dealing with Austin's attempts at flirting but kept dodging each attempt.

Luke leaned in slightly, watching me with a thoughtful expression, and then his gaze dropped to my face. "You know," he said, his tone light, "you have this cute wrinkle on your forehead when you focus like that. Right here." He pointed between his own eyebrows to show me where he meant, clearly amused by the little quirk of mine.

I didn't know whether to laugh or roll my eyes, but I couldn't help the way a small grin tugged at the corner of my lips. "Yeah? It's called concentration. You should try it sometime."

Luke laughed, clearly entertained by my quick comeback. "Oh, I'm concentrating. You're just distracting me."

I shrugged, flicking the ping pong ball in my fingers. "Maybe you should try harder then."

"Alright," Luke said, tapping the edge of the table with his fingers, clearly trying to amp himself up. "Let's make this interesting."

I raised an eyebrow, not breaking my focus. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think it's time we make a bet," Luke said, a grin creeping onto his face. "If I win, you let me take you out on a date."

Before I could respond, I caught movement in my peripheral vision.. Macklin.

He had walked up to the crowd, standing next to Will and he was watching. I'm not sure how long he's been watching.

I saw his eyes flicker between me and Luke, his expression unreadable.

Then, just as Luke said the bet out loud, I watched Macklin lean over, whispering something to Will.

I didn't care.

If Macklin could be across the yard, smiling at gorgeous blondes, then I could flirt too.

I didn't even look at Luke, still holding my shot in perfect aim. "A date? Seriously? You're betting on that?"

Luke leaned closer, his voice dropping slightly in pitch. "You're good, but I think I can take you down."

I barely reacted, just lining up my next shot. "And if I win?"

Luke paused for a second, clearly trying to think of something that could sound equally enticing. "Well... then I'll leave you alone. For now."

I shot him a dry look. "You're real charming, Luke but I don't mind leaving you in the dust"

Gabi, overhearing, shot me a look. "it's getting real now."

Luke flashed her a grin. "I think Lex is just afraid of losing."

I chuckled, finally giving him my attention for a brief moment. "I'm not afraid of anything. Especially not you."

The game continued, back and forth, each of us sinking cups, keeping it close. The energy between us was electric; Luke was competitive and that's what made it fun. I wasn't focused on the flirtation or the bet. I was focused on winning.

The crowd had grown larger, and the cheers every time either of us landed a shot were deafening but inside, I was calm, cool, collected.

Luke's confidence wasn't lost on me, though. He was skilled and every time he made a shot, he let out a small, self-satisfied chuckle, his grin widening as if he knew he had the upper hand.

I was determined. I had to beat him.

As the game went on, we got closer to the end. The cups were almost gone. Luke had sunk another shot, and it was now tied: one cup each. The last shot. This was it.

Luke, still leaning casually against the table, looked at me with a playful, almost cocky smile. "Ready to lose?" he asked, his tone light, but there was a hint of seriousness behind it.

I returned his smile, unfazed. "Ask yourself that."

We took our shots at the same time, both of us focused on the cups in front of us. I watched the ping pong balls fly in slow motion, Luke's hit the rim, bouncing dangerously on the edge and then bounced out. A miss.

I didn't let it faze me.

I lined up my shot, eyes locked on the last cup. The pressure was on, but I wasn't nervous. I wasn't even thinking about Luke or his bet anymore. I just needed to win.

I threw the ball before it landed straight into the cup.

The crowd went wild.

"Well, looks like I'm not losing anytime soon," I said with a grin, walking backwards from the table as the cheers erupted around me. Luke was still standing there, mouth slightly open in surprise, though he didn't let the defeat faze him.

"Damn," he muttered, shaking his head but smiling. "Guess you're better than I thought." Then, with a smirk, he leaned in slightly. "Alright, so technically I lost, but... can I still take you out?"

Before I could answer, my eyes flickered to Macklin.

He was still watching.

Still standing beside Will.

Still focused entirely on me.

I turned back to Luke, giving him a smirk. "A bet's a bet."

The second I saw Macklin move, my instincts kicked in. Nope. Absolutely not.

I wasn't about to have whatever conversation he was about to start. Not here. Not now.

I had spent the past hour pretending I didn't care. That I wasn't bothered by the blonde, by the way she laughed at whatever he said, by the way her hand had lingered on his chest.. I had convinced myself that it wasn't my problem, that I had no reason to feel anything about it.

I spotted him across the crowd, weaving through people, his strides long, his expression unreadable.

He was heading straight for me.

Yeah, that wasn't happening. I turned on my heel, heart pounding, and slipped through the sea of bodies, dodging conversations, half-empty cups, and people too drunk to notice me brushing past them.

I was almost there. Just a few more steps and I'd be out the door.

Then, right as I reached for the door handle, my heart jumped.

Someone grabbed my arm.

I stopped, expecting it to be the one person I had been avoiding like the plague. I could practically hear Macklin's voice in my head calling out my name, following me like a shadow.

-=+=-

Dun.. dun... DUNNNNNN

Lil spice here, lil salt there, and poof we have an interesting chapter finally 🤭