Page 156 of Revenge Puck

“Jesus Christ.” He is staring now as if he’s never seen me as someone capable of having a one-night stand. The idea is inconceivable to him. “I can’t listen to this.”

I laugh again. “I haven’t told you any details—and you can relax, because we didn’t have sex.”

He wasn’t interested in me then.

But he is now.

TWENTY-SIX

AARON

I am so screwed.

Well and truly screwed.

It’s only a matter of time before the entire situation with Declan blows up and fucks me in the ass. The guy still looks at me as if I keyed his truck and stole his prom date.

And to make matters worse, Bailey has texted me from a new number, threatening to tell the press the dirty details about our breakup.

She could use the money.

What looks like a plea feels a whole fucking lot like blackmail, and I stare at her last message in disbelief.

As if my life couldn’t get any more complicated.

I delete Bailey’s most recent message, block her contact, and send a text to my sister.

Aaron: You around?

Sutton: Yes, why??

Aaron: I need advice.

Sutton: Okay, give me like, 5 minutes

Waiting feels like a goddamn eternity, and I barely last the entire five before calling her, pacing my kitchen while I wait for her to pick up the video call.

“You look terrible,” she says by way of greeting when she picks up, her shower curtain in the background.

“Gee, thanks.”

Sutton squints at me through the screen, setting herself on her toilet; she often does this to hide from her kids so she has peace and quiet.

“What happened?”

I rake a hand through my hair. “Nothing.”

Her eyebrow lifts.

“Okay—lots of things.”

She nods slowly. “So…where do you want to start? ’Cause last time we spoke, you were having a friend over? Did that not go well?”

“No, it’s great. It’s been great. That’s part of the problem.”

My sister is quiet a few seconds. “Hmm. How is it a problem? You’re a commitment kind of guy; I’ve never known you to shy away from a relationship.”

I blow out a puff of air. Tip my head back and stare at the ceiling.Christ, where do I start?How do I explain this to my sister? Sutton is almost always on my side—she’s my ride or die, loyal to a fault. This may be the one time she is not.