Page 194 of The Hookup Experiment

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"No," he says.

"You sure?"

He hesitates, but he still says, "yes."

ChapterForty-Two

PATRICK

All week, my phone buzzes.

New entry from Hearts & Thorns.

The reminders rack up on my screen, in my emails, in my head.

I test my will, reading the snippets in my inbox.

I worry about her so much. It's not fair. She's almost grown and I'm not her mother.

Now, it's sexy too. I've been a bad, bad girl. More sexy because of the fucked-up implications.

Is there a reason to keep writing? For me, yes, but why would anyone keep reading when I spin the same thing again and again?

I resist.

It takes all my self-control, but I resist. Through boring shifts, after conversations with Luna, while I shoot the shit with Dareā€”his other best friend, the girl next door, is coming back from her study abroad for a few weeks, and he wants to show her a good time.

He's actually nervous.

Which is weird.

And kinda cute, in a weird way. It's a good focus for my attention. His crush. Even if he says it's not a crush. Even if he says it's because he admires her. She's smart. Not that I'd get that.

"Hey, I love smart chicks," I say.

"Chicks, seriously?" Luna asks.

I wink at her.

"Seriously, Moonlight, you're too easy," Dare says.

"Call me Moonlight again, I dare you."

"Oh, you dare me?"

"You think I can't take you?" she asks.

He gives her a quick once-over. "Yeah. What are you? five ten, one forty?"

"Excuse me!" She folds her arms.

"One fifty?" he taunts her.

"Seriously, Dare?" I shake my head. "Asking a woman's weight?"

"She's the one who wants to pick a fight." He turns to Luna. "I've got fifty pounds on you."

"I'm scrappy," she says. "And you're stupid."


Tags: Crystal Kaswell Romance