Love, Lies and Unfiltered Hearts

Game Over, Max Thorne

DREW

Morgan leans forward. "Max doesn't do relationships. Everyone knows that. So why is he suddenly dating Josie right after one kiss? It's suspicious. We start spreading the word that he made a bet with his teammates. See how fast he can get her into bed."

I think about it. Josie is smart but she's been hurt badly before. She'd question anything that looks like manipulation. Especially from a guy she barely knows.

"It could work," I say slowly.

"It will work. You plant the seed, I'll water it. She dumps Max, you step in, and everything is perfect."

"And you stop messing with her. For real this time."

Morgan smiles. "If I get Max."

"You think Max Thorne is going to look at you after all this?"

The smile vanishes and she stands up, closes the distance between us, and takes my hand and puts it against her chest. I feel her heart beating fast.

"Make it worth my while first," she says.

I look at her for one second, then I take my hand back and move to the chair by the reading table.

She stares at me. "Seriously?"

"We have a plan to execute." I pull out my phone. "I need to make some calls. Get this rumor started from inside Max's own circle. Make it look like it came from his teammates."

Morgan is furious. She picks up her phone and dials. Tyler picks up after two rings and she tells him to come over. It's not the first time she's called him and it won't be the last. I don't care. That's on her.

While we wait for Tyler, we iron out the details. She'll talk to her squad. I'll text two Blackbridge guys who owe me favors from last season. By morning it'll be everywhere.

Tyler's headlights cut across the window as he pulls up. I'm already standing. Then I hold out my hand.

Morgan looks at it for a long moment before shaking it. Her hand is cold in mine.

I walk out past Tyler on the driveway. We nod at each other. He knows better than to ask.

I get back in the car and send the first text.

Me: Hey man. Did you hear about Max's bet?

I wait. The reply comes in less than a minute.

Unknown: No. What bet?

I smile for the first time all day.

Game over, Max Thorne.

***

By Wednesday morning, the rumor had spread faster than I expected.

I hear it before I even get to my locker. Two freshman girls talking in the stairwell, heads close together, voices low the way they get when something feels dangerous and fun at the same time.

"Did you hear about Max Thorne?"

"Apparently, there's a bet."

"Something about making Josie fall for him."

"That's so messed up."

Perfect.

By lunch, at least a dozen people have mentioned it. I hear it in the hallways, in the cafeteria, whispering between classes.

Pete catches up with me in the hallway and falls into step beside me. He doesn't say anything at first. Pete almost never says anything first.

"You start that thing going around about Max?" he asks finally.

"What thing?"

"Drew."

"What?"

He looks at me sideways. "She's going to find out it came from you."

"She doesn't need to find out anything except that the guy she's with isn't who she thinks he is."

Pete goes quiet. He does that when he thinks I'm wrong but doesn't want to fight about it. He's been doing it for three years.

I don't see Josie in the first two periods. She's in AP English and I have history, and our schedules only cross at lunch and between third and fourth. By the time I get to the corridor outside the gym, I can feel the energy of the school. The rumor is alive and people are talking.

I see Becca near the water fountain with her phone pressed to her ear, her face tight with anger.

"I don't care if it's just a rumor," Becca is saying. "Josie needs to know." Becca's voice carries. "If Max is using her for some stupid bet with his teammates..." She trails off, listening to whoever is on the other end.

Then she hangs up and starts walking fast.

She hasn't spotted me. I slow down and keep my face blank and let her walk away. She's going straight to Josie. Exactly what I need.

I lean against the wall, smiling to myself.

Game over, Max Thorne. Josie is mine.

The rest of the morning is quiet on my end. I go to class, I answer when called on, I tell Kade the scrimmage starts at four and to stop asking me dumb questions.

Normal, completely normal.

Except there's this thing sitting in my chest that won't move. It's small and heavy. I know what it is.

I just don't want to call it by its name yet.