Page 190 of The Way I Hate Him
“He’s easy to win over,” Abel says. “Just bring him some donuts from The Sweet Lab, and he’s sold,” Abel adds as I pull my phone out of my pocket and see that it’s a text from Hattie.
“I stopped eating the donuts,” Ryland says as he pats his stomach. “Pants were starting to get tight.”
“Says the guy with the eight-pack,” Abel scoffs.
I glance at the text and read it just in case she was looking for anything.
Hattie:You look so hot right now. I want your cock in my mouth.
I nearly choke on my drink as I quickly turn my phone down, terrified that Abel or Ryland might have seen that.
“You okay?” Ryland asks as I cough out my rum and Diet Coke.
“Yup,” I say in a high-pitched,I’m actually not okaytone.
“You sure?” Abel asks.
I nod as my phone buzzes again.
“All good. Just swallowed wrong.”
“I once snorted Diet Coke, and I swear it stung for a week,” Abel says.
“Why were you snorting Diet Coke?” Ryland asks.
“Not like . . .snortingsnorting,” Abel says as I glance down at my phone.
Hattie:I want you to come down my throat . . . I’m thirsty.
Jesus.
Fucking.
Christ.
I glance up at where she’s sitting in a lawn chair watching Aubree and Mac play a bean bag tossing game. When her eyes catch mine, she mischievously smiles.
With one hand, I text her back.
Hayes:Knock it off. Your brother is like two feet away.
“You still like baseball, right?” Abel asks, elbowing me.
“Huh?” I look up. How did we go from snorting Diet Coke to baseball? “Oh, uh, yeah. Haven’t been following it too much. Why?”
“Coach Disik from Brentwood is coming to one of Ryland’s games. He’s interested in a few of his players.”
“Oh shit, really?” I ask. “That’s the school Knox Gentry went to, right?”
My phone buzzes.
Mother of God.
“And Carson Stone,” Ryland adds. “Yeah, I’m pretty excited. We’ve built the program to the point we’re now gaining national attention. I have a left-hander on the mound that Disik really loves.”
“Wow, that’s amazing,” I say, my phone buzzing again.
“Look at you two,” Abel says, glancing between us. “It’s like . . . we’re family all over again. Just like old times.”
