Page 184 of Filthy Beautiful
I supposed I didn’t sound all that happy about it, so no one was exactly congratulating me on finally shredding my V-card.
“Courteney…” Angeline slid over next to me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m great. It was great.” I shoved a handful of popcorn in my mouth. “Larissa, you gotta put more butter on it next time.”
“Sorry.”
“What happened?” Angie pressed. “If it was so great, why are you all aggro around each other, and what’s with all the popcorn? You’ve eaten like two bowls of it.”
I sighed and pushed bowl number three, which was floating on the water, toward Shayla. “Okay, it wasn’tallgreat.”
“Tell me more,” Shay said, munching popcorn.
“I mean, it started out kinda weird…” I tried to find the words to sum up that night, and the next morning. “I went over to his place in a slutty white dress to seduce him.”
“Oh, God,” Larissa said.
“He, uh, tried to fend me off and convince me we shouldn’t, but I won. So he took me to a hotel with candles and wine and stuff and we did it a few times and it was amazing. Then we had a huge fight and now we’re not talking to each other.”
“Shit,” Shay said. “You served up your pussy on a platter for him—yourvirginpussy—and now he’s not talking to you?”
Ick.Her words were so cringeworthy, yet so true.
“Cold,” Larissa said.
“Ice cold,” Shay agreed.
“I mean,I’mkinda not talking tohim,” I admitted. Then I groaned and smeared a wet hand over my face. I probably looked like a half-drowned, half-drunk raccoon. I’d put on a bunch of makeup today in my weird, desperate play to make Xander jealous.
I so owed Stephan an apology for using him like a pawn in my sad, twisted, drunk-ass games.
“This may be all my fault,” I muttered.
“Nope. Not your fault,” Angie said, because of course, she would. Best friend code. You didn’t kick your bestie when she was down—you lifted her up, no matter what a dumbass she was being. “He’s a dick. You chose him to be your first, and now he’s fighting with you?”
“Yup,” Larissa agreed. “That’s a dick move.”
I glanced up. My friends were all looking at me with big, soft sympathy eyes. Even Shayla.
For once, it seemed like they were all in agreement.
“Guys. I’m a dumbass,” I moaned. “Help me.”
“Okay. Here’s what you need to do,” Shay said. “No more seducing him. Cut him off and see if he comes back for more. Only way you’ll really know what he’s made of.”
“That’s true,” Larissa said.
“If he fucked you your first time,” Shay said, “and doesn’t come back for more, you’ll get your answer.”
“You agree with this?” I asked Angie.
“Yeah…” she said. “But… I’d probably cave and call him.”
“Boooo!” Shay and Larissa groaned, in stereo.
Angie shrugged. “Truth.”
I sighed and drank more water. I definitely wasn’t calling him. Not in the state I was in right now.
