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Ryan snorts, nudging my arm. “Guess you’ll never know.”
“Guess not.” I fake a casual shrug, but inside, I’m relieved.
Because really—what did I think was going to happen? That some random stranger would text back, and suddenly my night would take a wildly inappropriate turn?
No thanks.
The game continues, the dares getting sloppier, messier, people laughing a little too loud, Brittany still sneaking glances at me, like she’s waiting for something.
When I finally escape, Ryan offers me a ride home, but I wave him off, opting for fresh air and a moment to myself instead.
Brittany calls after me before I leave. “No reply?”
I shake my head. “Nope.”
She hums, twirling her empty wine glass between her fingers. “Shame.”
I don’t know why, but the way she says it makes my skin prickle.
Still, I force a smile, say my goodbyes, and head home.
Melanie is asleep when I get back—at least, I assume she is, since her door is shut, and the faint glow of Netflix is leaking from underneath it.
I toe off my heels, sighing as the cold hardwood soothes my aching feet.
The party wasn’t as bad as I expected.
It was…weird.
But I made friends.
Or, at the very least, people who don’t seem actively opposed to my existence.
I peel off my dress, change into sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt, and collapse onto my bed.
Finally.
My body sinks into the mattress, exhaustion wrapping around me, my limbs heavy, my brain already halfway to sleep?—
Buzz.
My eyes snap open.
I blink at the ceiling, confused for a second before I reach blindly for my phone on the nightstand.
A single new message.
From the unknown number.
My stomach tightens.
Slowly, I swipe it open.
Unknown Number: I could show you.
I stare.
What. The. Hell.