I Was His Bet, I Become Their Surprise Chapter 05
The countdown hit zero the second I opened the door.
The room went silent.
Every head turned.
Glasses stopped halfway to lips. Smiles froze mid–laugh.
The buzz–cut guy closest to the door just stared.
“Hey, you lost, gorgeous?”
“Wrong room?”
Another guy jumped in.
“Wrong room or not, you should stay. We’re all Briarhaven
freshmen.”
“Yeah, come hang out.”
The same people who’d just joked about me breaking a
normal chair were falling over themselves to offer me one.
“Here, sit next to me.”
The same people who’d just complained about running out of
chairs were falling over themselves to make space.
I didn’t move. My eyes went to the center of the table.
The oversized loveseat sat next to it. For me, obviously.
[Welcome, 220–pound girlfriend]
Two chairs sat side by side next to it. For me, obviously.
Someone saw where I was looking and shoved the cake aside.
“It’s just a prank. We were messing around.”
“Don’t take it personally, gorgeous.”
I almost laughed.
They still didn’t know the cake was for me.
Tristan was watching me from the couch.
He’d sat up straight. His eyes hadn’t left my face.
The contempt from a minute ago was gone. All I saw now was shock.
Eleven months together online.
We’d never video–called, but he’d seen photos of me at 220 pounds.
The girl standing in front of him looked nothing like the girl in those photos.
He didn’t recognize me.
Sienna was sitting beside him.
She’d been holding Tristan’s arm. She let go and sat up a little straighter.
“Are you a Briarhaven freshman too?”
She was the first to speak, smiling warmly.
“She’s the It Girl from the freshman chat.‘
Before I could answer, someone next to her cut in.
“She’s the campus queen from the freshman chat.”
“What’s your major? How come we haven’t seen you in the group?”
The same people who’d joked about me needing oxygen to
reach the venue were now tripping over themselves to be nice.
They wouldn’t stop.
The same people who’d joked about me needing oxygen to
reach the hotel were now tripping over themselves to be nice.
“If she’d been in the group from the start, the It Girl title
would’ve gone differently.”
It faded more when a guy leaned over and muttered.
“If she’d been in the group from the start, the campus queen
thing would’ve gone differently.”
He said it quietly, but not quietly enough.
Sienna’s lips pressed together, and her hand drifted to her hair.
“You guys are being ridiculous.”
When she looked at me again, the warmth had cooled a few degrees.
Tristan didn’t seem to hear any of it.
He was still staring. Then he stood up.
“This is the Briarhaven U freshman mixer.”
His tone was much gentler than it had been in the video.
“This is the Briarhaven U freshman party.”
Before I could answer. Nolan walked in behind me.
“Nolan, you’re finally here!”
The buzz–cut guy was already on him.
Nolan glanced at him without responding.
He hadn’t caught on yet. He kept going, grinning ear to ear.
“She probably chickened out. Why don’t you do the couple’s
challenges with this girl instead?”
The people beside him joined in.
“She probably chickened out. Why don’t you do the couple
challenges with this girl instead?”
“Yeah, right. You think a girl like her would give him the
time of day?”
“Hey, Nolan’s not bad–looking. You never know.”
The room laughed.
Nolan said nothing. He stood beside me, watching me with
an expression I couldn’t quite read.
Tristan straightened his collar without seeming to realize he
was doing it.
“What’s your name? What’s your major?”
I stopped in front of the loveseat. Glanced at the cake. Then I
looked up and smiled.
Every pair of eyes in the room followed me.
I stopped in front of the two chairs. Glanced at the cake. Then
I looked up and smiled.
“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.”
“Hello, everyone. I’m Sabrina.”