Chapter 54

Winnie

“Hello, Winnie! Nice to see you!” Rebel

holds up her glass for me with a big cheer. She has switched places with Logan to sit on my left side when I walk up to the table.

Alice, however, isn’t sitting down. She

stands up from her seat and gets this

sparkly look on her face before coming to hug me. “Winnie!”

“Hi!” I hug her back. “How are you?”

“I’m good. How are you?”

Before I can answer, Nathan speaks. “Here she comes, my biggest rival in love: Winnie. I swear there is a romance going on here…” he sighs but hides a smile.

“Happy to see you too, big guy,” I tell him and pat his shoulder. “Have you gotten

thinner?”

He snorts. “Shut up! I’m working out harder than ever!”

I grin. “It shows—I’m just teasing!”

People around the table snicker, including Logan. I feel welcomed sitting by the large

table the Plaza Hotel has assembled for us.

“Oh, and since you wondered, I’m feeling pretty okay,” I inform Alice and beam at her. “Mark won’t be joining us, though. He needed to take care of something urgent.”

“We saw,” Alice sits down beside me, grimacing. “But you’re fine, right? We kind of assumed it was a friendly date anyway.”

“Oh, it was,” my eyes flicker to Jake, whose cold expression turns less icy after hearing

me confirm I’m not into Mark.

Interesting…

“I

It hits me then that Jake was probably mad because I told him, “I don’t date nice guys, and then I went here with Mark. He must

have been so confused, thinking I was a

hypocrite.

move on with the celebrations?” Kelly, who I’ve never met before, says in a rather bitchy tone. “I would like for us to

drinks.”

surprise, seemingly confused by the other woman’s attitude, before she finds

her hands, and Alice looks at me questioningly. I shrug at her-I don’t know why Kelly dislikes me.

and jealousy and

to have

***

guys I don’t know well aren’t with us. It’s Nathan, Alice, Logan, Rebel, Kelly, Jake, and me—the single

not cuddling with

her mind. She is

pregnant and got a babysitter, so

He has called a cab

her legs are dangling down from his

by the bar. And Kelly?

seems to have this idea that I can’t hear

busy ignoring her. He called

perfect for me.

gone, I will confess my feelings. Mark said Jake and Kelly weren’t exclusive

I wait. I order shots with Rebel and

fun, and once Jake is

Rebel smirks at

my back. While drinking, I told her of my plans, and now even Logan is cheering me on. “Tell him

know he has options.”

“Okay,

and Rebel by the bar and set the course for the corner of the bar. Jake is talking to some girl, and my heart pounds faster and faster.

It feels like my blood is boiling when he is in the same room or paying

does this unwelcome flip, and by some miracle, I steer

forward.

awkward standing in front of him. The girl scowls at me

mouth.

who are you?”

at her, but Jake beats me to it by saying, “Winnie, my

There you are!”

lifted up from the ground while the girl stares at us. I’m shocked. The girl

him like a monkey, she storms away.

help but laugh. “What did you do that

to you, so I made sure to put her in place.”

I’m speechless. I didn’t

I stare at him. Eyebrows lifted, and a huge grin. “Your

is beating

my brain just now realizes that we are practically hugging. My hands are on Jake’s broad shoulders, eyes locked onto his face. I don’t know what

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255