The last few days have been amazing. For once, I feel like I have the upper hand. Rubbing my new 'relationship' in Will's face is the most satisfying thing ever. He's clearly still into me. Just the sight of me with Holden seems to annoy him so much.

I really did see Will on the night of my party. But did he actually say that he loved me? Or did my drunken mind imagine that? I want to ask him, I really do. But I just don't want to give him the satisfaction. I want to make him jealous. I want him to feel as shit as I did when he randomly dumped me. Fuck him.

"I have to say, Kathryn," Colt says, sprawled on the couch and not moving his eyes from the television. "It's a bit odd that you're dating a cop."

"I agree," Wyatt says, sitting next me.

"This is coming from the guy that somehow ended up dating Lindsey," I glare at Wyatt. "And you, Colt, I know you're dating the lunch lady at school."

"Wait, the lunch lady with the big red hair?" Wyatt bursts into laughter. "Isn't she like sixty?"

"I am not!" Colt states, looking away from the TV for once. "I just flirt with her to get extra pie. So what?"

"You're so weird," I say.

"No but seriously, how old is Holden?" Colt asks.

"He's 20."

"And he's a cop? Doesn't he wanna go to college?" Wyatt asks.

"Oh my god, Wyatt. I don't know. And I don't care. It's super casual."

"So you're just using him to make Walker jealous then?" Colt raises an eyebrow.

"So what if I am?" I roll my eyes. "Enough about my love life anyway. Wyatt, why haven't you dumped Lindsey yet?"

"Um," Wyatt awkwardly thinks for a minute, having a bite of a muffin. "I tried but..."

"But he loves the baked goods that she keeps making him too much." Colt states.

"Oh my god, Wyatt, are you for real? Why are both my brothers such weirdos? Go to a bakery!" I laugh, rolling my eyes.

"But she said she's going to bake red velvet cupcakes!" Wyatt says.

"Dump her." I narrow my eyes at him and then look at Colt. "And you, stop flirting with the lunch lady. It's weird. People think you're a GILF hunter."

"What the hell is a GILF?" He questions.

"Grandmother I'd like to f-"

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" Ashleigh enters the room interrupting Wyatt. She notices our confused faces and shrugs, "The door was unlocked."

"Colt and the lunch lady," Wyatt says.

"Ew," she wrinkles her nose.

"I am not a GILF hunter. For the record, I'm seeing someone. Someone who isn't the lunch lady." Colt says.

"What? Who?!" I ask excitedly.

"Don't tell me you're dating Lindsey now," Ashleigh rolls her eyes, picking up a muffin from the basket on the coffee table.

"He can't because Wyatt still is," I point at the muffin in her hand and she shudders, dropping in on the ground.

"His name is Luis," Colt states.

"Luis from algebra? Cute!" I say.

"Oh my gosh, you guys must be the cutest couple ever. I love Luis! We should all hang out sometime, I wanna see the cuteness!" Ashleigh gushes.

"Let's not make a big deal out of this. It's very new." Colt shakes his head. "Back to you and Chase 2.0 though."

"Chase 2.0? As if!" I cringe. "Holden is NOTHING like Chase."

"They're written in the same font," says Colt casually.

"They are NOT!" 

"I have to agree," Ashleigh chimes in.

"I hate you guys." I cringe once again when I realise that they might be right. 

"What's the deal with you two anyway?" Ash asks.

"Nothing! Like I said, it's very casual."

"So you're still just using him to make Will jealous then?" She continues.

"As your older and wiser brother, I do not approve of this," Wyatt rolls his eyes.

"I mean, it seems to be working," I confess. "But I'm not gonna lie. Chase has a very bland personality. We literally have nothing in common."

"Dude, you just called him Chase." Ashleigh bursts into laughter and I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

"Do you know what you're doing, Kat? You might end up hurting people, including yourself," Wyatt says.

"No one's getting hurt. Chill," I assure him. "It's not like I'm using Holden. I mean, I am. But he knows that. And he's doing the same with me. It's a win-win. Besides, he is soooo hot."

"Okay, I do not need to hear about this! I trust your judgement!" Wyatt walks out of the room.

I notice that Ashleigh seems down as Wyatt leaves. I can see how much it's hurting her that Wyatt is still dating Lindsey. We sit on the couch and chat and I suddenly decide, "We need to have an intervention."

Ashleigh raises an eyebrow.

"For Wyatt, I mean," I clarify. "He needs to dump Lindsey."

"I agree," says Colt, surprising me. "These muffins aren't even that good. They're way too sweet. It's sickening. He needs to date someone that makes better muffins."

"I make delicious muffins," Ashleigh says and I stare at her. "What? Fine. I don't bake them myself but I know a great spot to get them, okay? Same thing."

"An intervention it is, then."

.....

To everyone who is still reading this, thank you so much!!! Your comments and votes are so motivating and are the main reason I'm publishing this chapter today. I started writing it over a year ago and only just finished it.😭 I'm so sorry about the slow updates and the short chapter but I've already started on the next 2 and I promise that they'll be good. I've been so busy with life in general and trying to get my shit together after finishing uni. I feel like I'm definitely rediscovering my passion for writing in 2023! 

I love this book so much and I really want to fix it up and give it a proper ending. I planned all this years ago when I was only 16 and I absolutely will follow through on it. I have soo many more ideas and I can't wait to show them to you!

I want to make some changes to this book and a big one will be changing Will's last name. I have a friend with the exact name and I just can't look at it the same way anymore!!! It's just too weird! Any suggestions are welcome haha.

Thank you so much for sticking around! 

XOXO,

Kat