Chapter 17
ANTHONY
The door to my room is just closing behind me when my phone vibrates with a notification.
Digging it out of my pocket, I cross over to my closet so I can put my hockey bag away, and a smile lifts the corner of my lips when I check the screen.
Still smiling like a dumbass, I toss my bag into my closet and open my texts.
West: I need to call you something
Anthony: I’m partial to ‘oh god’ and ‘fuck yes’ if you’re looking for suggestions
Anthony: but I’ll also answer to ‘harder, please’ and ‘more’
West: fuck you that’s not what I meant
West: I need a name for you for my phone. I’ve been calling you Mr X in my head and have you saved as X in my contacts but it looks weird
Chuckling, I sit on the edge of my bed and stretch my legs out in front of me.
Anthony: yes, because calling me, the masked frat brother who can sneak into your room and gave you the best orgasm of your life, Mr X in your phone contacts is the weird part of that scenario
West: who said that was the best orgasm of my life?
Anthony: me, I said that
Anthony: you’re not countering my claim…
West: no comment
West: but back to my problem
West: I need something to call you
Anthony: you could always ask for my name
West: would you tell me if I did?
Anthony: yes
West: I don’t believe you
I chuckle again. The funny thing is that I would tell West that he’s been texting with me if he asked, but he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to know, and I’m not about to spoil it. Not while I’m still having fun.
Anthony: that’s fair. I don’t exactly give off the most trustworthy vibes
West: I’m just going to call you Sam
Sam? Who the fuck is Sam?
I don’t like the flare of jealousy that hits out of nowhere, but I do my best to ignore it.
I’ve never been jealous over anyone before, not once in my entire life, and there’s no reason to start now.
I shouldn’t care that Sam could be a past crush or one of his exes, or maybe even someone he has a thing for right now.
More jealousy curls in my stomach, mixing with something that feels a lot like possession, only darker.
Anthony: why Sam?
West: not sure. It just kind of popped into my head just now
West: it’s the name of a character on one of my favorite shows. And it’s one of those generic names that can be anyone
West: It’s also less weird than Mr X
Anthony: and it’s gender neutral so people will probably assume you’re talking to a girl if they happen to see it
West: I never even thought about that. I should have, but it never occurred to me to pick a unisex name for *that* reason
Amthony: so you’re going to call me Sam in your phone?
West: I was going to
West: but now Sam doesn’t really fit anymore
Anthony: don’t call me Sam
West: why not?
Anthony: I don’t like it
West: I should call you Sam *because* you don’t like it
West: great, now I’m back to square one because we’ve said it so many times in the last minute that it doesn’t even look like a name anymore
Anthony: I take it you’re still going to keep me in your contacts as Mr X
West: technically you’re in here as X and I just add the mr part when I think about you
West: but I’m not sure if X is less or more weird than Mr X and that’s why you need a new name so I can stop thinking about this
Anthony: it sounds like you think about me a lot
West: not you, just your name
Anthony: same thing
West: no its not
West: you’re annoying
Anthony: maybe, but you keep texting so you must like it
West: did I mention you’re also arrogant?
Anthony: guilty
West: if I ask you a question, will you tell me the truth?
Anthony: it depends on the question, but probably
West: why did you clone my old number when you first texted me?
Anthony: because I figured you’d be more likely to open my text if the number caught your attention
Anthony: and because I knew it would fuck with you
West: why did you tell me about M cheating on me?
Anthony: do you want the full truth or the sanitized version?
West: the full truth
Anthony: because I wanted you to know that she betrayed you
West: but why? Why did you care if I found out she cheated?
Anthony: because this has been months in the making and I wanted you to know the truth so you didn’t keep letting her play you
West: she just cheated a few weeks ago…
Anthony: maybe physically, but she’s been emotionally checked out for a lot longer than that
I’m probably revealing too much of my hand right now, but I’m still riding the high from our win tonight. I’m feeling reckless and wild, and I don’t want to hold back.
West: you think so?
Anthony: I know so. It’s not like she was hiding it
West: what do you mean?
Anthony: are you sure you want to go there?
West: yes. Tell me what you mean
Instead of typing out an answer, I open my gallery and add almost a dozen photos to my text, then send it.
The pictures are screenshots from McKenna and West’s stories over the past few months. All the photos are selfies or shots of them posing together, and you can see the changes in McKenna’s body language as you look at the photos in chronological order.
The first was taken a few weeks after they announced their engagement, and they’re all smiles and holding each other so close their faces are smushed together, and their clothes and hair are all askew. They look like a couple in love, but that energy shifts as you look at the others in the text.
Their smiles get progressively dimmer and less genuine, and they go from posing like they can’t keep their hands off each other to making sure they hit their angles and show off their fits.
In one of the pictures, they’re taking a selfie in a car before attending some gala.
In it, West is leaning all the way over the console to get them both in the shot while McKenna is sitting as far away from him as possible, and they both look uncomfortable as hell.
In another one, they’re sitting with a group of her friends at some restaurant, but instead of leaning into West, McKenna has her arm around one of her girlfriends with her back fully turned to West as he awkwardly leans closer to them and smiles, like he’s not sure if he’s supposed to be part of the photo.
I wait a few more seconds, then send a screen recording I took of one of the videos McKenna posted to her stories over spring break.
They’re posing together in front of a mirror in a hotel room, and it seems like they’re more focused on showing off how they look than they are on each other.
After a few moments of that, West snuggles up to McKenna’s side and gently tips her face toward his and gives her a kiss.
She kisses him back for a few seconds, then abruptly pulls away.
But just before the video ends, she shoves his hand off her waist and rolls her eyes as she walks away from him.
Individually, the photos, and even the video, don’t necessarily mean anything, especially since they’re only a small sample of the many things she posts to her stories daily. But they paint another picture when you look at them all together like this.
He doesn’t answer for another full minute, and I type out a text.
Anthony: are you there?
I’m not expecting an answer, but the little dots pop up and stay up as he presumably writes and erases several messages based on how long it is before I get his answer.
West: I don’t know how I feel about those
West: on the one hand I see what you mean and I hate that I didn’t see it myself. But on the other hand it’s a creepy that you had these to send me
West: that means you had to not only take the screenshots you also had to keep them
Anthony: I make it a policy to keep everything that could be useful one day
Anthony: you never know when a photo or a tidbit of information will come in handy
West: did you tell me about what happened at the party because you’ve been waiting for us to break up?
Anthony: no. I told you because I wanted you to know the truth. You breaking up with her wasn’t part of the plan, just a happy accident
West: I should be so pissed at you
Anthony: you should be, but you aren’t
West: no I’m not
Anthony: I know why you’re not pissed at me
West: and why is that? Oh wise one
Anthony: because you already knew things were over with her long before I texted, you just couldn’t admit it to yourself
West: get out of my head
Anthony: no
West: I should block you
Anthony: and yet you haven’t
West: and I bet you’re going to tell me why I haven’t since you know everything
Anthony: you haven’t because you can’t. and because you don’t want to
West: I should do it right now
Anthony: you should. But you won’t
West: you think I won’t?
Anthony: I think this little outburst has nothing to do with you wanting to *block* me and everything to do with you wanting *me*
West: you’re wrong
Anthony: am I?
West: so wrong
Anthony: okay. Then I guess I’m wrong
West: you’re so annoying
Anthony: and you’re entirely transparent
West: ?
West: what do you mean by that?
Anthony: you’re not mad that I told you about M or about the screenshots or even me calling you out for acting like a brat
West: then how about you tell me what I’m mad since you’re such an expert in what I’m thinking and feeling
Anthony: you’re not actually mad about anything. you’re horny and you’re trying to pick a fight with me so I’ll come to your room and teach you a lesson
West: you’re wrong
Anthony: I don’t think I am
West: it doesn’t even matter
West: it’s not like you could sneak in here again anyway so I don’t know why we’re even talking about this
Anthony: that sounds like a challenge
West: it’s not a challenge it’s just a fact
Anthony: that’s not making it sound any less like a challenge
West: it’s not a challenge
Anthony: so you’re saying you’re not trying to goad me into coming to your room and giving you exactly what you need
West: yes that’s exactly what I’m saying
Anthony: okay
Anthony: but there’s one problem
West: what’s that?
Anthony: I don’t believe you