Betrayal at the Betting Pool

I never thought I'd be that girl. The one who checks her boyfriend's location. Who screenshots his Instagram stories to zoom in on background details. Who—let's be real—fully acts like a spy.

But here I am.

Liam's been acting weird all week. Short texts. "Busy" when I ask to hang. Cancelled our Friday movie night because he "had stuff." Stuff? Since when does Liam have stuff that doesn't include me?

So when my phone buzzes with his location at Jensen's house—the Jensen whose pool parties are legendary—I decide to investigate.

I pull up to the house, heart hammering. Music thumps. Girls in bikinis everywhere. I spot Liam immediately, laughing near the pool with some sophomore I don't recognize. She's gorgeous, obviously, and way too close to him.

Then I see it: a green spot in my front teeth. SPINACH. From the smoothie I literally just drank to calm my nerves. I look like a character from a cartoon who just ate a salad.

I'm frozen. Do I confront him? Do I run? Do I somehow magically remove the spinach first?

Before I can decide, Liam spots me. His eyes go wide, and he actually dashes over, pushing through people like he's being chased.

"Maya! What are you—" He stops. "You have something in your teeth."

"I KNOW THAT," I snap, then immediately want to die. "Why are you here?"

"I'm helping Jensen set up for—" He pauses. "Wait, why are YOU spying on me?"

"I'm NOT spying. I just happened to be—"

"Tracking my location?"

Touché.

The sophomore girl appears beside him. "Liam, your mom wants to know—oh! You must be Maya!" She beams at me. "Liam's told me SO much about you. I'm his cousin, by the way. Visiting from Canada."

Cousin.

The word hits me like a truck. I want to evaporate. Right there. Pool water could swallow me whole, and I'd be fine with it.

"You thought..." Liam's trying not to laugh. "Maya, I was literally helping my aunt plan a surprise anniversary party. That's what the 'stuff' was."

I look at my iPhone, with its carefully documented "evidence" of his betrayal. I look at the spinach that I still haven't removed from my teeth. I look at Liam, who is grinning like he won the lottery.

"I hate you," I say, but I'm laughing despite myself. "A little."

"Clearly." He kisses my forehead. "Also, you still have spinach in your teeth."

Some days, I swear, I'm my own worst enemy.