The Heart Wager — The Birthday Slap

Send I like you 999 times in 15 minutes, and you'd end up together. Everyone thought it was stupid. Mason was holding my hand like it was nothing.

But when I stepped outside, sending me, I like you, over and over, no one could pull him up. I looked at my phone, then at him, and finally crouched down to talk him through Let's go back inside, okay? It's cold out. We're already together. Chloe, if I send all 999 in 15 minutes, the bet's off.

Then we're really together, okay? He said if he finished all those confession texts, the bet would be off. I was just about to ask, what bet? Then I heard Brooke behind me.

What are you two doing out here? No one could stop him for over ten minutes. Brooke said one word, and he stopped. He deleted the unsent confession, locked his phone, and the light in his eyes went out too.

I'm sober now. Come on. I'll take you home. My hand came up empty. Suddenly, I didn't know if I should get close to him again. Did any of what he said still count?

He never brought up those 1970 confessions again. Two weeks later, on my birthday, Mason broke up with me and told me the whole bet was real. I slapped him. He didn't even flitch. Go ahead. Hit me if you want. After that we're even.

My hand was still stinging. He didn't even say he was sorry. Like one slap could wipe out how real those three months were for me.