Dean’s and my chat had been fun, borderline flirty compared to our normal recaps of codes or techniques. But I’d choked when his words had sent my heart flying. Made me picture things. Want things I knew I shouldn’t. Because the relationship road only led to pain or humiliation or both.

I’d learned that in a harsh way.

“Totally,” I finally said, swallowing hard. It wasn’t a lie. I was looking forward to spending the extra time in the coding room—with Dean or without.

Okay, with.

But mainly I was happy because it’d be uninterrupted time spent on the challenge between us. I’d need every minute of it to top him.

Color flooded my cheeks at the thought, my mind circling right back to the joke he’d made. The way I’d been ready to respond with my own innuendo, rile him at his own game.

The memories—they stopped me.

Because I didn’t want to give the wrong vibe. Didn’t want to invite unwanted advances, not that Dean was advancing…

I sighed, rubbing my palms over my face. I needed sleep. Every time I crossed that line of deprived, I became delusional. I was an over-analyzer by nature—something that helped my natural ability to read code, exploit systems, and more. But pair that with little sleep and a wave of emotions that wouldn’t stop crashing? I was downright loopy in my thought process.

“Omigod!” Hannah gasped beside me, and I snapped the eff out of it.

My eyes darted from her to the field and back, worried Jacksonville had scored on us. It was a time-out. “What?” I asked, noticing she held her cell.

“Check out what Sabrina just Snapped.” She handed me her cell, and when I saw the screen, I damn near dropped it.

Plan worked.

It actually freaking worked.

Clinging to it with weak fingers, I forced my breath to slow. It wasn’t Sabrina’s model-worthy selfie that had me fearing I’d pass out right then and there. It was her comment splayed over a screenshot of the bio page of the website I’d launched last night—at two a.m.

Whoever is behind this is a flippin’ goddess! I don’t know about y’all, but I could use the $250 gift card. Here’s the code to find the page. Everyone follow it. Now. Party at my place if I win!

“This is her messing around, right?” Hannah asked, taking the phone back, and I pressed my lips closed.