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I slowly turned around, my eyes darting up the bleachers. But I didn’t see anyone looking at me. Specifically a pair of green eyes.

I shook my head and turned back around. Scarlett was still on my phone. “Please tell me you and Axel aren’t sexting on my phone.”

“What?” She laughed and kept typing something. “No.”

“Then what are you doing? Texting him a whole book?”

She didn’t respond.

I peered over her shoulder. Scarlett was signing into that stupid dating app. On my phone. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Downloading the app. I can’t believe you didn’t do it yourself on Thanksgiving.”

“Of course I didn’t.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because my mystery man is planning on selling my body on the black market or something.” I shrugged.

“I know you don’t believe that nonsense.”

“Give me back my phone.”

“But Axel doesn’t want me to have the app on my phone. And we need to log in to see if mystery man has messaged you again. He could be messaging you right now, trying to find you in this madness.”

“I don’t think Axel would approve of you using the app on my phone either. Seriously, give it to me.” I put my hand out.

“Ah! But there’s a message...”

I grabbed the phone out of her hand and shoved it into my jacket pocket.

She opened her mouth and closed it again. “You’re not going to look at the message?”

“No. Scarlett, I’m not interested in this guy. I’m in love with Mr. Halifax.”

Her eyes softened. “I know how you feel about Mr. Halifax. I just...” Her voice trailed off. “I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine, Soph. You haven’t been fine for a while. I know you. Better than anyone. And I know how you get when you want something. You put all your time and energy into obtaining it. But this isn’t just some random goal. It’s in Mr. Halifax’s hands too. And it’s hard to have a goal that relies on someone else to achieve. Trust me, I understand. I lived in that hell for 17 years.”

“I know you understand. Which is why you pushing this stranger on me is so confusing. How would you have liked if I’d pushed a bunch of guys on you, knowing you were in love with Axel?”

“Um...the exploding kissing booth?”

“Oh. That.”

“Being Team Jacob?”

I winced.

“Kind of just wanting me to hook up with the whole football team in general.”

I laughed. “I was trying to help you unmask your kiss thief. I wouldn’t normally have done those things.”

“But it all led me back to Axel. All that chaos made my dreams come true. I get that you love Mr. Halifax. But what if this mystery guy is somehow part of your story? What if he leads you to Mr. Halifax in the end? Or maybe the ending of your love story is different than you thought, you know? I just don’t want you to keep waiting because it’s torture. Mystery man is your kissing booth.”

I laughed. “I thought he was my kiss thief?”