Free Any Other Girl by Rebecca Phillips

ass.”
    He ignored her. “Or . . . wait, I have another theory. Maybe a bit of all that gay rubbed off on her and she’s not into guys at all. Is that the problem, Hurricane? Because I can think of a few ways to change your mind.”
    I dropped my French fry and gaped at him. “Seriously?”
    â€œI don’t think that’s how it works,” Emmett said wryly.
    Okay, maybe he was decent after all. Or maybe . . . maybe he was gay. I’d never considered that possibility. Even though I’d been raised by same-sex parents, my gaydar was terrible. Case in point, I’d spent two months last year flirting with a cute guy who lived in my building, completely oblivious to the fact that he wasn’t really responding to my advances. Finally, he just came right out and told me one day that he played for the other team. It was so humiliating.
    â€œMcTurdy, the reason Kat won’t go out with you is because you’re a jackass,” Harper said, sounding more animated than she’d been all evening.
    I nodded in agreement. Even though Harper was probably furious with me for setting this up without her knowledge, she still had my back.
    â€œWell, fine by me,” Nate said, lifting himself off the chair and reaching across the tablecloth for his glass. As he plopped back down again, his unfocused gaze skimmed over the pink crop top I wore with my floral lace skirt. “I prefer skinny girls anyway. Hey Harper, you up for it? Oh wait . . . I prefer really hot girls.”
    Nate had always been insufferable, but never to the point of nastiness. I would’ve liked to blame the vodka, but sadly enough, he could be just as douchy while stone-cold sober. In his mind, since Harper and I refused to spend our summers making out with him, we had to be either stuck-up snobs or lesbians. He was just that full of himself. I didn’t care what he said about me—I’d heard worse around school—but he wasn’t allowed to antagonize Harper like that.
    â€œYou’re an asshole,” I told him.
    â€œFair enough.” He drained his glass and stood up. “This asshole has to go take a piss. Try not to miss me too much while I’m gone.”
    He staggered off to the washroom while Harper, Emmett, and I stayed put at the table and picked halfheartedly at our food. This had to be the most unsuccessful secret setup date ever attempted.
    â€œThis was a great idea, Kat,” Harper said around her milkshake straw. “So glad you thought of it.”
    â€œIs he always like that?” Emmett asked.
    She nodded. “Pretty much.”
    â€œWow.”
    â€œYeah,” Harper agreed.
    Wow indeed , I thought. At least Nate’s repulsive behavior had gotten them talking—sort of—which was more than I’d thought was going to happen between them tonight. Perhaps my epic fail of a plan hadn’t been a total waste of time after all.

chapter 8
    D uring the week that had passed since the near-accident with Emmett in the woods, I was still too traumatized to get back on the ATV. But when Saturday morning dawned so clear and so beautiful, I could no longer fight the urge to suit up and ride. This time, I thought as I started the engine, I’ll pay better attention to my surroundings and keep my eyes peeled.
    As it turned out, the extra vigilance was unnecessary. I didn’t spot anything in the woods aside from a few squirrels and a garter snake. The only time I paused was when I came across a small blue tent set up near the narrow brook that ran deep in the woods. People sometimes camped there so its presence wasn’t unusual, but I slowed down a fraction in case someone suddenly popped out of it and stepped in my path. Luckily, no one did.
    When I got back to the cottage, Harper was seated at my kitchen table, keeping Dad company while he drank his coffee and read the morning paper. He’d arrived yesterday evening, exhausted from a long week