Scored (V-Card Diaries 1)

“I think you should stop talking,” he says. “If you’re not going to help, you need to get out of the way.” He points a finger at my face. “You’re my best friend, but she’s my sister, Ian, my only real family. And I’m the same for her. We don’t have amazing parents and aunts and uncles and other siblings like you do. We have each other. That’s it. And I made a promise to her when we were kids that I would protect her, look out for her, and never let her down. I’m not going to let anyone get in the way of me keeping that promise. Not even her and certainly not you. Just…stay away from her.”

He turns and thuds down the stairs, leaving me with the sinking feeling that this isn’t over. I have a choice to make—honor my best friend’s wishes and make a graceful exit from his sister’s life or honor my promise to help Evie and her friends.

I’m still standing in the hallway, debating whether I should knock on the door and tell Evie’s crew I’m not going to have time to be their Love Coach, after all, when my cell dings.

I pull it out to find a text from Evie—If you cancel on my friends because Derrick told you to leave me alone, you’re going straight to the top of my shit list, Ian. Cameron is really struggling after his breakup, and I haven’t seen Jess this excited in years. I know she probably doesn’t seem that excited to you, but…that’s just Jess. She’s shy and has a dry sense of humor, but she deserves love and passion in her life as much as anyone.

Thumbs tapping, I ask—And what about you? Still up for joining us?

I’m not just going to join, Evie texts back, I’m going to be your star pupil.

Brows sliding up my forehead, I grin. All right, then. I’ll be ready to start Monday night.

Monday, she confirms, but come prepared with a solid lesson plan. We may be novices when it comes to love but we’re all excellent students.

“Point taken,” I murmur, shooting the apartment once last glance, secretly hoping Evie might decide to let me back in, but the door remains closed.

But that’s all right. I’ll be back in three days ready to change lives for the better. After slamming my head into the metaphorical wall trying to get my team to pull their shit together, I finally have a group of people who are eager for me to lead them to a better place.

And I intend to do right by them…even if I currently have no idea how to run a love coaching program.

As I jog down the stairs, I search my map app for bookstores and find one just a few blocks away. It’s open until nine and looks big enough to have a self-help section. I have my own experience to draw from, of course, but a little assistance from the love professionals seems like a good idea.

An hour later, I’m the proud owner of approximately thirty pounds of relationship books and a collection of raunchy stickers I threw into my pile on impulse at checkout, figuring I can give them out as rewards to my students for making solid progress.

My students…

I’m excited about this, probably way too excited, considering my best friend will disown me if he finds out what I’m up to. I’ve already lost my girlfriend. If Derrick and I “break up,” too, I’ll have lost my last long-term relationship outside my family circle.

Well, except for Evie. Until today, I’ve always thought of her as someone I need to look out for more than a friend, but now…

She’s really coming into her own—with a few bumps along the way, but missteps are a part of life. And she’s right, people should be allowed to make mistakes and come back from them.

The thought spurs an idea and I whip out my cell again to type myself a quick note to create a lesson on bouncing back from failure and rejection.

Once I’m home, I lay out my books on my dining table and shoot Evie a picture of my haul along with the text—Preparation in progress.

She sends back an impressed-looking emoji. Good job. Maybe you’re more than a pretty face, after all.

Grinning, I type, So, you think I’m pretty?

Don’t be thirsty, she shoots over, making me laugh. And don’t text me again. I’m ninety percent asleep right now.

With another chuckle, I type, Sweet dreams, and get back to business, determined to blow my students away…and keep my mind off my breakup and the sorry state of my team’s morale while I’m at it.

Chapter 8

Evie

The next morning, I wake up with a black hole of regret in my stomach and a fiery determination in my chest.

I screwed up last night—royally—but that doesn’t mean I can’t snap back from this mistake, especially if I’m willing to apologize, take responsibility for my actions, and promise to be a better example for the players moving forward.