I Pursued Him for My Best Friend Chapter 05

I Pursued Him for My Best Friend Chapter 05

“You’re GrapeJuice?”

Landon’s voice was thick with disbelief.

Kendra caught his hesitation and pouted. *What? Not what you pictured?”

“No, I just—didn’t expect…”

He didn’t expect a lot of things.

Neither did anyone else. Phones were already recording. Whispers spread like wildfire.

It took the two of them a beat to process, then Tara let out a sharp, loud gasp.

“Wait—you mean the guy Kendra’s been talking to online every single night is Landon? And she still made you chase him for two whole months?”

Jenna added, “That’s what you just said, right?”

Their voices carried through the whole campus pool. Even the swimmers changing lanes stopped to watch.

Kendra’s face burned red. *No! That’s not—Piper, tell them!”

I’d always lived by one rule: you could choose to stay out of a fight, but you never dragged down someone who was standing up for you.

I gave a small, honest shrug. *What did they get wrong?”

Kendra’s jaw dropped. She expected me to fold like I always did.

“Piper…” Her eyes welled up. “Are you still mad at me? I just… you liked him so much, I couldn’t bear to ruin it for you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Tara wasn’t buying it. “Sorry doesn’t cut it. If you were really sorry, you’d break up and let Piper have him. What’s the point of meeting him now?”

Kendra let go of Landon like he was on fire. “Fine. I’ll give him to you if that’s what you want.”

Her voice wobbled like she was the victim. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Jenna shot me a look. I stepped back.

I didn’t want Landon. Not anymore.

I’d stopped liking him the second I found out he was Kendra’s online boyfriend.

For two months I’d chased him, and he’d never once mentioned he was seeing someone. He’d been stringing his girlfriend along while soaking up all my attention.

That alone was enough to turn me off him completely.

“Enough!”

Landon pulled Kendra behind him. He glared at me. “Piper, cut it out. Don’t pick on her.”

I frowned, completely thrown off. Bullying her?

“Landon, what’s taking so long with the medal?” Derek jogged over from the booth.

He’d been there the whole time and had no clue what was going on.

He saw the tension but kept grinning. “Hey, Piper! The team’s grabbing dinner at The Rusty Spoon—you in?”

He snatched Landon’s medal and handed it to me. “C’mon man, it’s just a silver, don’t hoard it. Give it to her already.”

It made sense, really. Over the two months I’d been chasing Landon, I’d always been generous with his friends, bringing drinks and snacks for the whole team every time.

Derek had always liked me for it.

But I shook my head. “I don’t want it.”

Derek finally clocked the mood. Kendra stepped out from behind Landon, a small, sheepish smile on her face.

“Hi, I’m his girlfriend.”