They Called Me a Submarine. On Bid Day, I Stunned Them All Chapter 09

They Called Me a Submarine. On Bid Day, I Stunned Them All Chapter 09

Finn’s words landed hard.

Justin’s face went completely dark.

“Finn, you’re taking this game seriously now?”

“Allie and I were together for eleven months. This has nothing to do with you.”

“Eleven months?” Finn’s tone was flat.

“Eleven months, and you still bet her away?”

Justin had no comeback.

No one dared to speak.

But the looks in the room already said everything.

He turned to me, jaw tight.

“Allie, I admit tonight was a bit much.”

“But I never meant to actually break up with you. It was just a game between friends.”

“You’re really going to blow this up?”

I rubbed my wrist-still red where he’d grabbed me–and felt nothing.

Even now, he didn’t think he was wrong.

He just thought I wasn’t being reasonable.

If I were still that 200-pound girl in the photo, he wouldn’t be here explaining anything.

He’d probably just tell me to stop crying and ruining his mood.

“You’re the one who bet me to Finn,” I said quietly.

“I’m just honoring the bet. Why are you upset?”

Another wave of stifled laughter.

Justin’s pride cracked. His voice shot up.

“It was a joke!”

“Not to me.”

I looked him in the eye.

“Justin. We’re done.”

Then I turned to Rachel.

“By the way-didn’t the President tell you? You’ve been replaced.”

I opened the envelope and pulled out the invitation.

“I’m taking your spot.”

Rachel shook her head. “That’s impossible!”

“I have thousands of followers on Instagram. She wouldn’t drop me for you.”

“Sorry. I have more than you.”

I pulled out my phone and held up my profile for her to see.

“You’ve been following me, actually. Copying my looks, trying to be me.”

“Too bad. The gap between us is way too wide.”

I turned and walked out.

Finn followed.

Justin tried to chase after us-but Rachel grabbed his arm.

“Justin. Don’t.”

Her eyes were red. “Everyone’s watching. Isn’t this humiliating enough?”

He shoved her off.

“Stay out of it.”

She stumbled. Her face went pale.

Just like that, the room went quiet.

Moments ago, everyone assumed they were a thing.

She’d been all over him all night.

But his words made it clear-she meant nothing.

I kept walking. Behind me, the chatter started up again.

“Justin’s actually regretting it?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“So what was Rachel then?”

“Who knows? She was all over him a second ago.”

I kept moving until their voices faded.

The calm on my face finally started to crack.

This past year, I didn’t just lose a hundred pounds.

I lost countless meals. Countless nights when I could barely stand.

I’d imagined meeting Justin so many times-never like this.

“Give me your hand.”

Finn’s voice cut through.

I blinked. “What?”

He looked at my wrist.

The red mark from Justin’s grip was already darkening.

He frowned. “There’s a pharmacy nearby.”

“Don’t bother. It’ll fade.”

I hid my hand behind my back.

He didn’t push.

As we walked, a group of girls passed by.

They’d just opened their own envelopes, laughing together.

When they saw Finn, their eyes lit up-until they saw me. Then they went quiet.

“They look perfect together,” someone murmured.

I pretended not to hear. Finn didn’t react either.

But when we reached the door, I noticed his ears were red again.

The night air cleared my head.

“Thanks for everything earlier.”

“It’s nothing.”

He paused. Then: “Do you really not remember me?”

I looked up. “Have we met before?”

“Third grade. We were classmates.”

He told me he used to be quiet, easy to pick on.

Older boys would corner him in the stairwell.

One time, I ran in, chased them off, and pressed a Band-Aid into his hand.

I moved away soon after-and forgot all of it.

He never did.

“So you only took part in the game because you recognized me?”

“Yeah.” His ears got redder.

“I just wanted a chance to see you. I didn’t think they’d go this far.”

The wind blew past.

For a moment, I couldn’t speak.

A cab pulled up to the curb.

I was about to get in-when Justin’s voice cut through the night.

“Allie!”

He was still holding his car keys.

“I’ll drive you home.”

Lignored him and opened the cab door.

He stepped in front of it.

“Let’s talk.”

“I didn’t know about your weight loss.”

“If I’d known you’d look like this-none of this would’ve happened.”

I paused. Just for a second.

Not because his words moved me.

But because they confirmed everything.

He wasn’t sorry for the way he’d treated me.

He was just sorry he hadn’t seen my face first.

Before I could respond, Finn stepped in beside me.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Justin sneered. “And you know that?”

“Yeah.”

Finn reached past me and held the door open.

“Because starting tonight-she’s my girlfriend.”