The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor) novel Chapter 20

After handing up the phone, Taylor scoffed. He said, “Come on, Charlie Blondie. You are not going to let Luke get away with this, are you? Let’s piss him off.”

He moved forward and declared, “Let’s bring down the cult.”

“By pretending to be a couple? How will that even work?” Charlie asked.

“Think about it. Luke’s ex-girlfriend moves on with his basketball rival,” Taylor described. “It will make Luke crazy!”

“But all I wanted was a quiet exit. I don’t have to prove anything to them,” Charlie said.

“Why would you want a quiet exit?” With his arms raised, he suggested, “Together, we can make them miserable, and you get to feel good about it.”

Charlie shook her head. She said, “I don’t know, Taylor. I mean, what’s in it for you?”

“What’s in it for me?” Taylor leaned back. There was a moment of hesitation before he provided an answer. “I get to take down the competition.”

“Oh, come on, Taylor.” Charlie stood up and slammed her hands on the table. She leaned closer and said, “We both know he isn’t competition. I had encouraged Luke in the past because I loved him, but I know very well that he could never match your skills in basketball. So, how exactly do you benefit from this?”

Yet again, Charlie saw him hesitate, which definitely raised suspicion. She suddenly had a lightbulb moment and asked, “Do you… have a crush on me?”

“Me? I’m not the one who was drooling over my body!” Taylor shot back, smirking.

Charlie ended up flushing. She stammered but soon said, “Don’t change the subject!”

Taylor laughed. He looked sideways and said, “Look, Charlie, this is purely business. Luke’s father is wealthy, and who knows, he could sway scouts in his favor without actually looking at talent.”

“This is just one of my ways to take out the competition. Nothing more,” Taylor proclaimed.

Charlie narrowed her eyes. She continued to study Taylor for some time until she muttered, “I’m worried I’m going to regret this.”

“With me on your side, you won’t regret it,” Taylor assured her.

A mischievous glint in Taylor’s eyes made Charlie uneasy. Still, after a moment of hesitation, she sighed and said, “Fine. Let’s go with your plan.”

Taylor gave off a satisfied grin. He said, “This is going to be fun, and you know it, but to make this work, we must align our stories.”