The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine Chapter 80: They All Like Her

Jason POV:

Great. Just great. Now I was stuck in the middle of this ss where not only was I competing with Ella’s walls of indifference, but also with my so-called friends. Friends who, as it turned out, had the nerve to like the sa girl I did.

"You guys can’t pull this on ," I said, my voice sharp as I turned to Max and Dylan. "I told you—I already like her."

Max crossed his arms, his expression defiant. "Why do you get to have Ella, and we don’t? What makes you so special?"

"Because I already told her," I fired back, desperate to make them understand.

Max’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Dylan leaned forward, his face a mix of surprise and sothing else—maybe shock, maybe envy. "What?" Dylan asked. "You *told* her?"

"Yeah," I admitted, my voice quieter now.

"And?" Max pushed, his tone almost mocking. "Did she accept you, lover boy?"

I shook my head, frustration bubbling in my chest. "No," I muttered.

"Then I guess she’s still fair ga, Jason," Dylan said, leaning back with a relieved smirk. His words cut deeper than I expected.

"Fair ga?" I repeated, my voice rising. "I *told* her. I laid it out there. Doesn’t that count for sothing?"

Max scoffed. "If she didn’t say yes, then clearly it doesn’t. Besides, this isn’t about you, Jason. You don’t get to stake a claim on her just because you confessed. If anything, that just ans you failed your shot."

The way he said it stung, like a slap to the face. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my composure. "I didn’t fail," I shot back. "She just... she needs ti."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Ti for what? To figure out if she likes *you*? Or to realize there are better options right in front of her?"

That hit a nerve. "Better options? You an *you*?"

"Why not?" Dylan said with a shrug. "Look, man, I’m not trying to start a fight, but let’s face it—Ella isn’t exactly throwing herself at you. If she’s not interested in you, why should Max or I back off? She’s not your girlfriend. You don’t own her."

I wanted to argue, to tell him he was wrong, but I couldn’t. Because deep down, I knew he was right. Ella wasn’t mine. She wasn’t anyone’s. And she didn’t owe —or Max, or Dylan—anything.

Max smirked, clearly enjoying my silence. "See? Even you know it. So yeah, we’re all in this now. May the best man win."

"You’ve got to be kidding ," I said, running a hand through my hair.

"Nope," Max said. "And just so you know, I’m not holding back. Ella’s incredible, and I’m not about to give up on her just because you decided to grow a conscience about the bet."

Dylan nodded, his expression serious now. "Sa here. I like her, Jason. I didn’t want to say anything before because of the bet, but now that it’s off the table... I’m going for it. Fair and square."

My stomach twisted. This was exactly what I was afraid of—this stupid competition turning into sothing real. And now, instead of backing off, they were doubling down.

"Do you guys even care about how she feels?" I snapped. "She’s not so prize to be won. This isn’t about who’s ’better’ for her or who can outdo the other. It’s about what *she* wants."

Max shrugged, unbothered. "And she’ll decide that. All I’m saying is, I’m not stepping aside just because you had a head start."

Dylan nodded in agreent. "Yeah. May the best man win."

I stared at them, anger simring just beneath the surface. This wasn’t a ga to . Ella wasn’t so trophy. She was... everything. And now, the two people I’d considered my closest friends were ready to turn this into a war.

For a mont, I thought about walking away, about letting them have their stupid competition and staying out of it. But then I thought about Ella—her laugh, her fire, the way she made feel like nothing else mattered.

No. I wasn’t going to walk away.

"Fine," I said, my voice cold and steady. "If that’s how you want to play it, go ahead. But don’t think for a second that I’m going to make this easy for either of you."

Max grinned, his confidence irritating as hell. "Wouldn’t expect anything less."

Dylan gave a small nod, his expression unreadable.

As I walked away, my mind was racing. This wasn’t just about the bet anymore. This was personal. And if they thought they could just swoop in and take Ella away from , they were in for a rude awakening.

Because as far as I was concerned, this wasn’t a ga. And I wasn’t about to lose.

Amber POV:

Okay, so maybe this day wasn’t a complete disaster after all. Sure, the morning was a train wreck, and people still couldn’t stop talking about that stupid press conference. But as I was walking past one of the campus courtyards on my way to lunch, sothing stopped dead in my tracks—a heated argunt.

Jason. Max. Dylan.

My curiosity piqued. These three rarely argued in public. Jason was usually the one trying to keep the peace between the other two, but this... this sounded different. Sothing was off, and I couldn’t help myself.

I slipped behind the hedge, out of sight, and leaned in closer to catch what they were saying.

"I want to end the stupid bet," Jason’s voice ca through loud and clear, firm and unwavering.

A bet? My ears perked up. What bet?

"You can’t just call it off because you’ve suddenly grown a conscience," Max shot back, his tone dripping with irritation.

Jason let out a frustrated groan. "It’s not about that, Max. I told you—I like Ella. This isn’t a ga to anymore."

Ella. Of course, it’s always about Ella. My hands clenched at my sides. That little waitress had caused nothing but trouble since the mont she entered our lives. And now, apparently, she was at the center of so kind of bet?

Dylan chid in, his voice calm but with a hint of frustration. "Look, Jason, we all like her, okay? You don’t get to call the shots here just because you confessed to her first. If she hasn’t chosen you, then it’s fair ga for the rest of us."

My breath caught in my throat. All three of them liked her? Oh, this was just too rich.

Jason’s voice turned cold. "This isn’t about who ’gets’ her. It’s about doing the right thing. The bet is over, and you both need to back off."

Max laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "You think ending the bet erases what we did? Newsflash, Jason—it doesn’t. And don’t act like you’re innocent in all of this. You ca up with it and agreed to it just like we did."

Jason didn’t respond right away, and I could practically feel the tension crackling in the air.

"I’m done with the bet," he finally said, his voice low but resolute. "I’m not playing this ga anymore."

A smirk crept onto my face. This was golden. But as juicy as their little confession session was, I knew I couldn’t record everything. No need to incriminate myself by being too thorough. Besides, the most important part—the bet—was already mine to keep.

Sliding my phone out of my bag, I hit record just as Dylan said, "The bet was stupid anyway. I don’t even know why we agreed to it in the first place."

"Oh, please," Max shot back. "Don’t act like you weren’t all in when we made it. You wanted that yacht as much as I did."

The yacht? What kind of bet involves a yacht? I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. These idiots just handed a weapon on a silver platter.

"You’re missing the point," Jason said, exasperated. "This isn’t about the yacht or the bet anymore. It’s about Ella."

At that, I ended the recording. I didn’t need their love-struck confessions clogging up my phone. The part about the bet was more than enough.

Tucking my phone back into my bag, I stepped away quietly before they could notice . My heart raced with excitent as I headed toward the cafeteria.

This was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

I didn’t know when I was going to use it yet, but one thing was for sure—I would use it. Jason, Max, and Dylan thought they could just ignore and fawn over that little waitress? Fine. Let them have their fun for now.

But when the ti was right, I’d remind everyone exactly who Amber was. This recording was my ace, and I wasn’t going to waste it.

Ella thought she’d humiliated . Jason thought he could brush aside. Max and Dylan thought they could ignore completely.

They were all wrong.

With a smirk on my face, I slid into my usual spot at the cafeteria, barely noticing the whispers that followed . Let them talk. Let them judge.

Because when the ti ca, I’d make sure everyone knew exactly what kind of person Ella really was. And Jason? Max? Dylan? They wouldn’t stand a chance.