Page 22 of Five Mountain Daddies

“You know why.” That smirkagain.

“The twins. Ryan.James.”

He nods. “But I don’t think you fully understand what’s happening, doyou?”

I shake my head. “Honestly, not atall.”

“You’re a game,London.”

I sit up straight, surprised. “What?”

“You’re a game,” he repeats with a sigh. “We’ve done this before, although I think you’re the first time we’ve all been interested at once. We’re trying to taste you, London, to win you over. We’re competing overyou.”

I stare at him, totally at a loss. I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect this. I don’t know what I thought he was here to say, but notthat.

He lets out a breath. “I’ve done some fucked up things in my life. And I probably shouldn’t have just told you that. But the truth is, I’m tired of the games. I just want you to know the whole truth before you make up yourmind.”

“Make up my mind?” I can’t help butask.

He grins again. “When you decide which of us you want tofuck.”

I blink as he stands up. “Wait, hold on. Why would I fuck any of younow?”

He laughs as he starts to walk away. “Because you can’t help yourself. If you could, I think you would have bynow.”

“Hey, wait a second, you asshole,” I say, standingup.

He just laughs and waves at me as he walks away. I stare at him, too surprised to run afterhim.

What the hell is going on? I’ve been asking myself that question ever since James stumbled into my life and started me along this path. I wondered it when Ryan kissed me and I wondered it when the twins both got me off. Now I can’t help but wonder it as Henry walks away, the taste of him still lingering on mylips.

So this is all some sort of sick game to them. I don’t even know how that works. They’re all just going to hit on me until I break down and sleep with one of them? And then what, they’ll just leave me like a piece oftrash?

I take a deep breath and sit back down on the wall. My mind’s racing through the possibilities, but I just keep coming back to one simplefact.

I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I’m not trying to get in a relationship with both handsome twin guys, or with Ryan, or James, or Henry. I’m leaving Leadwood and going to New York at the end of this summer, so none of this really matters. It’s all temporaryanyway.

It doesn’t matter if it’s just some kind of game to them. I can have fun with their little game, and that’ll be more than enough. When it’s all done, I’ll go on with my life and at least have this fun summer to rememberfondly.

I smile to myself, standing up, and I nod. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll just enjoy it and behappy.

And as I head back toward my house, I can hear a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that it’s not so simple, it’s neversimple.

8

Henry

Iknow I shouldn’t have told her, but there it is.” I watch their faces for reactions, steeling myself foranger.

I’m surprised when James just shrugs. “No big deal,” hesays.

“Yeah,” Ryan adds, spinning a pen between his fingers. “I doubt that’ll slow medown.”

“Seriously?” I say. “You two don’tcare?

“Nope,” Ryansays.

“Huh.” I laugh a little bit. “I guess that makes me feelbetter.”

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