Page 29 of The Games We Play

Is he…crying? I awkwardly lift my arms and pat his back.

“I’m fine,” I say, and he pulls back at arm’s length, keeping his hands on my shoulders.

“They went all out with the fake blood and makeup, didn’t they?”

I glance down at myself and notice just how much of my clothing is now stained red. “Oh, um…yeah. It was crazy.”

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Ryan opens the passenger car door, and I look over my shoulder at where X disappeared.

How long until I see him again this time?How long will he make me wait until I have him between my legs?

***

“Tess!” Cookie, my manager,shouts over the sounds of the busy kitchen. “We have a group of five that just came in. Could you pick up another table? Janice said she’s tapped out.”

Gripping my serving tray a little tighter, I fight down all the vile things I want to spew about useless Janice. “I got it,” Sighing, I head out to my section on the opposite side of the restaurant. I’m good at my job. I connect easily with the customers, remember orders, and rarely make a mistake, which equals pretty large tips. Pair that with the skimpy uniforms we wear and a sports game, and I make bank.

Taking the empty serving tray back, I grab the numerous drinks that need refills before heading to my new table in a corner booth.

I cringe the moment I see who has occupied that space.

I’m going to kill Janice.

And for a second, I picture the life leaving her eyes, blood pooling around her body, and me delivering that killing blow. It would be…exhilarating.

Plastering on my fake smile that I’ve mastered over the years, I stop at the end of the table. Tori, captain of the bitch committee, glances up atme with an overly exaggerated saccharine smile. She was the last one of Seth’s flings, and now she’s surrounded by our other classmates—athletes who are more popular than me and all the male variety. Ryan would fit in with them if he didn’t socially sabotage himself with me.

Another thought hits me out of nowhere. Seth would be among them…if X hadn’t killed him. These werehisfriends. Do they miss him? Even care that he’sdisappeared?

Their gazes roam my outfit, which I’m used to by now. If I weren’t immune after two years, I would never be—shorts that are extremely too short and a slim tank top that leaves little to the imagination.

“Well, hello there,” the guy to my left with overly gelled hair says. Tori sits beside him, her hand sliding up his thigh, but he doesn’t seem to notice, or it’s all part of a game they’re playing. A guy with freckles dusting his cheeks sits in the middle of the group. I’m sure I’d know their names if I ever cared to pay attention, but I simply never did.

“What do you want to drink?”

“I’ll take Jack and Coke,” Gel-hair says with a smile.

“I’ll need your I.D.,” I say, holding out my hand and glancing at the table, waiting for the other four to give me their order. “And?”

They sound off their drinks, Gel-Hair being the only one ordering alcohol. By the time I reach the one in glasses on my right, he’s pulled his I.D. from his wallet.

Jackson Henry. I hold back my snort. That’s an unfortunate name. I recognize him now. He’s on the basketball team and gets by on his charm with the teachers.

Typical.

“Thanks.” I extend my arm, but instead of taking his card, his fingers brush my skin, caressing the back of my hand.

“You’re very welcome, Tess.”

The hairs on my arm raise, and I jerk my hand away, causing his I.D. to fall to the floor. He lets out a deep, throaty chuckle, and Tori rolls her eyes, crossing her legs and angling her body away from Jackson.

“Why don’t you bend down, real slow, and pick that up for me?” Jackson asks. I stare at him and his friends, but they all watch me expectantly.

“Dude, leave her alone. She isn’t worth it,” the one with glasses grumbles.

What the fuck does he know about me and my worth?Heat sizzles under my skin, and I know my cheeks turn red.

“No need to be embarrassed. Seth told us how needy you were. Now that he’s gone, I can make sure you’re fully satisfied. Unlike Seth, I won’t let Ryan get the best of me.”

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