Page 51 of Hate Game

“If something’s bothering you, I promise to listen and not judge.” Thinking back on our conversation in the GT-R, I admit I was one judgmental S.O.B. But Isaac has done nothing decent to change my mind that he’s a dead man walking. One of these days, he’ll rip off the wrong guy or guys and find himself six feet underground.

“It’s about our kiss,” she finally says, her words bringing me back to Rue and her “thinking.”

Jesus, which kiss sucked for her? The one on our way back from her morning walk? Or the one Red interrupted?

“I kissed you without your consent. My anger over what you said about my mother doesn’t give me the right to take what wasn’t freely given. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Ah, so it was the morning walk one she regrets.

“Has it happened before?”

She is leaning forward with the covers bunched in her hands. Her hair falls around her face, and I tuck the strands behind her ear.

The better to see her with. Rue has an elegant profile. I could stare at her all day.

“You’re the first. You make mesoangry.”

The feeling is mutual.

“If Trace makes you mad, will you swap spit with him?” The idea of my best friend touching my girl pisses me off.

“Never.” She looks up. Her jaw is clenched, and her eyes shoot daggers at me. “You’re the one who suggested Trace kiss and touch me to keep other guys away.” She hurls a pillow at me. I catch it with one hand and set it aside. “How could you think I would ever hurt you by flirting with any of your friends?” She sighs and shakes her head. “You must have a low opinion of me.”

“What about Red? You mess around with him. He’s mycousin, Rue.”

“Red might be related to you, but first and foremost, he ismy friend. Friends tease and have fun with one another. That’s what friendship is. I am not friends with your friends. Therefore, teasing them amounts to flirting. That’s not okay to me.”

“Let me get this straight using your logic. I can’t tease Leigh because she is your friend; you would consider it flirting. But I can tease and flirt with you because we’re friends.”

“We are not friends.”

“Then what are we?”

“Enemies. We hate one another, remember?”

Right.

“Once Trace breaks up with me, I should be okay from the rumors. Your bro code is strong, and everyone will trust that you”—she points at me—“and me”—then to her— “will never happen. Otherwise, you risk losing your friendship with Trace. It was a good move on your part, Malice.”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“Either way, Trace won’t be my fake boyfriend, and people will stop thinking we’re sleeping together just because I’m living with you.” She grabs the pillow she had thrown at me and hugs it. “I ruined your friendship with Red. I won’t make the same mistake with Trace.”

“I can’t leave you unprotected, Rue.”

“You won’t. Where you go, I go, and vice versa”

“I can’t be on school grounds with my suspension.” A week of doing nothing but twiddling my fat thumbs at home. “You can’t miss school and get bad grades because of me.”

“I’m not planning on it. Seven and Leigh will pick me up. I’ll take detailed notes. We can’t have you bombing your tests next week.”

“Promise?” I ask.

“Pinky swear promise.”

I wrap my thick pinky around her small one. “And the jerk with the broken nose?”

“He won’t bother me anymore.”

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