Page 96 of Subscriber Wars

Maverick drops me off at my house, and I don’t bother with getting my keys. The door is already unlocked.

“You know,” I say, setting my bag down and striding to the kitchen, where the girl who dressed up as a guy for two months sits at my counter with two shots of moonshine in front of her. She has that fucking wig on, and I can’t help the grin that emerges.

“I’m beginning to think you’re a serial burglar. This makes, what, four times you picked my locks? I’m assuming you broke in and stole my ticket?”

She smiles and it’s all teeth. “Actually, Rowan stole the ticket. So, technically, I only broke in three times.”

I take a seat next to her, and she slides the shot in front of me. “One last drink between friends.”

I take the shot glass and we turn them up at the same time. “Another?” I say, licking the last of the liquor off my lips. She cocks her head to the side, wondering what I’m up to. “But maybe we drink to the first of many between lovers.”

Her mouth drops open, and I grab her bar stool and slide her toward me so that she’s in between my legs. “Because I love you too and I’m not going fucking anywhere.”

With absolutely no restraint, I let every bit of anxiety I’ve experienced over leaving her channel into the feeling of pressing my lips to hers, giving her everything I never thought I would feel for a woman. I steal her breath, crushing her face to mine until she pulls back, her dark eyes meeting mine. She smiles, running her hands through my hair. “I’d love that, bro.”

One year later and that time I won the prank war. You’re welcome.

“Rowan will probably bring moonshine if you want that instead of beer.”

I scrunch my nose. Moonshine fucks me up. I can drink beer and can even shoot liquor and stay sober, but moonshine… knocks me on my ass. The last time I drank it, I passed out on the back stoop of the guys’ house and Aspen had to drag me across the courtyard, without the guys knowing and asking where the fuck I had been. Drew would have not been pleased but that’s okay because Drew is not the boss of me.

“Cool,” I tell him. “But Maverick will have beer, right?”

Sebastian cuts me a look of disgust. “Yeah, but it tastes like old socks.”

“Of course,” I add, cocking a hip out and dropping my shoulder. “I was just wondering. I like to chase my moonshine with beer.”

Be cool, Vee. Remember who you are.

Sebastian looks impressed. “Whatever you want, dude.”

“So, uh, how many honeys are going to be here? I could use some of that Gorilla Grip cooch. My dick has been hella dry lately.” I shake the crotch of my baggy jeans and watch as Sebastian’s eyes widen, before pocketing his wallet.

“Uh, no girls are invited to Wednesday night poker, but we could always go out and celebrate later.”

Is that what I’m asking? To celebrate later with a bunch of girls?

“We can find chicks for you to, you know—” he waves his hand at me. “—to handle that.”

Oh my gosh. How in the hell am I going to get through this night? Uncle Pe only taught me the basics and watching Teen Wolf wasn’t very helpful, since I just found myself staring at the sharp teeth and hard bodies. Not only am I going to sit through an exclusive poker game, but now we’re going to celebrate with a bunch of girls who think I have a dick.

“Good,” I say, clearing my throat. “We might need to bounce out a little early then.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrow.

Fuck. He knows. There’s no way he doesn’t know. He’s going to out me in front of everyone at this game. What the hell was I thinking? I’m so done at this school. I am so stupid!

“Don’t bail on me, T. First, we win some money and then we’ll celebrate. Got it?”

I breathe a huge sigh of relief. I don’t know if he’s just playing a game with me or if he truly doesn’t know.

“You know I got your back, brother.”

“You’re either in, or you’re out, Tweener. Make a decision or go giggle with the girls next door.”

I glance up at Rowan, who is beyond serious about this so-called friendly game of poker. At least that’s what Sebastian called it when he convinced me that I would have a great time, making a couple extra grand at the Wednesday night poker game. But as I sit here, not knowing what in the hell I’m looking at, I’m thinking Sebastian downplayed, not only the complexity of the game, but the fact this was, in fact, not a friendly game.

“Relax. Tweener is new.”

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