Page 70 of Crazy Pucking Love
I tried flashing her a smile, attempting to get that easy back and forth thing we were so good at back. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” I bounced the ball to her. “Ladies first.”
Megan bounced the ball hard and it hit the table and flew right for my head. I dodged and caught it, then raised an eyebrow at her. The fiery look she fired back made it clear she’d meant for it to hit me, and she would’ve been glad if it did.
Yep, she’s definitely pissed at me.
“You’re always hurling stuff at my head,” I said, giving her a wide smile. “I’ll try not to take offense.”
“Oh, I mean offense, so I’d rather you take it that way.” Her words were slurred around the edges, making it clear that while she won the last game, she’d also drunk plenty.
Drunk and pissed. Great combo.
Since there were way too many eyes on us to hash this out, I gave her back the ball. Dodged it for the second time. Maybe I should’ve just let it smack me in the face. It’s not like it’d really hurt.
I made my move, bouncing the ball in one of her cups.
She tipped it back, and then she tossed the ball, landing it in my cup and making it clear how good her aim was, even drunk.
The rest of the game played out pretty evenly. But she botched her last turn, and I had a feeling it was on purpose. “I’m out,” she said, pushing away hard enough that a couple of the empty cups fell and rolled around the table.
Another person took her place, and I stood. “I’m done, too.” I followed after Megan and grabbed her arm. “Wait up.”
“Oh,nowyou want to talk?”
“I told you I was busy this week.” Yes, I’d been trying to balance the space, but the truth was I’d also needed it to play catch-up. Whenever she was around, I couldn’t think about math or my studies; couldn’t think about anything but her lips and her laugh and the way she fucking lit up my life and made me feel like a better person.
“Yeah, I get it,” she said, yanking her arm out of my grip. “I saw the girl you werebusy withearlier.”
“I spent most of the time trying to keep her off me.”
“And I know that I don’t get to say anything about you and her, because that wouldn’t be within the terms of our dumbass arrangement, but when I tried to leave with Trevor, you freaked out and demanded I not go with him, so I don’t see why I don’t get to do the same.” The slurring grew worse and she wobbled slightly, leading me to believe she was now at the quite-drunk level, which was somehow also cute on her. And even impaired, she made a good point.
I lowered my voice and stepped closer to her, close enough my chest bumped hers. “You can do the same.” I dragged my fingertips down her arm. “I’ll let you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, you’llletme?”
“I’ll let you drag me into one of these rooms and convince me not to leave, the way I did with you.” My blood heated just thinking about that night, and while I meant it as more of a joke, the fire that blazed to life in her eyes made it clear she didn’t take it that way.
She made an offended sound as she jabbed a finger to my chest. “In. Your. Dreams.”
“During what little sleep I get, I do dream of you.”
The fight drained out of her and her eyes got that glossy sheen that meant a girl was about to cry, and I felt like shit. “I thought we were at least friends.”
Panic dug its claws into me, the humor I’d attempted to repair things evaporating as I realized how serious this conversation had turned. “We are.”
“You treated me like a booty call the other night. I stupidly thought you needed me, so I ran right over when you texted, and…” She sniffed.
I cupped her cheek. “Please don’t cry. You’re right. I suck. I freaked out that morning, at how deep I was getting, and how bad I am for you, and clearly I was right.”
She batted my hand away. “That’s a cop-out. You can’t just act like an ass and then say, oh, I knew I’d be an asshole. Just don’t be one.”
I choked back a laugh, because I knew she wouldn’t understand that it wasn’t at her expense but because of the way she put it. “Again, you’re right.”
“And you told me that you’d let me know if we got too near the line, and you didn’t, so that’s not my fault.”
“None of this is your fault.” I placed a hand on my chest. “I take all the blame.”
With a huff, crossed her arms. “So where does that leave us?”
