Page 100 of To Love or to Lose
“No, you go ahead.” I don’t find his response abnormal until he adds, “I trust you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Trust is a dangerous thing when you have something to lose.
I’m not even speaking about beer pong specifically, but life in general.
Jameson telling me he trusts me may have been an alcohol induced slip-up. Whether he meant it or not, there is no doubt I felt it bearing down on my bones as I attempted my first shot.
Clearly, the pressure is too much because I miss by a mile.
All Jameson says is, “That’s okay,” and continues to watch as Logan sinks his first shot.
“I’ll drink it.” I pick up the cup. Drinking the loss is the only option considering I was the one who missed first.
Jameson tries to pry the solo cup from my hand. “You don’t like beer.” So, he did hear my protest about playing beer pong.
I take the cup back. “You’re already drunk, and you have to be able to make shots since I can’t.”
“Don’t drink it out of the cups, Gen.” Logan interjects, handing me a new beer can. “Just take a swig from this and keep it.” That must be what everyone does because I’ve never seen people refill these solo cups.
I do as he tells me, preferring his suggestion over drinking from what I would consider acommunity cup.I still grimace at the taste of beer, though.
“It’s your turn, isn’t it?” I ask when I notice Jameson watching me.
He steps up to the table without saying a word and tosses the ping-pong ball in the air, making it splash in the cup.
Of course, he makes it look effortless. I would have rolled my eyes if he weren’t on my time.
“Damn,” Logan sighs, taking a swig of beer from his own can.
The game goes back and forth like this for quite a while until we finally get to the point where both teams only have one cup left.
I’m swaying on my feet, partly out of anxiety, but mostly because I’m tipsy. I lean toward Jameson, who is holding the ping-pong ball, getting ready to shoot what could be the last shot of the game.
“Please make this. I don’t know if I can drink any more beer,” I whisper to him.
He turns and smiles before focusing his attention back on the only cup left.
I watch the muscles on his arm contract as he raises it, letting go right when his arm is at the perfect arch.
The air I was breathing a second ago is lodged in my throat, but I sigh out of relief when the ping-pong ball lands smoothly in the cup, making all the spectators cheer all around us.
The scene stuns me, and when Jameson turns toward me in celebration, all that comes out is, “That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.”
Immediately, my eyes widen as I register what I had said.Oh, my God.
I have never been one to word-vomit. That is more Winnie’s style. I choose to stay calm and calculated. The fact that I said something of that volume without even thinking makes me worry if I’m losing my tact. Either that, or I’m just too tipsy to keep my thoughts to myself.
In a situation like this, Winnie would probably whisper something along the lines of,‘I’m willing the floor to swallow me whole right now.’
I’ve used the expression before, countless times, but I never fully understood what she meant until now.If the ground were destined to cave in, now would be the perfect time.
Jameson is grinning at my misstep. “Was it now?”
I attempt to regain my composure. “No. I’m not sure why I said that.”
“Your subconscious reveals some pretty lengthy confessions when under the influence,” he informs me, “What’s the saying?Drunk words are sober thoughts.”
