Page 45 of Dirty Roulette
“No, wait.”
She gets up and walks to the trashcan on the other side of the food truck. I follow behind her, and she turns around to face me. “It’s just because it’sme... I dunno how to say it. I’m not good with this sort of thing. I’d never really expressed my emotions to Brittni. The whole ‘I love you’ thing came out of the blue one day from her mouth and I just said it back, but you...I care about you... I always have. I just never really noticed it before,” I confess.
“Okay...” she says, with an odd look on her face.
“I know you feel it too, you just admitted it so you can’t tell me you don’t.”
“But what if we finish Roulette and it ends? Things always end.” Her brows furrow as a pained expression finds its way across her face. She hugs herself as if it’s cold, but it’s still warm outside.
“It doesn’t have to end. Go out with me? Let’s try...” I ask.
Chapter seventeen
Payton
Crab:What are you wearing?
Payton:Seriously? Lol
Crab:Oh shit! I want to take you somewhere. I didn’t mean it like that.
Payton:So you don’t want to see me naked?
Crab:Oh no I do, and I have.
Payton:Charlie is about to leave. Trouvez-moi in 20?
Crab:XoxoAlways.
For a second, I’m melting into my pillow, the smile on my face hurting my cheekbones as I stare at the messages on my phone. I have feelings for him. Iseriouslyhave feelings, but I keep telling myself I don’t when I do. I bite my bottom lip, scrolling with a thumb up on hundreds of messages we had sent throughout the entire week. They have my legs feeling completely on fire.
Charlie goes through her usual routine, and by six in the evening she throws her purse strap over her shoulder and looks expectantly at me sitting on the bed with my computer and textbooks spread across the bed.
“Who are you texting that’s making you smile like that?” Charlie’s voice startles me and I click my phone screen off while I straighten myself up on the bed.
“No one...” I turn the phone upside down on the bed just in case Ryder messages me again.
“You’re totally giggling and biting your thumb like you wanna fuck someone. Who is he?” Charlie raises a brow as her nails tap along her purse strap.
“It’s no one. Just a friend sending me stupid memes.” I lie, feeling my nose grow ten inches with that remark.
“Right.” Charlie scoffs and proceeds to lick her bottom lip. “Do you wanna put something decent on and come over and meet Noah’s band? I’ve been begging you all week, and you’re the music junkie, not me.”
“I’m going to knock out this paper. I really don’t want any responsibilities this weekend,” I say, knowing I haven’t even touched the psychology paper or even a fraction of my homework. With a slight eye roll and a sigh, she leaves.
“Okay, I guess. See you later.” I nod goodbye as she heads toward the door. The second she dips, I’m going to meet up with her brother – like I have been all week long.
“Alright, I’ll be back around elevenish.” Charlie hovers like I’m going to change my mind. When I don’t, she blows me kisses before heading out the door. I wait several long moments, making sure there isn’t a sudden return because she forgot to grab her wallet or the lipstick she’s been obsessed about. When I know the coast is clear, I clamber to the closet to find the hottest outfit I could. I throw on a pink ditsy crop top and a tight denim mini skirt that definitely belongs to Charlie.
My phone buzzes on the bed and I make a quick dash for it.
Crab:I’m here.
Payton:Be right there.
I grab my purse and throw it over my shoulder before climbing down the three flights of stairs. At the bottom, Ryder is waiting for me. His mouth parts open once I hop off the last step, grasping the tips of his fingers for balance. He’s in a cuffed-sleeve black shirt that hugs his chest, with the best jeans I’ve ever seen on him.
“Hey,” he smiles wide and it’s infectious.
