Page 48 of Play Fake
He adds a little wink emoji at the end, and fuck this boy’s ego. Every time I have a remotely tender thought about him, it’s like he reads my mind and wants to make sure I know it.
Me:Just trying to make him jealous.
There’s a long pause.
Captain:I can help with that.
And that sounds very ominous.
“Are you coming Saturday?” Ally asks hopefully.
“Saturday?” I mumble back as though I’m thinking about it, when I have no idea what she’s asked.
“Afraid Saturday won’t work. She’s coming with me to meet my mom after the game. Right darlin’?” Waylon swoops in behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me back against the hard plane of his chest, dropping a kiss against my cheek like it’s something he casually does all the time.
Ally’s eyebrow raises and then lands hard in a frown at the sight of him. It frustrates me to see it. Like a little bit of hoes before bros code betrayal. I know she’s close with Ezra. They have to be because they’re in a band. I know it would be easier, for her at least, if Ezra and I could fall back into old patterns. Except she also knows he ripped my heart out in the most careless way imaginable.
My hand slides down over Waylon’s forearm as an involuntary smile crosses my lips.
“Right,” I nod my agreement.
“You’re meeting his mother?” Ally looks doubtful.
“Yeah. My mom’s fantastic. Everyone loves her. All part of my campaign to get her to fall madly in love with me.” He gives me his best adoring gaze, and I realize what he’s up to.
“I didn’t realize you were dating-dating.”
“I introduced you to him at the show.”
“I mean yeah, but I assumed…” her eyes track over my shoulder to where Hunter and Ezra are sitting.
I raise my eyebrows, waiting for her to finish her sentence. I can guess what she’s about to say, but I’m really interested to see if she’ll say it out loud.
“She’s just making me jump through all the hoops. Making me earn it.” Waylon interjects.
Ally’s eyes sway back and forth between us, narrowing almost imperceptibly.
Our drinks arrive and are slid across the bar in our direction. I go to reach for my card, but Waylon reaches out and puts a couple of bills on the counter.
“I got it.”
“Thanks.” Ally gives him a false little smile.
“I’ll catch up with you in just a minute,” I nod for her to go on back to the table without me. I can imagine Waylon has more than one taunt to make, and I’d rather he does it privately. He waits for her to walk off before spinning me around to face him, and I can only see the massive grin on his face for half a second before I feel silly for being caught out this way.
“So, I guess I should explain…” I start, averting my eyes and not really knowing how to explain in a way that isn’t embarrassing.
“You don’t owe any explanations. But just to be clear, we want lover boy over there to still be eating his heart out, right? Dig the knife in a little deeper while you decide whether or not you want to take it out?” He looks at me with a mischievous smile.
“I guess.” I hesitate. Nervous about what comes next with the way he’s looking at me. “Why?”
“Good,” he nods, and then leans over me ever so slowly, backing me up against the bar stool behind me. “Because it means we get to put on a little show for him.”
“What?” The word comes out in a raspy whisper as my mouth goes dry and my eyes travel up his body. He always looks good, if I’m honest, but tonight he looks fuckable. And even though I had him to myself for half the afternoon, I’m jealous of whoever gets to have him tonight looking like this.
One of his hands coasts up my thigh, hiking up my skirt ever so slightly, not enough to be indecent but enough I’m sure anyone who’s looking knows his hand is resting just below my cheek, his fingers biting into the skin there in a way that sends shivers up my spine. He tilts his head down, bringing his mouth close to my ear before he talks just loud enough for me to hear.
“So he can think about what a fucking moron he is for having let you go, while he watches me put my hands all over you.” He smiles and glances back in the table's direction, smirking. “Because I guarantee right now, he’s wondering how many times I’ve had you, tasted you, and fucked you so hard you forgot his name.”
