Page 29 of Twisted Shot
Jake tosses a popcorn kernel at her, and she bats it away. “Stop deflecting. You clearly like him.”
Mila swirls her wine. “It’s not like that.”
Jake leans back with a smirk. “Doesn’t mean it couldn’t be.”
Natalie shrugs. “He looks at you like you hung the moon.”
Mila says nothing. Her cheeks warm, just a little, and she hides behind her wine glass.
“Please come,” Natalie says, looking serious. “I want to check in on Jesse. And I already have costumes for us—you’re going to love them.”
Mila nearly snorts wine out her nose. “Please, god, no.”
She doesn’t even want to guess what literary monstrosity Natalie’s dreamed up this year. Her best friend has a long, committed history of deeply nerdy, aggressively sexless Halloween costumes—Hermione Granger with an actual book bag, Elizabeth Bennet complete with bonnet, and, infamously, a Book Fairy, featuring glittery newsprint wings and a tutu made from shredded pages ofAnna Karenina.
Mila, meanwhile, had spent three Halloweens in a row as a sexy cat. Tail. Ears. Winged eyeliner. Done.
Why mess with a classic?
“I’m serious. Jesse’s been working his ass off. And Theo—I think this is his first time hosting a party. You showing up would mean a lot to them.”
Mila is quiet.
She’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to see Theo again. To look in those sexy hazel eyes and say something bold justto see him squirm.
But he’s so careful. So damn timid.
He watches her as if she might vanish, but he never makes a move. Not really. Not the kind that says:I want you.
And that’s the thing. For all her flirting, for all the confidence she puts on like lipstick, Mila is old-fashioned at her core. She wants to be pursued. Chosen. Not asked politely. Not hesitated over. She wants a man who can’t stand the idea of not having her.
It’s part of the reason she fell for Richard, despite everything in her gut screaming not to. He came after her relentlessly. Made her feel wanted. Until he didn’t.
She swirls her wine, trying to shake the memory loose. Trying not to wonder if Theo will ever stop watching her like a daydream and finally reach for her.
“I don’t even have a costume,” she mutters.
Natalie leaps off the couch. “That,” she says triumphantly, “is not a problem.”
Jake sighs, finishing his drink. “Do I have to go?”
“Yes.”
“I coach the team. It’s weird.”
“Wear a mask.”
Jake considers this. “Done.”
Mila sets her wineglass down. Her head’s buzzing now—not drunk, but loose. Lighter.
Maybe it’s the wine. Maybe it’s the exhaustion. Or maybe it’s the idea of walking into a room and seeing him.
“All right,” she says. “I’ll go.”
Natalie claps her hands. “Yes! You’re gonna look hot.”
Jake groans. “God help us all.”
