Page 28 of Broken Love

“Arm wrestle.”

I look at Fox as he leans over the battle playing referee. “Yeah.”

“Do you?”

I turn back down to the revolver parts now littered along my mattress. “No.”

“Why not?” he asks, admiring my toned arms. “You seem like you’d be good at it, even against these guys.”

A hard slam finally hits the footlocker. Rogers launches up in victory as West growls in defeat.

“That’s two out of three,” Fox recounts. “Pay the man.”

West spins around to his cot and fishes beneath his pillow for money.

Boxcar smiles, still awaiting my answer.

“I was banned from competing,” I say.

“What? Why?” he asks.

“Because she cheats!”

I raise an eyebrow at Rogers. “I don’t cheat. You just suck.”

He leans closer, rolling his freshly-won money into his pocket. “Cheater…”

“Well, that doesn’t seem fair,” Boxcar argues.

“You want to try her?” Rogers laughs, gesturing at me. “Go ahead, Mulan. Show him your moves.”

“I’d really rather not…” I mumble.

Boxcar stands up. “I’m in.”

I roll my eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, come on,” he says. “I challenge you to an arm wrestle, Caleb Fawn.”

“No.”

“Caleb…” Fox says. “You know the rules. You can’t back down from a challenge.”

“Yes, I can.” I stay seated. “Watch me.”

Boxcar nudges my arm. “I promise I’ll go easy on you.”

The guys wince and with good reason. Boxcar hardly even reacts, ignoring the obvious warning signs of rage prickling at me.

“Fine,” I say, my eyes turning red. “What’s your wager?”

“Well,” he says, smirking wide, “let’s keep it simple. If I win, I get a kiss.”

Anger spikes in my cheeks. “A what?”

“A kiss.”

“Are you fourteen?”

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