Page 95 of The Influencer

I shrug. “He’s sweet.”

“Jade is not sweet.”

I give Adam a flat look. “Oh really? Do tell me how well you know Jade.”

“I know what Gideon says about him.”

“Which is what?”

Adam sighs. “Bro. He’s… you know...”

“A slut?”

Adam winces. “I didn’t say that. Himbo was actually the word I was thinking.”

I snort. “He’s a sex worker. I get that. But are you only a ball player? Or is there more to you than that?”

Adam chews his lips while he nods, taking my point. “Isn’t he pretty young?”

“Twenty-three,” I say.

“That’s young, all things considered.”

“I get that, too. Look—before you get all concerned about my heart getting broken, I’m not even talking about that. I’m not trying to be anybody’s boyfriend, here. I’m nowhere near ready for that. I just want to have some fun without feeling like shit about it for a little while.”

“And you two…have fun together?”

“I think so.”

“What’s he like with you?”

“Well, that’s the thing.” I sigh, leaning back with Adam. We mirror each other like we tend to do. “I wasn’t really expecting him to offer me a place to stay.”

“You’re saying you think he’s into you?”

“I think we’re into each other,” I admit.

“How do you feel about that?” Adam asks.

“Like it’s pointless.” I rub my tired eyes and run my hand back through my hair, releasing the bun that’s barely hanging on and shaking out the strands before wrapping it up tight again. Performing the habit reminds me powerfully of Jade’s fingers sliding through my hair and how fucking good that had felt.

“Sometimes fun is the point,” Adam says.

I chuckle, ironically. “That’s rich coming from you.”

“I mean, that’s what other people sometimes say.” He grins. “And in my opinion, you haven’t had nearly enough fun in your life. No offense.”

“None taken.” He’s got a point.

“So, you’re not falling for him or anything?” my brother asks.

I shake my head. “No. It doesn’t feel like that. He’s way too wild.”

“Okay.” Adam sighs, sounding relieved. “That was kind of where I was going with asking how well you knew him.”

“I figured,” I say.

He grabs me by both sides of the head and draws our foreheads together. It’s a thing he used to do all the time when we were kids, seeing if he could read my mind after we heard some twins could do that. “Just want to make sure your head’s on straight.”

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