Page 73 of Forbidden Game

“Aw, I love you, too.” Aleks throws his body on top of me just as I hang up, and I let out a groan.

“What about me?” Jackson grins above us. “Don’t you love me?”

“No, mate. Don’t you dare,” I warn him.

He gives me a shrug before falling like a domino. The crushing weight of my two asshole best friends knocks the air out of me.

“Fuckers,” I wheeze. “Get off me.” I’m pinned to the beanbag with no way out. I can barely wiggle my fingers.

“Smile,” Lee croons, pointing her phone at us.

“Adorable, aren’t they?” Deer snickers, joining her.

“Traitors,” I grumble.

The door clicks open, more softly this time, and Sydney power walks in a beat later. She’s out of breath, her cheeks flushed. Just seeing her makes my dick twitch, even more so in her disheveled state. Which is not a good thing with Aleksander literally on top of me.

“You boys,” she huffs, “are so dead.”

“Ooooh, you’re in trouble,” the girls sing.

“What? I didn’t do anything!” I struggle to shout.

“Guilty by association, bro.” Aleks grins.

“Bullshit.”

“Technically, I didn’t do anything either,” Jackson supplies, slipping off us.

“Again, guilty by association.” Aleks waves his hand nonchalantly.

Now that Jackson’s weight is gone, I have enough strength to shove Aleks off me. I make sure to put my elbows into it, and he lets out a groan as he lands on the ground.

“What did they do?” Deer asks.

“This one,” she points a finger at Aleks, “just flipped off all the reporters and went on his merry way.”

That tracked.

“I don’t like interviews,” Aleks growled.

“I hope you like tech isolation then.” Her foot taps against the ground rhythmically, and I grin, noticing that she is wearing the shoes I got her. It makes me want to buy her more stuff. I like seeing her in my things.

“Seriously, Syd?”

“Seriously. Three strikes this month. Effective once we’re back in Cali.”

Aleks groans. “Come on.”

“You dug your own grave, Aleksander.” Sydney shrugs.

Aleks walks over to Syd and throws his arms around her. “Come on, Syd. Just this once, please. Think how sad you’ll make Stevie if you put me in iso.”

My possessiveness rears even though, logically, I know there is no reason for it. I just don’t like the look of any guy too close to Syd.

“Enough.” Sydney pinches the bridge of her nose and shrugs him off; the action is basically a reflex when it comes to us. “Let’s just pack up and head out of here.”

Sydney pads to the corner of the room and begins organizing her stuff. The rest of us follow suit, gathering our assortment of backpacks and duffle bags.

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