Page 49 of Puppy Love

Ready to admit you like me?

Cause you’re about to, whether you like it or not.

Cam’s eyes dart to me when she feels the vibration in her back pocket. She eyes me suspiciously as she pulls it out and rolls her eyes in a melodramatic manner. She begins typing, then looks up at me, waiting for me to read her response.

Don’t get ahead of yourself

I still have two rolls

You need 19 points to catch up Princess.

It would take a miracle.

*eye roll emoji*

Kiss that empty spot on your arm goodbye

*laughing emoji*

If you win

Not only will I get the tattoo

I pause, considering what I’m about to say, then decide that watching Cam’s reaction in real time will be totally worth it.

But I'll also fuck you so hard you have to call out of work.

I look up, locking my focus onto Cam’s face. She leans against the table, sucking on a cherry lollipop Adrian won for her from the arcade. The white stick twirls between her fingers, then suddenly stops. Her eyes scan the screen of her phone, pink rising to her cheeks as her pouty lips part, her jaw falling open. She looks up at me, blinking slowly.

I flash her a sinful smile, letting one eyebrow raise ever-so-slightly. Cam swallows.

“Not bad,” Hayden says, plopping down in the seat next to her. He stretches his arms behind his head and rests the back of his skull against his interlocked palms. “One-hundred-and-forty-two.”

Our eye contact breaks as Cam looks up at the screen and scowls at her position on the board. Hayden pats her back.

“It’s okay, Cam. It’s just a game.”

Maybe it is just a game, to him at least. And maybe it’s even just a game to her. I, however, could not be happier. My score might be shit compared to the boys’, but there is no way in hell Cam is going to score nineteen points in two turns.

She gets up, trudges over to the rack, and selects that same, pink ball. She looks at Hayden, almost as if searching for reassurance, then looks at me in defeat.

She doesn’t even step backwards. She doesn’t crouch down as she lets go. She just kind of tosses the ball, in an almost pouting type of way. The ball glides slowly across the lane, hitting three pins on the left side. The pins fall, and Cam huffs, crossing her arms.

“Do I have to finish?” she asks. “It’s just rubbing salt in the wound.”

Hayden’s eyes shoot up, looking at her with concern. He smiles.

“It’s something new,” he says. “You should finish, just so you can say you did it.”

My brows furrow, and my gaze flicks back over to Cam. She lets out a heavy sigh, and my mind flips back to that conversation we had in the storage closet. The one about trying new things.

I thought it was just about entertaining her bisexuality. But this comment makes me think there might be more to it.

She grabs another ball, this time a yellow one.

It’s small, and dull, and scuffed so badly I’m not sure it’s even going to roll.

“You got this Cam,” I say in support. I don’t know why, but I just feel like she needs it. Besides, I’ve won.

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