Page 12 of Dark and Dangerous

I can’t help but smile.

She leans forward, hands moving to emphasize each syllable. “He li-ter-al-ly has nothing else going on.”

“He has his…” Jeannie mumbles, and she’d been so quiet this entire time, I’d forgotten she even existed.

“Has his what?” Sammy urges.

Jeannie clears her throat, leaning forward. “He has his Twitch thing…”

“He has a twitch?” Sammy almost yells, looking over her shoulder at him.

“No!” Jeannie shakes her head. “He has a Twitch account. He live streams when he plays video games.”

“Oh, how could I forget his geekfest live stream?” Sammy says, rolling her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I heard…” she trails off, looking around the cafeteria, before leaning forward on her elbows, as if she’s about to reveal a secret. “I heard he has a mattress in the back of his van, and he just plows girls in there, one after the other.”

I ignore the way my stomach turns at the thought.

“I mean, it makes sense, you know…” Sammy continues, “…with his stamina and all.”

Shaking my head, I rear back an inch and sigh. “You’re such a little gossip,” I tease, and she smiles with her eyes, proud of herself. Speaking of gossip… I drop my gaze to the table and swallow my nerves. “Hey, have you, um…” I pause a moment and take a breath, building the confidence to ask, “Have you heard any gossip or rumors about… about me?”

“We’ve heard some,” Sammy admits. “We’re really sorry about your brother, Harlow.”

I nod, slowly, and ask, “Anything else?”

Sammy and Jeannie share a look, and that single look is all the answer I need.

“Jeannie and I talked,” Sammy says, “and since you’re our new best friend, we made a promise not to repeat a single word to a single soul.”

A knot forms in my throat while heat burns behind my nose, and I don’t know what this sudden emotion is or where it came from, but… I don’t think I want it to leave. “Thanks,” I choke out, unable to look at them.

Sammy squeezes my hand resting on the table. “We got you, babe.”

“Thanks,” I repeat, lifting my eyes and looking between them. “I really appreciate it.”

They both nod, smile, then Jeannie says something so quiet, I can’t make it out.

“What?” Sammy asks, moving her ear closer to her cousin. “Speak up!”

Jeannie clears her throat, then says, “I said I watch his live streams—Jace’s.”

“We’re back to this?” Sammy groans.

Jeannie ignores her, saying, “Sometimes he plays shirtless.”

I raise my eyebrows.

“And sometimes…” she continues in her usual mousy little voice. “Sometimes when I watch him, I fuck myself until I come all over my fingers.”

7

Jace

“Are you decent?” Harlow asks, and I stare down at her, my eyebrows pinched because what the fuck kind of way is that to greet someone? Especially since we’re out in public—the parking lot of the skating rink, to be precise—and it’s barely four in the afternoon. And anyway, she’s the one who knocked on my door—not of my bedroom or bathroom, but on the back of my van.

Why the hellwouldn’tI be decent?

I don’t even bother responding, becausewhat?And just push open the door another inch. “What’s up?”

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