Page 110 of Something So Strong

But today is about me.

No, Andy.

No mummy and daddy issues.

No, I hate working the night shift, whining from Saxon.

“Get the fuck inside, you creeper.” Saxon throws the door open and walks back inside his room with all the malice of a kitten playing with a sock.

Kicking the door closed behind me, I lean sideways at the end of the small entryway and eye the Nintendo 64 console hooked up to the smallest TV I’ve ever seen.

“Goldeneye? Really?” I ask with a, you know, you’re about to get creamed, look.

With a roll of his eyes, Saxon slides from the edge of his bed to the floor and moves the red controller from beside the TV to the empty space between us. “Just shut up and play.”

I kick off my shoes and make myself comfortable beside Saxon as he selects the two-player option.

“Rock, paper, scissors, for who gets Natalya?” he asks, holding out his fist towards me.

“I’ll take her.” I smugly wave off his hand. “You’ll need all the help you can get.”

“Ever the smug little shit. So suddenly boastful for someone who hasn’t picked up yet.” Knowing Saxon as well as I do, I can hear every calculated nuance like his words’ hidden meanings are being blasted at me through loudspeakers.

An hour.

An hour is all it takes to break my almost fifteen year undefeated record… Four times!

“Oh, come on!” I yell, throwing the controller to the floor.

“What can I say, Jess? You should probably get laid as well if you wanna improve your game… Kai would probably let you hop on.”

Smug fucker. He’s held his composure the whole time. And even now, he’s flicking through the game options like he said nothing untoward.

Thrown for a response, I know I’m not helping my cause. But without Kai by my side to ease the blow of possible rejection, my inner saboteur is refusing to let Saxon win even though it’s exactly the bloody reason I’m here in the first place.

“C’mon, your lips are tighter than a duck’s ass,” Saxon urges, his tone more contrite as he rests his head on my shoulder. “This isn’t like you.”

Sighing, I run my fingers across my forehead before dragging them down my face.

I already know he knows and I’m stupid for ever thinking he didn’t, but I can be a real spiteful cunt when I want to be. And right now, I’m not sure if I’ve made him pay enough for running his mouth at The Donegal and dragging us into his mess.

“It’s Kai, isn’t it?”

Oh, for the love of god!

Pulling away from Saxon, I gather my knees to my chest and rest my chin on them as I stare blankly ahead.

“Jess… You twat. We don’t care. You know we’d never judge you for shit like this.”

Fuck you, Saxon. Sometimes you really piss me off when you say the exact right thing.

“I get it. You’re confused that you’re a bender now—“

“I’m not bent!”

“Ha, got ya to talk.”

“Fuck you.”

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