Page 14 of Forgotten Romance

“Oh, because I have Joey. So all my votes count as two.”

“Well, I have Mack. He’s automatically on my side.” Davey turns to me. “Aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

Art bows his head solemnly. “Only the romance can form a bond so deep your universal power doubles.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Does that mean basically all our friends are more powerful than us?”

“Hell no.” Art looks at me like I’m not making sense. “That only works when you’re the supreme ruler of the galaxy.”

“I thought it was universal leader?”

Art looks to Davey for support. “I don’t think he understands this game.”

“I understand.” And because I can’t help myself, I turn to Davey too. “It means we have to get remarried, and because that’s love times two, you’d outrank Art.”

Davey smirks. “Sounds like you’re onto something.”

“Okay, game over,” Art shouts, slapping his hands on the table. “Order your food and get out.”

“I think he expected us to worship him,” I stage-whisper at Davey.

“Definite inferiority complex.”

Art rolls his eyes and leaves us at the table.

I turn so I’m facing Davey.

“Didn’t want me for a sex slave?” I tease.

“Call me protective or some shit.”

“Just saying, you remember all those things I can do with my tongue.”

Davey’s eyes lock onto mine. “And that’s exactly why I said no.”

My heartbeat kicks up a notch as we sit there, watching each other. “Didn’t want anyone else to know that, huh?”

“I’m sure plenty of other men know by now, but I don’t need to hear about it.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that no other men know. There’s been no one since him, and the few times I’ve come close to that happening, I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. But then his MyMatch profile pops into my head, and the words die. Admitting I’ve been pathetically pining over him while he’s been out there hooking up would only make things awkward for us both.

“I know exactly what you mean,” I agree.

DMC GROUP CHAT

Art: Now is your one and only chance to claim your positions under me as universal leader.

Payne: Anytime you say “under me” I will have questions.

Mack: I’m the scribe, apparently.

Art: I don’t think that’s what I voted for you as.

Payne: What did you vote for him as?

Orson: Do you really want the answer to that question?

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