Page 70 of The Villain

He has a lot of apps. I turn it to him with raised brows. I can’t even find the notes app in all this mess.

He taps the screen twice.

I take it back and start typing in the notepad.

“That is an overwhelming amount of games.”

He starts laughing as he reads.

“Let’s play our own game.”

“Oh, yeah? I thought we were already playing one?” He asks out loud with a smirk.

“Just one?” I taunt him with a smirk. We’re actually playing a multitude of them at once now. He’s been playing his own game from the start and I’m just now catching up to it. I’m enjoying losing this one. I’m still reaping the rewards.

He leans back in the seat and eyes me. His hands flex over my hips, slowly pulling me closer now that my hands aren’t braced against him.

“Tell me a lie.”

I lean back to rest my elbows on the table behind me to watch his expression.

His brows furrow at first and then he looks at me with his mask in place.

“I love being here. I don’t have to listen to you speak.”

“Shade!” Andi shrieks in shock.

“Why would you say that?” Tera is just as furious.

The only betrayal of expression is a slight tick to the corner of his lips.

“Now tell me a truth.”

He doesn’t pause this time. “I fucking love your voice and I’m pissed I can’t hear it right now.”

Hmm, same lip twitch. The results are inconclusive.

He’s good.

“Dude, what are you doing?” Max calls out from his side of the table.

“Just a sec,” Shade says in an aside to Max, focusing on me. “We’re playing a game.”

I clasp a hand loosely against his neck to feel his pulse. It’s calm, almost like he’s about to fall asleep.

“Lie.”

“I don’t like Andi.”

“You dick,” Andi scowls at him.

His pulse never changes and the lip twitch stays the same. That must be a nervous tick. He doesn’t like this game.

“Truth.”

“Andi’s a good person.”

His pulse increases a little and my lips part in surprise. Instead of being calm when he tells the truth, he gets nervous. He’s more comfortable with lying than honesty.

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