Page 21 of Blood Sport

I clear my throat and nod, stepping past Jaylen who isn’t wearing a shirt and smells of soft-scented soap. I was right, he did just get out of the shower. As I walk further into the room and wave at Ethan and Preston sitting on the couch, it takes every fiber of my being to not turn around and check out the sharp ridges of Jaylen’s abdomen—achieved by years of soccer training and a vigorous workout routine—or the way his eyes roam over every inch of my body.

Instead, I walk to the kitchen to grab myself a glass of water to cool the fuck down.

“Jay, go put a shirt on,” Miles scolds from the living room as I chug a glass of room-temperature tap water. “My sister is here, jeez.”

I hear Jaylen chuckle as he walks down the hallway to his bedroom. I sag against the kitchen counter and breathe slowly through my nose. Ever since our night at the Black Rose, the tension between Jaylen and I has been palpable, almost to the point where I find it hard to breathe. As much as my body reacts to him and his presence, I know what’ll happen if I cross that line, and it’s not something I’m ready to face yet.

Putting the now empty glass on the drying rack beside the sink, I maneuver it around the dishes that are stacked there that have likely been clean for days, knowing Miles and Jaylen. I do my best to ignore the mess on the small dining table as I head to the fridge to collect a beer before walking into the living room where all four men are now sitting on the two black leather couches across from a large TV.

The apartment is small, with only enough space for two couches, a small stand for the TV, a wooden coffee table they found on the side of the road, and a bookcase to store all their random shit. The off-white walls have chips in the paint and cracks in the roof. I swear this building hasn’t been renovated since the early 2000s when shag carpet was a big trend and funky tiles in the bathroom and kitchen were in.

Jaylen has put a black shirt on to match his black sweatpants, and his hair is still damp and falling over his eyes. I can feel them on the side of my head as I walk to sit beside my brother who left a space for me at the end. He purposefully sat in the middle to keep me separated from Jaylen on his other side, no doubt.

“So, what are we watching?” I ask, looking around the room.

Preston shrugs, running a hand through his short blonde hair as his hazel eyes meet mine. “You’re the woman of the house, so we’ll let you decide.”

“Me?” I snort, looking to Miles who shrugs in return. “You want me to decide on what movie we watch? I don’t know what everyone is in the mood for.”

“Maybe a thriller?” Ethan suggests, his green eyes looking around the room before landing on me. “We trust your judgment, Evie.”

I sigh. If I had known I would be in charge of choosing the movie we watch, I would’ve come prepared. Taking in Ethan’s boyish features and sweet smile, I can’t see this man being a vampire. But then again, is one able to tell who is a vampire and who isn’t just by their appearance? It’s unlikely, but I still have my suspicions about him.

I say the first movie that comes to mind. “What about The Invitation? I saw a trailer for it recently and thought it looked good.”

Miles nods in agreement. “I’ve heard about that movie too, and even thought about watching it. What does everyone think?”

Ethan and Preston nod in agreement with my choice of movie, but Jaylen just gives me a knowing smile before he nods in agreement. What the hell is that about?

“All right, it’s settled then,” Miles says and starts scrolling through his phone, likely trying to find it on one of the streaming services he pays for. Before he can put the movie on, there is a knock at the front door. “The pizza is here!”

As he jumps to his feet to go collect the pizza, Jaylen turns to look at me. That knowing smile has returned. “I see what you did there.”

I frown, not understanding his cryptic words. “What did I do?”

He smiles but doesn’t say another word as Miles closes the front door, sets the pizza down on the small wooden coffee table, and presses play on the movie.

Throughout the movie, I can feel Jaylen’s eyes on the side of my head, making it hard for me to focus on what is happening on the screen when all I can think of is the way he is watching me intently, somehow without Miles noticing. Thank God.

There is just something about the way he makes my body feel as though it has ignited into bursts of flames that make my head spin and my core clench that is so addicting. Whenever I’m around him, I crave the sensation and wish I could get more from him—anything—but know I’m unable to. Especially with my brother around, keeping a watchful eye on me.

As the movie gets closer to the end, I realize what Jaylen meant when he said, “I see what you did there.” I unknowingly chose a fucking vampire thriller movie. If I could facepalm myself without receiving curious reactions from those around me, I would.

Before the ending credits start to roll, I excuse myself, needing to go to the bathroom—mostly because it feels as though I can’t breathe properly because of the tension between Jaylen and me. Or am I just imagining it? I just need to take a breather before I grab another drink.

When I finish up in the bathroom and throw some cold water on my face, hoping to calm my racing heart and cool my hot skin, I step out into the hallway, only to be met by a large mass and piercing blue eyes. His face is partially covered by the darkness around us, the only light coming from above the front door to our left.

I look up at Jaylen. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Oh, really?” I say, raising a brow at him.

He grins, chewing on his lip ring. That action alone has me biting back a moan.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

“You should probably take a step back if you don’t want my brother catching us being within a foot of each other,” I say, trying to not sound as breathless as I feel. “You know how he is.”

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