Page 64 of End Game

Ever since he found out that his sister has a thing for Gavin, though I don’t remind her of that. There’s no point. Everyone knows what’s going on with everyone else. We’re all kind of twisted up in each other’s business.

“I guess the yoga classes aren’t working for him if you think he’s tense,” I say jokingly.

“For real. I need to come do another session with you guys. I enjoyed it, though all I did was try to get Gavin’s attention.” She rolls her eyes. “Like I’m doing now. When am I going to give this behavior up? I need to find someone new. Focus on another guy, because it feels like I’m wasting my time with this one. Maybe I’ll come to one of your yoga sessions when Gavin isn’t there.”

The problem is Gavin’s always there. He’s been spending a lot of time at our house lately, and I’m not exactly sure why. It’s definitely not because of me. After that tense night over the dinner table—something I never told Sienna about, because what she doesn’t know doesn’t hurt her—things have shifted with my friendship with the guys. Not in a bad way at all, but I do notice that they’re not really hanging out with me.

“You should definitely do yoga with us again soon,” I tell Sienna. “Or just come over and hang out with me one night. I’ve been lonely.”

All my roommates and Gav have kept up gaming every night, and it’s so boring, I usually end up locked away in my room doing my homework—always a good thing—or scrolling mindlessly on social media.

“I will.” Sienna flashes me a quick smile. “I promise.”

I step closer to the mirror, rubbing off some stray mascara from underneath my left eye. “Do I look ridiculous? Please be honest.”

I’m wearing a gold stretchy dress that clings to my body probably a little too much. It’s short and strappy, and while my boobs aren’t spilling out like Sienna’s, they’re definitely on display. The fabric is so tight, I decided not to wear panties tonight, which feels rather bold.

But as I continue staring at my reflection, the doubt trickles in. I thought the dress was flattering when I tried it on in the store, but now I’m second-guessing my every decision.

Typical.

I blame Sienna for convincing me to buy this dress in the first place. It was on sale, so that was a plus because I’m trying to save as much money as possible. But much like the workout set I bought a couple of weeks ago, when Sienna saw me in this dress at the store, she insisted I had to buy it. She is good for my ego but bad for my bank account.

“You look like a goddess,” she gushed as I stood in front of the dressing room mirror, turning this way and that, trying to catch all the angles. “Seriously. They’re all going to lose it.”

“Who exactly arethey?”

“The guys. Any guy. Whatever guy you want to attract, you will definitely attract him with this dress. It’s foolproof.”

Was she right? I’m putting it to the test tonight, so we’ll see.

“I already told you it was perfect,” she continues, and I can tell she’s losing patience with me. “You’re stunning.”

“Thank you, so are you,” I tell her, because she is.

“Why thank you.” She waves a hand in front of her as if she’s fanning herself. “Wonder if Gavin will notice.”

“I thought you were going to focus on someone else,” I tease.

Sienna’s expression falls a little, and I feel bad for what I said. “You’re right. I should focus on someone else, but it’s so ... difficult.”

“Try one more time with him. I suppose it can’t hurt.” I haul her into a hug, squeezing her close. I hate seeing her so down, especially because she’s so very rarely sad.

Noise comes from the living room, and I can tell that people are starting to arrive. Nerves eat at my stomach, and I rest my hand against it, reminding myself that whatever happens tonight, I’m going to have fun.

It’s going to be fun.

“You look scared out of your mind,” Sienna says, her wide eyes meeting mine.

A nervous laugh escapes me, and I drop my hand to my side. “It’s the first big party I’ll actually be a part of since arriving here.” We’ve gone to the bars and hung out. Sienna dragged me to a frat party once, but I stayed outside for most of it, too intimidated to talk to anyone.

Her expression turns sincere. “You’re still liking it here, right? Living with the guys? Your job? Your classes?”

“I love it,” I say truthfully. “School’s getting a little harder, but I love a challenge.”

Sienna rolls her eyes. “You would say that, Little Miss Overachiever.”

“Hey, I want to do well in school. And I like my job. The hours are perfect. And the guys are great.”

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