Page 31 of End Game

“A rum and Coke, please. Heavy on the rum,” I tell her.

“Coming right up.” She takes off toward the bar.

Sienna leans across the table the moment the server is gone, her tone eager. “I want all the details.”

“There are no details to share that are interesting.” I hesitate. “Well, there was one thing that happened.”

“Spill it.”

I tell her the story about Portia showing up and Nico pulling me close and slipping his arm around my shoulders. How he told Portia that we were involved, and how rude she was toward me.

“Oh my God, I hate her so much,” Sienna interjects at one point. “Like she is seriously the worst.”

Her opinion about Portia doesn’t surprise me. “You know her?”

“I remember her hanging around last spring. Nico and my brother were roommates but living in an apartment back then, and it was tiny. When I would come over, it seemed like she was always there. Sitting in Nico’s lap. Trying to take all of his attention so he couldn’t hang out with his friends like—ever. Plus she’s freaking mean. I know she didn’t like me being there, and the feeling was mutual.” Sienna shakes her head. “She was awful.”

“She was so incredibly rude toward me. Like I don’t think I’ve ever had someone act that way toward me before.” Her behavior was so blatant. She did not give a single crap about my feelings whatsoever.

“What did she do when she found out you and Nico are together?” Sienna bursts out laughing before I can even explain myself. “No offense, but that is truly the craziest thing, what he did. Like, why would he say that to her?”

“Right? He wasn’t even thinking straight. He just—did it. Next thing I know, his arm is around my shoulders and he’s pulling me into him.” He is as solid as a rock. Firm and muscular, and as hot as a furnace.

“I’m sure that was a hardship.” Sienna’s mischievous smile has me rolling my eyes, but I’m also smiling along with her.

“It was terrible,” I agree, both of us laughing. “When he did that, I’m pretty sure it only made her madder. Trust when I say she wasn’t discouraged about this news.” I’m startled when the server reappearsquickly, setting our fresh drinks on the table in front of us before she takes the old ones and stacks them on her tray.

“Need anything else?” she asks brightly, even though she’s walking away from us.

“No thank you,” Sienna answers, holding up her drink toward me. I do the same. “Cheers to the dumb things men say.”

“Cheers.” We clink glasses and both take a drink. It’s strong, heavy on the rum just as I requested, and I take another drink, needing the liquor to mellow me out. I’ve been tense since the moment I walked into the house and Frank tried to get me to cook him dinner.

Speaking of Frank, I glance to my left to see him sitting at the bar with a couple of his teammates, his gaze stuck on me. The second I catch him staring, he looks away, his cheeks turning ruddy, and a sigh leaves me. Sienna notices, of course.

“What’s wrong?” She glances over her shoulder, spotting Frank. Her expression is sympathetic when she faces me once more. “If it makes you feel any better, he used to have a raging crush on me too.”

“Really?” Another sigh escapes. “He’s so nice, but—”

“He tries too hard, and he’s constantly up in your business. Right?” I nod at her assessment. “I finally had to tell him I wasn’t interested in him like that, and from the way he reacted, you’d have thought I kicked his puppy repeatedly. He was so disappointed. I think he even used that exact wording. ‘You disappoint me, Sienna.’”

“Yikes.” I can’t imagine having the balls to tell Frank to his face that I’m not interested. I don’t like confrontation, and the last thing I ever want to do is hurt someone’s feelings.

“He pushed me to it. He comes on so strong, and he wouldn’t let up. Constantly turning him down or saying I was busy wasn’t working. He didn’t take the hint.” She shakes her head, sipping from her drink. “He has a reputation. He’s done this countless times before to other women. I just wish he’d find someone who was totally into him so they can fall in love and produce little Dollars together.”

I start laughing at the image. “Little Dollars.”

“Maybe we could call them fifty cent. When they’re first born, they’d be quarters. Maybe dimes.” Sienna is laughing too. “Seriously, I like him as a friend, but that’s about it.”

“Same.”

“How do you feel about Nico?”

“He’s just a friend too.” No way can I tell her that I think he’s hot. It’s fairly obvious that he is, so there’s no point in mentioning it. “That’s all he can be.”

“And why do you say that?”

“Because we’re roommates. I can’t mess around with a guy I live with.”

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