Page 144 of Fake Game

Compared to the rest of us, Sydney looks the most put together, wearing a blue silk night set. She and Parker take their places on the last two stools that curve around the side of the island, the latter still not having put on any more clothes.

“Where’d you go last night, by the way? We were playing some rounds ofZombiesand wanted backup,” Aleks asks Jackson, forking a bit of banana bread—that he has also topped with chocolate syrup—into his mouth.

“Movies.”

“Movies? To see what?”

“Devil Nun 5.”

“Didn’t we see that a few months ago?”

“Yeah, but they came out with an unrated director’s cut.”

His face drops. “And you went without me?”

“You don’t even like it.”

“That doesn’t matter. I always go with you. It’s our thing.” His cutlery clanks down as he leans forward to give Jackson a pained look. “Wow. This is such a betrayal.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m dead serious, bro.” He clutches a hand to his chest. “Why would you go alone?”

“Never said I went alone.”

“Oh?” Stevie perks up, eyes bouncing between us. “Did you guys go on a date?”

“Yeah.”

I almost choke on my coffee.

Date?

My stomach floods with the feeling of a windstorm picking up a pile of leaves and swirling them around and around. But it clashes with the fact that my brain becomes a loading screen, trying to process the idea as I sit here blinking. I see Jackson smirk out of the corner of my eye, and it just furthers my brain melting.

Stevie claps her hands together. “Ah, I love that for you guys!”

“Wait, you left the apartment? How was it?” Sydney interjects, eyes dancing between us. “There weren’t too many people, were there? Did you take precautions? Bring security? I can’t believe I didn’t know this.” Her love for me bubbles with concern, and I adore her for that.

I clear my throat, gathering all the mental marbles I just dropped. “It was fine. I was a little nervous, but the place turned out to be practically empty.”

Plus, I wasn’t able to really worry about anything with Jackson’s dick in my mouth—but no one needs to know that.

“That’s good.” Syd smiles. “Proud of you, girl.”

“Really? Whenever we go that place is packed,” Aleks mutters, still a little annoyed. “What’d you do, man? Rent the thing out?”

“Actually, yeah.”

“What?!”

We all turn to stare at him as he continues to eat his eggs like he didn’t just storm through a perfectly crafted sandcastle and reduce it all to waste.

Except for Parker, who just praises him with a “Nice one, mate.”

“Are you for real?” I lay my hand on Jackson’s wrist.

“Yeah.”

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