Page 28 of Fake Game

I swallow hard. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“I know how tea works,” she laughs, and the sound settles the brewing storm within me,

“Right, well, night.”

“Night, Shield.”

I click the door shut but pause outside for a beat.

I wonder why she never uses my name.

I wonder why I’ve never noticed until now.

I wonder why I even care.

SEVEN

DEER

The scent of sage, cedarwood, and a hint of something slightly sweet cocoons me. It smells comforting. Safe.

I nuzzle my face farther into the soft pillow and bring my legs close to my chest as I hover in that in-between state of sleep.

Sleep.

I finally slept. I don’t know for how long, but I can tell in my bones that it’s more than the two hours I’ve been getting for the last few weeks. The second my head hit the pillow, it was like I blacked out—a total body shut down that I had no control over.

Maybe it’s the sleep deprivation catching up to me. Maybe it’s the change of scenery. Whatever it is, I’m grateful for it. Not that I’m telling Jackson that. He doesn’t need his ego fed, not after he successfully managed to pull me from my apartment.

I knew the second I opened that door to him that I had lost the battle. He has a solid fifty pounds of muscle and an entire foot on me; fighting him was pointless.

That’s the only reason why I agreed to leave.

At least, that’s what I tell myself. It’s not like I actually didn’t feel safe in my apartment anymore. It’s not like I wanted to escape. And it’s definitely not like I was looking for someone to take my choice away and force me to listen to rationality. Nope. I have too much pride to admit that.

I throw my arms and legs wide like a starfish and stretch before throwing the dark charcoal sheets off my body and slipping off the bed. My feet slap against the cold floorboards as I make my way into Jackson’s en suite. My giant makeup bag rests on the counter, and I dig through it for my loose toothbrush.

I pause, examining the bags under my eyes and the sallow color of my skin.

Okay, maybe I’d been alittletoo hopeful that just one night of rest would act like a magic potion.

I still look like death warmed up.

However, it is nothing a little makeup can’t fix. Or a lot…

I hum to myself as I go about my routine, donning my sparkly eyeshadow, white eyeliner, and bright cotton candy blush before popping in my blue contacts.

Finally, the reflection looking back at me is human.

My gamer persona is my safe space. Deer is a blanket I wrap around myself, one of sunshine and rainbows and laughter. She is a functioning human when I can’t be.

I head back into Jackson’s bedroom and yank open my suitcase. The lid thunks against the floor loudly and I cringe, my eyes darting to the door. It didn’t sound like anyone was awake, but how would I know?

I sift through my clothes, frowning and kicking myself that I didn’t pay more attention to what Lee threw in here. It’s a weird mishmash of stuff.

After I empty half the contents onto the floor, I settle on a comfy outfit of a pink pleated tennis skirt with built-in shorts and a white athletic tank top before plucking my phone from the nearby charging station.

I’m not too shocked to see that it is almost two in the afternoon.

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