Page 6 of Dared

What the fuck?

Returning to the home screen, because I couldn’t play this campaign as a single player, I dropped my controller to send him a text.

ME:

Are you ok?

ERIK:

Sick. Sorry. Talk soon

ME:

Ok get some rest. I’ll be here when you’re ready

As I stared down at my phone, there was a knock at my open bedroom door, and my younger brother, Ed, poked his head around it. “What’s that face for?”

“Nothing. I dunno. Maybe something.” I threw my phone onto my bed. “I was playing with my friend, and he said he was sick and disappeared. But a couple of minutes earlier, he seemed fine. He even said he was feeling great.”

“Probably sick of playing that game for the millionth time.” He gave my TV a pointed glance. “You have the worst taste, bro. I feel sorry for you.”

“Fuck off. I’m being serious.”

Ed shrugged, crossing the room and dropping onto my bed. “People can get suddenly sick, you know. Just check up on him. It’s probably a bug.” Staring at me suspiciously, he added, “I don’t want to catch anything. I have to meet my tutor to go through my photography project tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t met up with him in person.” Would I ever? I hoped so.

“Does he have any hot girl friends? Why don’t you ever invite any of your hot girl friends over?What’s the point of having an older brother if you can’t flirt with his friends? You’re on the football team. You should have, like, at least a hundred girls in your phone, and you know I like older women.”

“You—” I pointed at him. “—are an incredibly annoying person.”

His fake pout disappeared, and he kicked me in the shin, the little bastard. “I’m a fuckinggift.You’re incredibly lucky to have such an amazing brother.”

“Not as lucky as you are to have such an amazing older sibling. To answer your question, I don’t particularly want to invite a load of uni girls over and have to watch the painful sight of my sixteen-year-old brother attempting to flirt with them. Then there’s the fact that most of them live in student housing while I’m still at home. It’s easier for me to go to other people’s houses, you know?”

“Obviously, dickhead. It’ll be the same for me when I start uni. I like living here, but sometimes I feel like I’ll be missing out on the full student experience. Mum and Dad are great, and we won’t have to pay for accommodation or the food we eat at home. I can’t complain. It’s just…”

My humour died away. “Yeah. I feel the same. Listen, why don’t you come to one of our football practices? There are normally girls watching us, and you’ll get more of a chance to speak to whoever you want because it’s a lot quieter than a match. Don’t expect anything because, realistically, they’re not gonna be interested because of the whole age thing, but yeah, you’re always welcome.”

“You mean that? You wouldn’t mind if I came to watch you?” His eyes widened, and I suddenly felt like the world’s worst brother because how the fuck had I managed to make my sibling feel like he wasn’t welcome to watch me play?

“I’d be more than happy for you to come and watch me. Just respect the women and back off if they’re not interested, okay? And if anyone gives you trouble, let me know, and I’ll kick their ass. I didn’t do jujitsu for three years for nothing, you know.”

“Yeah, you’re a real hard man.” He punched my bicep with a smirk that softened into a genuine smile. “Thanks, though. I appreciate it. And I’m not being serious about flirting with yourfriends…okay, you know I like older women, but I’m realistic. I’m not gonna be on their radar right now, but it can be practice for my grand opening when I’m eighteen and a uni student and I’m on equal footing with them.”

“Your grand opening. Fucking hell,” I muttered under my breath. “Yeah. Practice makes perfect, and you need a lot of practice,” I said more loudly, ducking away from the punch that he aimed at me following my words. “Seriously, though, you’re welcome. Anytime. You can come to any of my matches too, if you want. Bring your friends. I’ll sort you out with tickets.”

He sighed dramatically. “I guess I am lucky to have you.” My phone vibrated between us, and his gaze flicked to my screen. “Hey, you have a new message.”

I dived for my phone before Ed could get his hands on it, unlocking the screen, a weight I’d been holding instantly disappearing as I read the message.

ERIK:

Sorry for earlier. Feeling a bit better now. Talk soon

He’d added a little smiley emoji at the end of the message.He was okay.

I turned to my brother. “Are you busy? Want me to teach you how to become a master atLesath Legends?”

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