Page 69 of Mr. Broody

“You tell me.”

It’s quiet, and I feel everyone’s eyes on us, but as weird as it sounds, it’s as if they need to see this dynamic between us to trust me with Henry.

“You lose, and you have to volunteer for the winter party at St. Pat’s and be in charge of a craft station.”

He blows out a breath.

“And Mack can’t save your ass,” Conor says.

Henry lowers his arms and steps forward, placing his hand out between us. “Deal.”

We shake on it, and he goes back over to the table. Everyone is watching me. I haven’t felt this much pressure in a long time.

I throw my dart, and it lands in the bull’s-eye, but only one, which means I only need one more. I jump up and scream, then quickly turn to Bodhi. Thank goodness I didn’t wake him.

“No worries, he’s a pretty sound sleeper.” Henry replaces me at the line, and a lump forms in my throat because I know I’m losing.

As excited as I am to only have one bull’s-eye left, this is Henry, who can score them all day long.

“Tell me, Jade…” I can’t fight my smile because he used to do this all the time. He aims his dart and stares at me while he throws it at the board. “Which color jersey do you want? Home or away?”

The dart hits the bull’s-eye, and the guys and Kyleigh all groan, but I can tell by their smiles that they’re happy Henry is getting me to a game.

“You can sit by me,” Kyleigh says.

Henry doesn’t bother throwing his other dart, coming over to me and getting into my space. “You know how much I love you wearing my jersey. It’s just too bad you’ll be wearing clothes under it this time.”

Fuck me, is he serious right now? I don’t know how I ever thought I could resist him.

Thirty

Henry

What I’m about to do is a really bad idea, but I’m not a guy who can sit back and just let things be. I pull my phone from my pocket outside the Warner’s house and pull up the contact that used to have Jade’s name, but now has an acronym.

Want to go for a walk?

I click the button and see it pop up that it’s been delivered. My stomach hollows as I wait for a response. I hope everyone else is sleeping.

DDI: I’m in bed.

That’s it. All she says.

I get that, but I’m outside your house right now. Give me five minutes.

Henry…

Please. I have a game tomorrow night, and I can’t leave this.

That’s the truth of the matter. I need to figure out where we stand.

Let me grab a sweatshirt.

Thanks.

I sit on the steps of their house situated on the same street as St. Pat’s. She lived in the house next door with her grandma until Reed built this house for them. I glance over, remembering all the meals and sleepovers at her grandma’s place all those years ago. It looks as if there has been some remodeling, but not much. I’m assuming Victoria still owns it, and I have to wonder why she never sold it.

The door creaks open behind me, but I don’t turn around because I know it’s Jade.

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