Page 18 of Playing Games

Her jab makes it impossible not to smile, but I quickly force a pout. “You’re mean, Lexi Winslow.”

She shrugs, completely unbothered. “Yeah. I’ve heard that before.”

“What does it say about me that I keep coming back for more?”

“You’re a glutton for punishment?”

“Or maybe I’m just an optimist,” I counter, raising an eyebrow.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” she replies dryly, her sharp wit as quick as ever.

I grin, and she shakes her head, sensing the dirty turn of my mind immediately. I had no doubts she would. She’s the smartest person I’ve ever met.

“I better get inside,” she announces, her tone brisk as she pivots to officially dismiss me. “I have a million data points to enter and a myriad of tests to run. If I don’t start now, I’ll be here all night.”

“Yeah,” I say, pretending to sound nonchalant. “Of course. I’ve got…stuff…to do too.”

I half expect her to ask about my plans, but my anticipations for Lexi Winslow are too jaded by my experience to be realistic. She’s not a pick-me girl—she’s adon’t-pick-megirl, to be honest.

“Well,” I say with a grin. “I may not have your number yet, but you’ve got mine. Don’t be afraid to use it.”

I laugh. I have to. It’s the only way to save myself from a hit to my self-esteem. “See you soon, Lexi.”

I make a point to turn to leave first, before she heads into the lab—before she can serve me another kick to the balls. Instead, maybe, just maybe, she’ll be left with a feeling of longing for more.

Saturday, May 24th

Lexi

Water splashes onto the dock, sprinkling my legs and the edges of my towel, yanking me out of the deep recesses of my always-busy mind. The sun blazes overhead, the thick heat wrapping around us like a blanket, ushering in summer alongside our annual Memorial Day tradition—a weekend at Uncle Brad and Aunt Paula’s lake house.

My family is big. So big, in fact, that if I ever had to bring an outsider to one of our gatherings, I’d probably create a detailed family tree—color-coded and annotated—just to give them a fighting chance at keeping everyone straight.

I wish I were kidding. But with Finn’s family merged into our already chaotic mix, our connections are more tangled than ever.

The whole family rundown?

Well, there’s my immediate family—my mom Winnie, stepdad Wes, and my technicallyhalfbrother Wes Jr. My mom has four brothers—Remy, Flynn, Ty, and Jude—and all four are married with kids. I’m the eldest cousin within the Winslow family; everyone else is closer to my brother’s age.

Remy and Maria have Izzy and Carmen.

Flynn and Daisy have the twins, Roman and Ryder.

Ty and Rachel have Emily.

Jude and Sophie have Hawk and Meadow.

Aunt Paula is married to Uncle Brad—my grandma Wendy’s brother. And Howard is my grandma’s husband.

Finally, there’s Finn’s side—myhalf familybecause they all share the same bio dad as my mom and uncles. Finn’s crew includes his mom Helen, sister Willow, and brothers Reece, Travis, and Jack.

See what I mean?Complicated.

Out on the lake, my brother and several of our cousins—Hawk, Meadow, Ryder, Roman, Izzy, Carmen and Emily—are floating on every inflatable device imaginable, from tubes to noodles. My uncles Flynn and Remy are in the water with them, while Ty and Jude execute cannonballs with reckless abandon, sending tidal waves crashing through the crowd, which, of course, cues Meadow’s and Emily’s inevitable, high-pitched shrieks.

Meanwhile, most of the adults have escaped to the house for a brief reprieve, preparing lunch in the relative quiet while we wreak havoc down here.

Finn and Scottie are on the dock with me, canoodling on a towel with Scottie’s body propped up against the front of Finn’s.

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