Page 22 of It's Complicated

Things didn’t improve over the week. I tried so hard to act normal that I probably came across as fake, which didn’t help things. Jamie could read me better than anyone in the world. He always knew what I was thinking and could see right through my attempts at pretending everything was fine.

But instead of calling me on it like he usually did, he seemed to retreat further into himself. He’d even stayed late at work a few nights, something he avoided at all costs.

For the first time in three years, our conversations were stilted, and I had no idea how to act around him. No idea how to help him deal with whatever was causing him to pull back.

Had I ruined things between us?

I glanced at him, taking in his strong profile, as we sat together on the couch playingEnforcers, the hockey game we both loved.

Not wanting him to know I was creeping on him, I returned my focus to the TV, my fingers moving over the controller as my game avatar sped down the animated rink, my thoughts only half on the game.

This kind of silence wasn’t us either. We’d been playing this game for years, and trash-talking and trying to knock each other’s arms to fuck up the other’s moves was as much a part of the game as the score on the screen.

The red lamp above my goal lit up, spinning wildly as the fake crowd cheered and the goal buzzer went off.

Jamie bumped his shoulder against mine half-heartedly, like he was going through the motions. “You play like my grandma.”

“Said the guy who’s still down by one.” I elbowed him back as our avatars reset for the face-off.

“What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of the goal I just scored,” he said loudly, cupping his hand over his ear and sounding more like his usual self.

Some of the tension in my chest lessened.

“I said you’re down by one.” I pointed at the score on the screen. “And I’m about to make it two.”

“You think so?” He shot me a smile, the first genuine one I’d seen from him in days.

“I know so.” I made a big show of getting my controller ready, holding it in front of me like I was about to enter an e-sports championship game. “First I’m gonna win the face-off. Then I’m gonna smoke your ass with my fancy moves and leave you in my dust and so in awe of my skills that all you’ll be able to do is watch me score again.”

He laughed, his eyes bright with humor. “That sounds like a challenge.”

“You say challenge, I say fact.” I shot him a wicked grin as the animated referee got ready to drop the puck.

“Is that so?” He turned his attention to the TV.

“Yup.” I did the same, focusing on the game.

The ref dropped the puck and we sprang into action, clicking the buttons on our controllers and using our arms to bump each other as we fought to get the upper hand.

“Fuck yeah!” Jamie shouted victoriously, smashing his knee against mine as his avatar got control of the puck.

“Don’t get too excited.” I knocked my knee into his, returning the favor. “I’m lulling you into a false sense of security.”

“Is that right?” He laughed, using a combo that made his avatar spin around my D-man and dart away, the puck still under his control.

“Yup. Are you nice and lulled yet?”

He laughed again. “Not in the slightest.”

“What about now?” Using one of my better combos, I managed to get the puck away from his avatar and took off toward his net.

“Lucky break,” he muttered, leaning closer to the TV and squinting adorably at the screen.

“You mispronounced amazingly skilled move.” I dug my elbow into his side.

“Hey!” he yelped, jerking away from me. “Cheater.”

Jamie was horribly ticklish, something I had no trouble exploiting when it suited me.

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