Page 151 of The Risk

I sigh. “Real mature, Hollis. Also, you used a surprising amount of detail for the balls.”

He shrugs. “Well, you know what they say.”

I wrinkle my forehead. “No, what do they say?”

Hunter settles in the armchair. “I’m also curious to know.”

“For fuck’s sake. Seriously? I don’t actually have anything to add to that,” Hollis grumbles in aggravation. “Most people don’t question you when you say, ‘You know what they say.’”

I would love to spend one day in Hollis’s brain. Just one, though. Any more than that and I’d probably get trapped in the Upside Down. “All right. You’ve dodged this enough. Why did Rupi end it?”

“Rupi ended it?” Hunter echoes. “Does that mean we don’t haveto listen to you guys screaming at each other at all hours of the night anymore? Sweet!”

“Be nice, Davenport. He’s really bummed about this.”

Hunter cocks his head. “For real?”

“No,” Hollis says firmly. “Not for real. It doesn’t matter to me in the slightest.”

“If it doesn’t matter, then there’s no reason not to tell us why it ended,” I counter.

“It was stupid, okay? Doesn’t even bear repeating.”

“What did you do?” Hunter asks in amusement.

Hollis lets out a heavy breath. “She wanted to give each other nicknames and I wasn’t into it.”

Um. Okay.

I’m trying very hard not to laugh.

Hunter doesn’t try—he bursts out laughing. “What were the nicknames?”

“She didn’t actually have any. She wanted us to come up with a list and then—” Hollis is visibly clenching his teeth. “—discuss each one and say how it makes us feel.”

Hunter nods solemnly. “Of course. Because that is a thing.”

I silence him with my eyes. Hollis is being vulnerable with us right now, and he doesn’t deserve to be mocked.

Oh my God. Who am I?Isthis the Upside Down? Because since when do I pass up the opportunity to mock Mike Hollis?

“Did you not like any of her ideas?” I ask carefully.

He stares at me. “I didn’t even let her start brainstorming. Who makes a list of nicknames and sits around voting on them like fuckingAmerican Idol? I told her it was crazy and that she was crazy and then I suggested that maybe her nickname should be ‘crazy’ and she lost her shit and stormed out. And then she texted me later to say she can’t be with somebody who isn’t, and I quote,all in.”

“She has a point. It’s hard to be in a relationship when both people aren’t all in.” I shrug. “Also, I don’t blame her for bailing. Whowants to be called crazy all the time? It’s bound to give someone a complex.”

“She already has a complex. It’s called insanity.”

“Hollis,” I chide.

He’s suitably shame-faced.

“I bet you’ve called her crazy more times than you’ve said you liked her. Actually, I bet you’ve never even said the words, ‘I like you.’ Have you?” I challenge.

“Yes.”

“Hollis.”

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