Page 46 of Break Your Fall

“What is wrong with you?” I shout back through a laugh despite myself.

“Me?” Banks slaps at the toy like it’s faulty, then gives me a defeatedly hopeful look. “You liked it, right?”

“I—” My eyes trail over his getup with another snicker. “I mean, it was funny.”

He drops the toy down to his side and shakes his head. “I’m a idiot.”

“An idiot,” I correct with a smile.

“What?”

I step closer to the bed, closer to Banks who now just looks simply defeated. “Why did you do all this?”

“He told me it would work.”

My brain connects the dots, and I conceal my smile with my hand as Banks adds, “Little shit was just messing with me.” He frowns. “So you’renotinto me?”

My head starts a slow shake as I lower my hand, try to make my amusement more sympathetic. “I’m not into you.”

Banks sighs as he looks down at the toy still in his hand, his body sagging against the bed, and I make a move to comfort him when he perks up, eyeing me with a sly, confident grin. “I think you should go out with me, anyway. I still did this for you,” he says with a gesture toward the door and himself. “And I’m a victim of a cruel joke,” he adds with a sad face.

“I think you’ll be okay,” I say back with an encouraging nod. You’d have to glue Banks to the floor to keep him down.

“I’m humiliated!”

“You’re myfriend.” I give him a pointed stare, knowing the confirmation will turn his mood around, and he stands straighter with another grin.

“And maybe more,” he says with his finger pointed at me, then gathers up his clothes.

Noise travels from the kitchen to our ears and Banks’s eyes connect with mine for a quick moment before his free hand rips off the sheet from around his waist and he sprints naked to the hall.

“No.Banks,” I hiss after him, but it’s too late, and my mother’s scream echoes through the hall.

I guess she would mind.

I trap my laugh behind tightened lips as she heads this way, appearing in my doorway with eyes wide and mouth open, cheeks flushed, red-dyed curls bouncing at her shoulders.

She takes a breath and grips the door frame. “Well, I’m not surprised, but keep this in the present, Reyna. I willnotbecome that boy’s mother-in-law.”

I make a face at her escalation as she scoffs toward the kitchen, then she makes her own face at the photos still on my door before stomping away to her bedroom.

My outside door opens and I turn around to see Banks, now dressed from the waist down, give me a wink before he sprints off again.

With my surroundings settled, I grab for my phone and call Tommy.

“How’s tonight?”

The amusement in his voice puts a smile in mine. “Very funny.”

His soft laughter fills my ear. “God, I wish I could’ve seen it.”

“Oh, no, there won’t be any play by play for you,” I tease.

“Oh, come on.”

“Nope. Payback.” He groans, both let down and playful. “Cupid, though?” He laughs again and I join him. “You’re lucky those arrows were kinda soft. And thephotos?”

“That was Camille’s touch,” he says, and my smile doesn’t waver at the mention of Camille. She wanted to be involved. Which I know was more for Banks’s humiliation, but she still worked with Tommy to put this smile on my face. “It helped that Banks sucksat paying attention.”

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