Page 122 of The Wrong Play

Matty didn’t even look up. “A cult moves in next door and tries to recruit me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Be serious.”

“Iambeing serious.”

“Okay, give me a different one.”

“Darla’s mouth.” He shivered and then finally glanced at me. “Why?”

I shrugged, feigning casual interest. “Just curious.”

Matty squinted at me. “Why are you saying it like that? It’s definitely for a reason.” He sighed. “Am I going to have to track you again? Because I really don’t think I can do it.” His gaze took on a wide, haunted look. “I can’t go through that again.”

I snorted. I still wasn’t convinced of his whole cowboy hat story.

That shouldn’t make you haunted. That should make you…learn technology better.

“You’ll only need to track me if it’s a worst-case scenario, Matty,” I told him reassuringly. He shivered like he was imagining it right now.

The front door opened, and Mr. QB himself, Parkie-Poo von Davis, walked through the door.Alone. Which was surprising. Casey was usually attached at the hip with him outside of football hours.

“Just the man I was looking for, since Matty over here has the imagination of a geriatric squirrel.”

Parker raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face as he glanced between the two of us. Matty was muttering to himself, but that wasn’t anything new, so I ignored him as I continued in my quest.

“What’s your worst nightmare as far as sleeping arrangements go, Davis?” I drawled, clicking on another link that was titled “Kidnapping and Why It’s Effective.”

He stretched, cracking his neck as he thought about it. “I dunno. Rats? No, wait—roaches. No, wait—bed bugs.” He shuddered. “Yeah. Definitely bed bugs. Once you got ’em, you gotta burn your whole damn life down and start over. Walker once had bedbugs in a hotel during an away game, and he had to get rid of everything he had with him.” He shivered again.

Something clicked in my brain.

I straightened in my chair and typedbuy bed bugsinto the search bar. The second the results loaded, I grinned and let out a victorious whoop.

Parker cocked his head. “Why do I feel like I just helped you with something crazy?”

I winked at him. “It’s only crazy if it doesn’t work. Everyone knows that.”

Matty shook his head. “Literally no one says that. How have I become the reasonable person in this group? Do you know what that says about us?”

“Good things, Matty, my man. Only good things. You’ll definitely need that level head once you fall for that stalker of yours,” I said, clicking on a sketchy-looking pest control supplier.

Matty scoffed, but I ignored him again, because my plan was finally back on track.

I looked up at Parker. “Davis, I could kiss you. This is definitely going to work.”

Matty sat up, alarm creeping into his face. “Oh no.”

I turned the screen toward him. “Oh yes, you mean. You can buy dead bed bugs in bulk.Bulk, Matty. This is my destiny.”

Matty recoiled like I’d just suggested we start eating raw sewer rats. “What thefuckis wrong with you?”

“Where do I even start?” I clickedAdd to Cart. “We sprinkle some of these in her bed, tip off the RA, and boom—housing crisis. She’ll have to leave.”

“Okay, first of all, this is deranged. Second, do youhearyourself? You are willingly orderingdead bugsoff the internet.”

“Sounds like true love, if you ask me,” Parker said, sounding completely serious. A man above men right there, obviously.

“Your cock hasn’t experienced true love, Matthew. It’s still tainted by Darla. One day you will understand.”

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