Page 59 of Pick Me

“For planting something in my brain that I can’t shake off.”

“What can’t you shake off?”

“I think we both know the answer to that, but if I say it, you’ll say I’m lying again.”

Her lips pursed and her eyes bugged out. She looked like she was twenty seconds away from exploding.

Not one to give up, I tried again.

“Come on. Don’t you want to beat me and have this entire place to yourself? Imagine how good it would feel.”

“And if you win? Will you kick me out too? I doubt Matty and Britt would be as accommodating with me, considering I’m such a liability.”

I chuckled. “Do you really think I’d want to get rid of you?” I scratched my chin before taking her in. “Nah, I’d keep you right here, serving me.”

She gulped as she took in my words. “And what wouldservingyou entail?”

“Beat me, and you’ll never have to find out.”

Chapter Fifteen

Thea

Staring at my obnoxious roommate, a strong sense of competition brewed inside me. If I said no, he’d have that smug look of satisfaction all over his face for the rest of the evening, and I didn’t want that. I should just play. It was only a game, and I was more than capable of cheating if I needed to.

“Fine. Let’s play so I can beat your ass and get some peace and quiet.”

He sat up straighter. “Okay. How about Never Have I Ever?”

“Never Have I Ever? What are we? Twelve? I thought you wanted to play beer pong or something.”

“We don’t have enough cups for that.”

“And there’s no winner.” Did he think I was stupid? He never planned to leave this apartment. He only goaded me with the option so I’d accept.

Jackson shrugged. “I just thought it might be a nice way for us to learn a little more about each other.”

“We live together. What more could you possibly want to know?”

He threw me an easy smile. “Living together doesn’t mean Iknowyou, know you. If you know what I mean?”

I raise a brow. “And you want to?”

“Well, think about it. If your brother is drafted in a couple of weeks, which, spoiler alert, is pretty much cemented even if he doesn’t want to believe it, then we’re going to live together next year.”

“We are?”

“Where else are you going to go, Pyro?”

“I’d rather bury myself in a deep hole and wait for the slow suffocation of the mud collapsing my lungs than live with you for another year.” I thought about it for a second, and damn it. He had a point. The dorms wouldn’t accept me with my history, and I was only friends with Aster and Britt. Both of whom already had their accommodations sorted.

“Well, damn.”

That was all he said for a few minutes; an accomplishment for him since he’d usually never shut up.

As if he registered what I was saying, his jaw dropped, and he glared at me. “I can’t be that bad, can I?”

I nodded, snuggling farther into the blanket, wishing I was wearing my onesie right now. “Yup.”

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