Page 80 of Scrimmage

He swallows, trying to find the words. When he doesn’t say anything I start singing, like this is my goddamn anthem. I think if Koda could, he would fucking drive us into a building.

“You have a good voice,” he finally says.

“Awe, thank you.” I settle back into my seat, waiting. The moment the song starts playing again, Koda’s hand tightens on the shifter.

“It’s on repeat, Ash.” He says it like he’s hopeful I’m an idiot.

I feign incredulity. “Well, yeah, it’s my favorite song.”

“This is your favorite song?” he grits out.

“Mhm.” It’s all I can do to keep myself from having a laughing conniption fit.

The scenery changes into Riverside, but he drives straight by his place. And the song plays again.

“Where are we going?” I'm realizing that I have no clue what is actually going on.

He finally looks at me with his eyes squinted. “You said it’s your favorite song, Ashland. So we’re gonna listen to it over and over and over again.”

That was not what I fucking expected, but I don’t back down to anything. So I turn it louder. And Koda keeps driving in circles. For an hour. The song is tattooed on my brain at this point. He reaches over and turns it down looking so relaxed, like this isn’t war.

“Tired of it?” I ask.

“Nope. Just wondered if you were hungry.”

I am. I’m fucking starving. He must be, too, or else he wouldn’t have mentioned it. I believe Koda would've driven around for the rest of his life if it meant he won the unspoken challenge.

“Yeah, I guess. I haven’t eaten today,” I huff.

“What?” he asks me, alarmed.

I shrug. “I forgot."

We stop at a stop sign, and he turns to face me. “You forgot to eat?”

“It happens. I was busy. Then some psycho forced me into his car and drove around for hours to listen to the worst song ever.”

“Hm, I thought it was pretty good.”

And he’s won. Just like that he has fucking won.

“I fucking hate you.” I move to the next song, and my latest torture is ‘Barbie Girl’.

He takes it in stride. “What do you like to eat?”

“Everything.”

We pull up to some Chinese place and park. I make zero move to leave.

“You coming?”

I play on my phone. “No.”

He doesn’t press the issue. “What do you want?”

“Dumplings.”

“I’ll be back.”

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