Page 82 of Game Over

I’d left my phone on the counter. Charlie didn’t know I wasn’t home, so I was safe. In the middle of the second movie, Tara snuggled closer into my side.

“Pizza for lunch?”

“Do you even have to ask?” I replied, raising an eyebrow.

Pizza was not just a food group, it wasthefood group.

It had it all, meats, dairy, grains, and veg. The perfectly balanced plate.

Or something, I don’t know, I’m not a nutritionist.

“Perfect,” she said with a mischievous grin, passing me the phone with the app already open. “Charge it up, extra cheese, extra every topping really, wings, oooooh! How about dessert? It’s Charlie’s card.”

“Uh, yeah? Why do you have Charlie’s card?”

She blushed, delicate strawberry pink dusting along her cheekbones and nose. “It’s kind of a…thingbetween us. He likes it when I spend his money. And I obviously love doing it, it’s sort of like back pay for all the courting gifts he missed. But it’s especially fulfilling when I get to treat you.” Tara stretched, adjusting to catch my lips in a chaste kiss.

I smile, a genuine one. Whatever my feelings were about the situation, I was glad the two most important people in my life were happy.

I did as she asked though, getting my pizza loaded with extras and ordering a side of wings and one of those cookie pizza things. The total made my eyes boggle, but Tara had no issue completing the order and adding a hundred-dollar tip on top.

I knew at this point Charlie had more money than he knew what to do with. In honesty he treated me a lot of the time—but I never saw our bills. He always slid them over and paid, even when I insisted. There were even times I had just sent him the amount I assumed he paid, but every time he would just send me the amount back doubled, telling me not to argue next time.

God that infuriating alpha.

The second movie was just about over when there was a knock on the door.

“Will you grab that sweetheart?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I giggled a bit as I got up. She was rolled up like a sausage in her blanket, her pillows tucked under her and I was sure at least three blankets in that pile. There was no way she was getting up, maybe ever.

I stood and walked around the coffee table to the door. When I swung it open, I expected a delivery driver but was met with a much more familiar face.

There, Charlie stood, his smile on his face but not quite as bright as normal. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Here to take you to Board City,” he said easily. “I told you I’d come for you, just like last time.”

My face heated and my chest warmed, though I never asked it to. “I’m spending the day with Tara.”

I was surprised when I felt her behind me. I did truly think she would have been buried under blanket mountain forever. “I told him you were here lemon drop.”

My body swiveled to her. “You did?”

She nodded. “I didn’t want to interrupt our day, but I think this is important. For you guys, and for us.”

Her eyes looked hopeful, and how could I say no now? I looked back at Charlie, who wore almost the same expression. Now I had more than one set of puppy dog eyes to deal with, and what was I supposed to do with that?

“Yeah, we can go. But our food didn’t come, so you better plan to feed me.”

A genuine laugh came from both of them now and I could admit it felt good. “Deal.”

I faced back to Tara. “See you later?”

She smiles, kissing me. “Dinner tonight.” she leans over, “both of you?”

“We’ll be back,” Charlie promises, not waiting for me to answer.

I grabbed my bag and followed him to the car. It was weird. The first time was like this, except we were in his 2004 Jeep that was covered in mud and barely had a running engine. Now he was opening the door for me in his spotless, brand-new SUV. It was this weird sense of de ja vu, but also not quite.

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