Page 15 of Write Me For You
She closed the book and, waving it, said, “No buff High Fae in this one.Thisone is about buff vampires actually,” she said, fighting back a smile, and I nodded, smirking. Sort of called it. June put her book in her bag, then got to her feet. “No more swimming?” she asked.
“I decided to hang with you guys instead,” I said just as Chris came over, now dry and with a T-shirt on.
“Me too,” he said. “We can’t break up the band on day two, June. We’re in our bonding stage and must stick together.”
“Ah,” June said, smiling. “Gotcha.” But I saw true happiness in the way she held herself a little bit taller.
Emma returned wearing jean shorts and a blue tank, a blue headscarf on her head. “So, what do y’all wanna do?”
“Game room?” Chris said, pointing to the large barn-like structure behind us.
I looked to June, eyebrow raised in question.
“Sure,” she said. We followed Chris, and he opened the door to the game room and June stopped dead. Her brown eyes were wide as she drank in the space. Arcade machines lined the walls. Air hockey and pool tables took up the center, and games consoles of all kinds were set up with the TV in the room, beanbags in front of it.
“We found this on our first day,” I said to June, just as Chris turned on country music that filled the room from the state-of-the-art speakers in the ceiling.
“Wow,” she said, and placed her bag on the table by the entrance way. “They really have turned this place into a patient’s paradise.” June turned to me and smiled. “Gone are the days of staring at four white walls and a window with no view.”
“I know, right?” I said. “All it took was for us to be knocking on death’s door to get it.”
June choked on a laugh and looked at me from the side of her eye. “See? Trouble,” she said. Heat zapped through my veins at being on the receiving end of her playfulness.
“Says the girl reading vampire smut,” I said, and watched June’s mouth drop open in shock. I quickly held up my hands. “Which is totally okay and not at all wrong in any way, shape, or form. All art is subjective et cetera, et cetera,” I said in a panicked voice.
June pointed at me. “Those vampires could teach you a thing or two, Mr. Ladies’ Man.” I felt full to the brim with happiness. June was joking around with me. I’d made it through her protective layer in some way. I felt like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.
June’s arms were crossed over her chest. I stepped closer and closer until her pupils dilated a little. Tucking my football under my arm, I said, “How do you know they could teach me a few things?”
June’s lips parted slightly, and a rush of breath escaped them.
“Maybe I could teachthema trick or two—in a non-blood-drinking way, of course.”
The sound of pool balls being set came from behind us. Emma appeared at June’s side, but I was still holding her stare. June quickly broke away to smile at Emma. Emma fought to hide her amusement. I was sure she’d heard me. “Pool game? Me and Chris versus you two?”
“You’re on,” I said, and June shook her head.
“I don’t know how to play pool,” she said, and looked my way apologetically.
“No problem,” I said, and headed to the pool table. June came too. “I’ll teach you.”
“Oh, here we go,” Chris moaned, but I ignored him.
I grabbed a pool cue and added some chalk to the tip. “Who’s breaking?” I asked.
“Me,” Chris said. He lined up his shot and pocketed a striped ball first. Chris smiled and waggled his eyebrows at me as he lined up his next shot.
“What’s happening?” June asked, leaning close to me. Goose bumps broke out on my skin as her minty breath ghosted over me.
“Chris keeps going until he misses. Then it’s your or my turn.”
“Okay,” June said, just as Chris sent another striped ball wide.
I offered the cue to June.
“No, please. You first,” she said, holding up her hands.
I pointed at the table. “Emma and Chris are stripes. We’re solids.” June nodded, watching me like a hawk. I pocketed three solids, only to miss the fourth.
