Page 34 of Game Changer
“Hey, do you know where—” Cameron, who is too tall for the damn door, dips his head to enter the room. He freezes when he notices me standing behind Maya, his notorious grin coming out in full force. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did we interrupt something?”
Maddie, who finally notices I’m in the room too, cringes before taking a step back from Maya. “Shit. Sorry. I didn’t know . . . ”
“You weren’t interrupting anything,” I blurt, turning to my best friend before he embarrasses me. He may be a dick at times, but I missed the hell out of him. He’s my brother, and without him, I don’t feel as complete. “How the hell did you guys plan this?”
Cameron pulls me in for a hug and claps me on the back. “I had a weekend off from football, and Maddie cleared her schedule. You actually have my dad to thank. He paid for the tickets.”
“Oh, shit. I’ll have to text him. I’m so fucking happy you’re here. Where are you staying? Do you need to crash with us?”
He shakes his head, shifting his eyes to my sister. “Nah. We got a hotel a few minutes away from here.” And it’s only then that I notice his costume. He’s dressed in a hospital gown, and with Maddie being a nurse . . .
I wave a finger between them. “This is sickening.”
Maddie rolls her eyes. “Get used to it already, Ethan.”
I have gotten used to it. If I’m being honest, I’mhappyfor them. It’s been years since I’ve seen my best friend the way he used to be. He laughs and smiles more, and his relationship with his dad is getting better every day. If it wasn’t for my sister, who knows where he’d be right now? They found solace in each other, and the way my sister stares at Cameron like he hangs the moon for her is enough validation for me. He’s good to her. That’s all that matters.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Destiny and Callie,” Maya gushes. “You’ll love them. We were just heading to Happy Endings! It’s the bar closest to campus. The one I work at. I tried to work tonight, but my boss refused since it’s my birthday, so . . .” She wiggles her ass in the miniskirt, and I shoot my eyes up to the ceiling as Cameron stifles a laugh. “We’re partying, bitch!”
“Is that where we’re heading?” Cameron asks me. “If not, can we tag along with the girls? I can’t be without my nurse.” His hand lands on Maddie’s waist before he tucks her into his side.
“Do you do this on purpose?” I ask, but fail to hide my grin.
“What?” He fake coughs and places the back of his hand on his forehead. “I’msick, Ethan, and there’s only one person who has the cure.”
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, and Maddie and Maya erupt into giggles. “But, yeah, I was heading there anyway with my roommate, Leo.”
“Sweet. Can’t wait to meet him.”
The thought of Leo and Cameron together?
Lord help us all.
“I’m glad to know you’ve changed your mind about country music,” Cameron continues, waving a hand over my outfit. I changed into jeans, a white T-shirt, and cowboy boots (courtesy of Leo). The man seems to have an outfit for everything, and although I feel out of my comfort zone, Maya can’t take her eyes off of me. Leo’s accessories were worth it. “It’s not so bad, is it?”
“Please,” I scoff. “I still think that genre is garbage.”
“Same,” Maddie adds. “Something Cam and I will never agree on.”
Cameron opens the door, and as we all file out he adds, “Well, you certainly look the part, Ethan. Now all you need is a lasso so you can wrangle in a cowgirl tonight.”
Or an angel.
Maya glances over her shoulder with a devilish smile. “Ethan doesn’t need a cowgirl. He just needs to find someone who can ride that cowboy hat right off of him.”
Well, I’ll be damned.
Her words act as scissors, cutting the last strand of rope holding me back, and now all I can do is pray I can keep my sanity for the rest of the night.
Seventeen
Ethan
As expected, Leo and Cameron hit it off. It took them less than five minutes to jump into a deep conversation about whether or not aliens are real. I’m pretty sure Leo was the one who broached the subject, and Cameron is tipsy enough by now to start entertaining conspiracy theories.
Mark came to Happy Endings dressed as Fred Flintstone, his muscular body on display like a Greek statue in the scrap of fabric that barely reaches his thighs. It’s an effort not to roll my eyes, but it’s very Mark. He’s never cared what anyone thinks.
We’ve all been occupying the edge of the dance floor, and it’s not because we’re trying to get lucky. Maddie and Maya have been dancing their asses off for the past hour, and with men swarming around them like vultures, we decided to stay close just in case one of them got too handsy. I’m not Maya’s protector, and I have full confidence she’d be able to tell these douchebags where to stick it, but selfishly, watching her hips move to the sultry beat has me glued right where I stand.
