Page 114 of Role Play
“You’re lost, bro. You no longer live here,” he says, barely suppressing a grin. “Go back to your princess castle.”
I hold up the remaining beers, the cardboard handle of the carrier lazily looped around my fingers. “I need to talk.”
“Must be serious if you’re sharing the good stuff. And by good stuff, I mean this bargain-basement piss you call beer.”
“Shut up. My pockets are a little light these days.” Truth is, I haven’t been working. Because I’m scared of what that’ll do to me and Sora.
Taio steps aside to let me in. The apartment looks exactly the same, except for the new addition of about seventeen sneaker boxes stacked precariously in one corner. Taio’s latest obsession—limited-edition Jordans he’ll probably never wear. Meanwhile, I’m not working, but clearly Taio’s hustling hard.
“Make yourself at home,” he says, grabbing one of the beers. “Oh wait, this actually was your home before you abandoned me for a mansion.”
“It’s a brownstone, not a mansion,” I correct him, falling into our familiar routine. “And the bathroom no longer smells like your rancid protein drinks, so I consider that an upgrade.”
“My protein drinks smell like success, asshole.” He flops onto the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. “So what brings you back to the peasant quarters? Dakota still with her Stepford family?”
“She’s with Hannah’s parents for the whole weekend.” I settle in next to him, the familiar grooves of our secondhand couch enveloping me like an old friend. “They wanted some grandparent time.”
Taio takes a long pull from his beer. “How was dinner? Why are you here? I thought you and Sora would be pounding energy drinks, getting ready for round eighteen.”
“We went to dinner, and accidentally ran into her parents.”
Taio’s eyes bulge. “As in you met J.P. Cooper?”
“In the flesh.”
“Damn.What’s your new pops like?”
I roll my eyes. “Mypopslives in Wyoming. And J.P. Cooper is a massive dick…especially to his daughter.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.” I pop open my beer and catch up with him. “Right in front of me and her mom, the man basically told Sora she’s a failure because her daddy still pays her bills. Said she should’ve gone into finance like her mom. Real heartwarming stuff. Shebolted from the dinner table, crying. God, I wanted to clock him right then and there.”
“You should’ve. What an asshole.” Taio takes another long swig, then swivels the remnants in the bottle, making a whirlpool.
“Worst part? He’s probably right.”
Taio whistles low. “Damn, Hawk. Did not see that coming. Since when are you on Team Dream Crusher?”
“I’m not,” I snap. “Nobody wants this for Sora more than me. Except maybe Daphne. But look, Sora’s talented. Really talented. But the odds of making it as an author? I’m learning it’s like winning the lottery.”
“So? People win the lottery every day.”
“And millions don’t,” I add.
“You know what surprises me most about this conversation?” Taio asks, reaching for beer number two.
“What?”
“That you keep saying she’s amazing and talented, but you haven’t read her books.”
I shrug, suddenly self-conscious. “Your point?”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know,” I mumble before polishing off the bottle.
“I know why,” he says.
