Page 166 of The Games We Play
With a growl, I finally peeled myself off Penny and stalked toward the door in nothing but my boxers. I didn’t care who saw me. This was my place, I wasn’t promising modesty.
I flung the door open, ready to snap, only to find my sister standing there. Arms crossed, jaw tight, her sharp bob just brushing her shoulders like it was cut for battle.
“What?” I asked, my tone sharp, clearly irritated.
“Can I talk to you?” she asked coolly. “Downstairs.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Penny, who gave me a playful wave of dismissal. I sighed, shutting the door softly and heading for my clothes.
After pulling on a pair of jeans and grabbing a T-shirt off the floor, I leaned down and gave Penny one last kiss. Then,reluctantly, I made my way downstairs to see what the hell Lizzie needednow, of all times—especially when Penny and I had just been talking about moving in together.
The hardwood felt cool beneath my socked feet as I padded into the bar. Lizzie sat perched on a barstool, waiting.
Naturally, I rounded the bar and stood behind it, leaning against the back wall. I crossed my ankles and folded my arms, giving her a look.
“So? What’s so important it couldn’t wait ten more damn minutes?”
She didn’t flinch. “I want to give you the bar.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Why?” The word shot out before I could stop it.
She pulled a thick stack of papers from her tote bag and set them on the surface like a challenge.
“I never wanted it,” she said quietly. “I thought I was doing you a favor by holding on to it. But after everything… I realize I was wrong.”
My eyes flicked to the paperwork, then back to her face. She was unreadable, all business, no emotion.
“What’s the catch?” I asked, skeptical.
She rolled her eyes. “You said you didn’t want to keep fighting. We called a truce. This”—she nodded toward the documents—“is me honoring that.”
I stepped forward, flipping through the pages. My name. Legal transfer. Ownership. It was all there.
The bar.
The woman of my dreams—half-naked in my bed upstairs.
Everything I wanted was within reach.
“What happens next?” I asked, my voice softer.
“We call the lawyer, sign those papers, and the bar is yours.”
“No. I mean for you,” I said, looking up at her again.
A flicker of surprise crossed her face. The guarded expression cracked just slightly.
Truth was, Iwantedthe bar. Always had. But now? After everything with Penny… after watching my friends rally for me, after Sandy and realizing what mattered, I wanted to change a lot about my life. That included Lizzie.
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Maybe head back to the city. Find a new job. I haven’t figured it out yet.”
“Stay,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow.
