Page 133 of Wanna Play A Game?
We sit in silence for a bit again. She continues to just sit with me.
She hasn’t tried to run since I’ve been here. Does she really want to leave? What possible benefit would she have to stay? I ask gruffly, “What are you doing?”
“Drinking.”
“No. Here.”
Cali finishes her drink in one go. “You know what, I have no idea.” She stands.
At that moment, Sawyer stomps upstairs. “Let’s go, bitches!”
Both of us glance towards him. He snatches a sandwich off the counter.
“Time to plant!” he says around a mouthful. “What do you think, Cali? Will we grow little bone shrubs? Little teeth trees?”
He throws her a mean look, and she grimaces.
I turn back to my phone.
“Family trip. You too, Ryder,” Sawyer says around a mouthful. “Mmm, barbeque.”
I clench my jaw. We used to be a family. But whatever the hell this is right now? It’s not a family.
“Ryder.” Sawyer’s voice is low. I glance up. There’s something about the genuine look in his eye that cuts straight to me.
Fuck. Fine.
Jesus, I’m getting soft. And being soft in this world means only one thing: loss.
Chapter 66
Miles
Cali comes bursting into my bathroom. She clocks me washing my hands. “Oh, sorry.”
I quirk up an eyebrow. She said she had no feelings for us. It hit me right in the chest, and now she’s pushing in here like she owns it? I growl, “What’s the hurry?”
“I need…do you have mouthwash?”
I snatch it from under my sink. I restocked everything the other night. I was being sentimental and decided she wasn’t going to try and kill me with anything. Now I’m mad and embarrassed. Clearly, this means more to me than it does to her. That’s fine. I’ll get her to the point I’m at. She won’t have a choice. I just need a minute.
When Cali grabs the mouthwash from me, I catch a whiff of alcohol.
I freeze and stare at her. Cali takes a swig of the mouthwash.
“Cali…” I look her up and down. “Have you been…drinking?”
She shoots me a look that I know she tries to make innocent, but there’s a tightness around her eyes.
“Shadow…” I growl.
She spits into the sink. “What, Miles? You aren’t my dad.” She wipes off her mouth. “So what if I drink? It’s my life and my choice.”
Shit. Sawyer is going to lose it. Drunk women have always triggered him. He hasn’t said for sure, but I’m convinced his mom would use when she abused him. The one time all three of us tried to have a foursome with a girl, she came out of the bathroom with her eyes glassy and smelling like alcohol. Sawyer snapped on her. I think he genuinely forgot who she was. Ryder and I had to rip him away from her, and that was that.
“Cali…” I snatch the small woman up by her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “How much did you drink?” Fuck, I can smell it strongly on her. She’s going to have to stay far away from him.
Cali turns her angry gaze on me. “I swear to god, Miles. You can’t control every part of me! I just watched youkillmy boyfriend.” She swallows. “Please, for the love of god, give me this one thing.”
