Page 34 of Playing By Their Rules

“This is me,” I say when we reach my apartment complex.

“Give me some sugar, angel,” Ethan says, leaning between the front seats.

I kiss him, and he smiles. Then Chance kisses me. It’s so tender, so normal feeling, as if I were on a sweet date and we haven’t just had a threesome.

“We’ll see you soon,” Chance says.

“In class?” I ask.

“And after class,” he says. “And you better behave, little brat, or we’ll make you sorry.”

I grin. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“Next weekend. We’ll make good on those promises.”

“Can’t wait,” I say.

He gives my ass a light swat as I climb out of the car.

My path is illuminated by their headlights as I make my way to my apartment. There are no lights on, which means Mina isn’t home yet. I unlock the door and go inside, waving at Ethan’s car from the driveway. They don’t pull away until after I close the door. Protective to the last second, it seems.

As soon as the door is locked behind me, I stride to my room to change clothes. Sweats and thick, comfy socks. I hang my dress back in the closet to wash later, because Mina would have questions if she found it in the laundry—questions I am not yet ready to answer.

Since she isn’t home yet, I call Bradley. He picks up after a few rings. Loud music plays in the background, and Bradley shouts, “Hello?”

“Hey,” I say. “You’re off the hook for infiltrating the secret sex club tomorrow.”

“Oh, thank fuck,” he says. “I was nervous as hell about that. But wait, why?”

“You’ll never believe this, but I ran into them there. At the entrance to that club. Which we are not allowed to talk about ever again, by the way. But…yeah.”

“Yeah?” he asks. “Elaborate.”

“Nope, I’m not going to kiss and tell.”

He laughs. “Good for you, dude. Good for you.”

“You’re still at the wedding, it sounds like?”

“Reception of never-ending eighties music,” he says. “Kill me, please and thank you.”

“You’re too pretty to die.”

“True,” he says, and the music in the background gets quieter, as if he’s left the dancing behind. “Okay, in all seriousness, you’re okay, though? It would be a great sacrifice, but I could bail on the reception and hang out if you need a friend.”

“No, I’m good. It was all pretty great, actually.”

“Okay. I’m really happy for you, Maisie.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

The key turns in my apartment door’s lock.

“Oh, I gotta go,” I say, “Mina just came home.”

“Tell me everything later,” Bradley says.

“Sure thing,” I say, and we say our goodbyes. I’m not going to tell him everything, no way, but I’m going to need to talk to someone about this. And it can’t be Mina, as much as I love her. She’ll get weird.

She comes in bearing takeout containers.

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