Page 15 of The C*ck Down the Block

That’s why he would agree to be my date for the reunion even though we weren’t even remotely in love with each other. Why he’d pretend to be my boyfriend. Because he was a really good friend.

It wouldn’t even be awkward at all. Not asking him, not showing up at the reunion with him by my side, not dancing, or... ack. Everything was going to be normal and fine.

“It’s your turn, Trixie, and Chris isn’t allowed to throw the dice anymore.” Declan was determined to challenge Chris like any little brother should. I’d watched the two of them butt heads and support each other unrelentingly half their lives. “I don’t trust this weird mojo he’s rocking tonight.”

Weird mojo indeed.

During the game, Chris was way more focused on me than the game. He must be sick. Have a fever. Drinking? Because he’d never let anyone else win a game of Footballopoly. Or any other game for that matter.

His hand lingered in mine when he gave me the dice. On the next roll, his thigh casually rested against mine when there was plenty of room for him to spread out on the couch. His laughter echoed in my ears after every round we won on pure dumb luck. Each of his touches sent a buzz of energy up my spine, but I continued to laugh it off.

An hour into the game, and I was thirsty. Was it hot in here? With eight Kingman men strung out on winning and losing, who wouldn’t be?

I glanced over at Jules during one of these moments, and she gave me a knowing look and a thumbs-up. I rolled my eyes at her. Jules and her teenage fantasies. It was just the game, the high stakes, the playful competition, the question I had to ask him tonight that he had to say yes to or I’d be forever humiliated in front of the mean girls that had me fanning myself.

The competition between Chris and Declan was as palpable as the odd tension between me and Chris. It was something I tried to ignore, telling myself it was the heat of the game, the pressure to win, my request I’d make at the end of the night.

As the game finally reached its crescendo, and I watched Chris move our game piece to crush Declan and Isak, I couldn’t help but catch my breath. Despite all the teasing, the ribbing, the raucous energy of the Kingman household, something I’d been witness to dozens of times, the way Chris and I had dominated the board, destroying team after team together, had me way more excited than playing a board game should.

While Declan wasn’t a sore loser, he wasn’t above making a dramatic exit. He tossed the lucky pillow to Everett and Jules. “You’d better take him and Trixie down.”

Then, with a smirk on his face, he stormed off to the kitchen, grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and tossed one to Isak, leaving the rest of us laughing. Isak gave his father a quick look, twisted the top off, and chug-a-lugged. Mr. Kingman shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Everett and Jules were the only other team left. Everyone else lined up as cheering squads and-or peanut galleries behind our couches, picking sides to win it all.

We rolled and when we got snake eyes, Chris patted my leg, just above the knee. Even as Jules made their next move, his hand lingered there, his thumb making little distracting swirling motions on my skin. It was our turn again, and Chris leaned in. “Roll us a six or a nine, Trix, and we win the night.”

The closeness was startling. The warmth from his breath tickled my neck, making me shiver involuntarily. Shaking off the unexpected reaction, I nodded and shook the dice, then tossed them into the middle of the board. The room erupted into cheers and boos.

Laughing, Chris pulled me onto his lap for a hug. One in which I lost my breath. Because of his bear of a squeeze on me, not because I’d never sat on his lap before. “We make a good team. I’m not letting you play with anyone else ever again.”

When he released me and I could breathe again, for a second, I was caught in his gaze, our laughter fading and our eyes locked on each other. His eyes were intense, his smile warm, and I licked my lips.

But then I blinked and looked away, right at Jules and Everett. The two of them exchanged a sibling communication glance and Jules nodded. Everett gave me a full eyebrow salute, stood up, and flipped the board game and all the pieces. “You two are the worst. No one can beat you. I’m calling unfair advantage.”

Not a single Kingman could handle losing anything. Not even at Candyland. The room erupted and a full on dogpile on Everett ensued. Everyone except for Mr. Kingman, who simply sat there with a big ole grin on his face and took a long sip of his beer.

Chris pulled me away from the fray and dragged me toward the kitchen, and then out the sliding glass doors to the cool air of the back yard.

I was incredibly warm and took in long gulps of the cooler night air. I’d been lying to myself all night that it was only because of the game. Tonight of all nights, there was something more going on between me and Chris.

But I was also sure I’d manufactured it all in my head because I’d been thinking about him pretending to be my boyfriend for the next few weeks leading up to the reunion. We were just friends. That’s all. I was being silly, seeing something that wasn’t there. Nothing more.

The world outside was a universe away, the din of the Kingman household replaced by the soft whispering breeze rustling the leaves in the backyard. He took a seat on the swing hanging from the far end of the pergola and, with a playful grin, patted the space beside him. “Come on, chickadee.”

I hesitated for a second, then sank down beside him. A little closer than was probably necessary, but Chris didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he leaned into me, our shoulders brushing with the slightest movement. I almost thought he was going to put his arm around me.

His voice was low, barely above the nocturnal sounds of crickets in the grass, and his words tumbled into the night air. “If we keep teaming up like this, they’ll start thinking you’ve got a little Kingman in you.”

There was definitely a dirty innuendo in there somewhere. I wasn’t imagining it this time. I choked on a laugh and swatted him lightly. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” He leaned in closer, just enough so I could feel his breath tickling my cheek, my throat. Then his voice dropped an octave. “We were on fire tonight.”

His proximity was throwing me off. I was sure it was my heightened awareness, nothing more. I’d spent all evening trying to pretend that my plan of asking him to play the role of my boyfriend was just a simple, friendly favor.

“Maybe, maybe not.” My words trailed off, my mind screaming at me that this was the perfect time to just ask him, but my courage to ask this outrageous favor was nowhere to be found.

The pause in our conversation was the kind where you can hear your own heartbeat echoing in your ears. Chris’s hand came up and he cupped my cheek, turning my face to his. A moment stretched on as his eyes locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. Then, he leaned even closer, his warm breath ghosting over my lips, my heart pounding in my chest.

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