Page 46 of Huge Games

Celine's cheeks turn a deep shade of tomato, and the floor is suddenly the most exciting feature in the room. Have they been solo fucking? Leaving me and Travis out feels like a betrayal, even though it isn't. We haven't made any rules for this. I keep having to remind myself that I shouldn't have any expectations.

"Celine's horny." The way Elias chews as he carries his plate to the end of the table and takes a seat like a king at a banquet riles me.

She looks around, reading the room. "I’m horny. What can I say? And I'm used to fucking a lot. Eddie was the male version of a nymphomaniac."

"You mean a man?"

I snort at Elias's quip. He's not wrong. Most men would fuck every day if they got the chance. If not twice or more. There's a need for release that builds up like an ache between my legs that pulses in some unidentified lobe in my head. Like, right now, I'm talking and trying to act normal, but on a level running underneath, all I can think about is burying myself between Celine's legs.

"Not all men are like that," she says, sitting beside Elias. I take the seat opposite while Travis tosses us beers and a soda for Celine.

"Men are all like that. Some of us just do a good job of being less of an asshole about it." I twist the lid off my beer and take a welcome drink.

Celine opens a can of soda and takes a sip. Her hair has dried now, and her curls are crazy. "Yeah. Eddie did a good job of being king of the assholes."

Travis spoons some potato salad out of a large brown bowl. He looks around to see if everyone has helped themselves to enough food, then focuses on Celine. "Are you done with your games?"

"Yeah." She places the soda on the table but keeps her fingers wrapped around the condensation-covered tin. "He's not worth my time or effort. I've got enough going on without dragging him along with me."

"End of relationship baggage has to be shaken off, or it wears you down," Travis agrees.

"To being single." Elias tips his beer, waiting for us to join him in a toast.

Celine shoots him a look laced with disapproval, or is it disappointment? I can't be sure. "What's so good about being single, Elias? Casual sex? Sleeping alone?"

He shrugs. "No drama. No games."

The last comment feels like a dig against Celine for what brought us all together in the first place. "No joy."

"You guys are like a game of Olympic table tennis." Travis gulps his beer and licks the residue from his lips. "Life without love is empty. And the right person won't play games with your heart. They'll protect it like it's something precious."

Celine looks at Elias. "Thank you, Travis, for your mature perspective."

"He sounds like a chick." It's said with snark and a challenging raise of Elias's eyebrows.

"He sounds like someone with a soul." I don't meanthe words to sound rough, but Elias turns his head slowly to look at me as soon as they’re out of my mouth.

"I have a soul, dude."

There's a ripple of disquiet amongst us until Travis smiles and shakes his head. "So, have y'all been thinking about the night at Molly's?"

"Yes." Celine says it so quickly that she makes us all jump.

"Definitely," I admit.

Elias shrugs in a non-committal way that I'm certain is only masking his true feelings.

"Wanna do it again?"

Celine draws in her bottom lip, her pretty eyes trailing between us all. "I'm game if you are."

"Three on one? Is it necessary?"

She pats Elias's arm. "Ahhh…you want me all to yourself?"

Shrugging again, he stuffs his mouth full of the last forkful of food on his plate, avoiding answering the question altogether.

"What time's your mom going to be back?" I ask Travis. It's a way to find out if today could be an option without directly asking each person for their availability. "Late. I'm not so sure about Gab."

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