An hour later, Jessa bounced in the passenger seat of Merrick’s truck, trash-talking nonstop about how she’d smoke me—even though she’d never shot a paintball gun in her life.
“Keep dreaming, kid. I’ve taken real bullets. You’re going down. No fucking mercy.”
Jessa raised a brow. “No mercy, huh? What aboutMerci? How’s that going?”
I groaned. But lying to Jessa felt wrong. “Can you keep a secret?”I eyed her as she straightened, suddenly taking the conversation more seriously.
“Of course. So, Merci? That’s happening?”
I nodded slowly. “It’s early, but there’s something there. No one can know yet. Especially not Kenna or Merrick. Not until she’s ready.”
Jessa’s eyes gleamed as she rubbed her hands together like a cartoon villain. “I knew it.” She mimed zipping her lips shut. “I won’t say anything.”
“You better not,” I warned. “Because if Merrick kills me, you’ll have to find a new place to live.”
She laughed. “Kenna would let me and Chaos move in with them,” she said confidently.
I shook my head, but it warmed my heart that she already felt so comfortable with my closest friends. “Glad you already have a backup plan. But I’m serious. No one can know. Not yet.”
“I won’t say a word. Promise.” She turned toward me, expression curious and soft. “So, you really love her?”
“Yeah,” I said, feeling more confident about an answer than I’d ever been in my life. “I do.”
“She should move in with us,” Jessa said, like it was the most obvious solution with no complications. “Then we’d be like a real family. You, me, Merci, and Chaos.”
“First of all, wearea real family. Second, we need to figure out how to tell Merrick.”
She rolled her eyes. “Because of your bro code?”
I chuckled. “He’s my best friend. He trusts me. And this is really going to piss him off. I’m ready, but I want to make sure Merci is, too. She’s going to be more than just a girlfriend. She’s going to be my old lady.”
Jessa nodded thoughtfully, picking at her nails. “You always tell me not to hide shit. That I need to be honest about how I feel with you. It kind of sounds like you need to take your own advice.”
Her words shot through me like a live round. I cut the engine. “Yeah, kid, you’re right.”
* * *
We traded fire for an hour, the sting of each paintball on my limbs helping me forget the burn of my rash and the crushing guilt from lying to my best friend. Sweat mixed with paint splatter coated our skin. By the end, I let Jessa take the last shot, and she shouted with glee, looking like a neon-streaked warrior as she cheered for her victory.
Back at the house, we collapsed at the kitchen table with a large pizza steaming between us. Chaos begged for pepperoni until I shot her a warning glare. She slinked away with a dramatic huff and lay on her bed, eyes still hopeful.
“School starts soon,” I said between bites of pizza. “Are you excited?”
Jessa shrugged one shoulder. “I guess.” She pulled off a mushroom and popped it in her mouth.
“Are you going to play any sports?” I pressed.
Jessa wrinkled her nose. “Do I look like I play sports?”
I laughed. “You’re tall. You could play basketball.”
“Forced group activities in front of a crowd of people? Pep rallies? No thanks.”
“OK, so no sports. What about a club? Debate or yearbook or some shit?”
Her eyes flickered with concealed interest. “I might join the student newspaper.”
I controlled my expression. My last run-in with a reporter had ended with the Mavericks in the headlines. “As long as you don’t write about the club, I’m fine with that.”
