Page 84 of Play The Game

Harley’s bed is bare, his books still in boxes and the patchwork blanket missing. He’s barely sleeping here anymore and with the extra study sessions with the cougar whore, he hasn’t had a day off to unpack even though we’ve been back at school for months. I make a note to force him to have another day off.

Ash’s space looks the most lived in, and I instantly feel guilty as fuck over it. I know he’s trying to be respectful, I know he’s trying to make sure nothing gets broken by pissing Avery off, but fuck. I need him. I need his snarking and his asshole nature. I need his fierce loyalty and the ruthless way he defends what he loves.

I know that now includes me.

I text him to tell him I’m waiting in his bed, and seconds later he texts the group message to tell everyone to fuck off for the night. I blush and giggle like a freaking schoolgirl, then I climb into his bed and bury my face into his pillow while I wait. My eyes drift shut and I fall asleep even as the excitement builds in my belly.

The dip in the bed doesn’t worry me at first because I’m so used to waking up to one of the guys climbing in to join me. It’s only when I hear the high-pitch and, definitely, female giggle that I bolt upright and snap the light on.

Annabelle freaking Summers has crawled into the fucking bed.

She stares at me in shock and then sneers, “You!”

I shove her off the bed with my foot, ignoring the shooting pain it causes me, and then I seriously fucking consider stomping on her face until she stops breathing.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?!” she screams, and I gape at the bitch.

“Are you fucking kidding me, it’s my boyfriend’s bed! What the fuck are you doing in here? How the hell did you get in?” Fuck am I glad I fell asleep before I stripped off. I scramble out of the bed and grab my phone. I spot Harley’s missing keys dangling from her fingers and see red.

Annabelle stands and looks down her perfect nose at me. “I’m not stupid; I know the boys will get sick of slumming it with your cheap Mounty pussy. It’s only a matter of time before they come back to me.”

Yep. She’s clearly fucking crazy and that’s all I can take.

I take the keys from her and if I snap one of her fingers while I do it then the bitch deserves it. I ignore her screaming and cussing me out while I shove her out the door.

It’s completely irrational but I get fucking livid and throw a little tantrum. If the psycho bitch goes to the school board again, I’ll be expelled. I let Ash talk me into sleeping here and now I’m dealing with his shared psycho stalker ex. I call him ready to leave a scathing voicemail but he picks up.

“That impatient for me, Mounty? I’m already coming up the stairs.”

I snort at him and snap, “Annabelle fucking Summers just climbed into your bed and woke me up from my nap. I’ve kicked her the fuck out, and I’m going back to my own bed while I wait to see if this gets me expelled. Just a courtesy call.” And then I hang the fuck up to the sounds of him cursing the whole damn universe out.

The moment I get back to my room, I lock the door and turn off my phone while I try to calm down.

It’s only when I hear the door unlocking that I realize they all have fucking keys and can get the fuck in and I need some fucking space! I stomp to the bathroom and lock that door instead. They’d have to break the damn thing down to get to me and if they do that, well, I’ll stab them.

I turn the shower on and then sit on the floor, doing some deep breathing to calm the fuck down. Like Marianas fucking Trench levels of deep.

The soft knock startles me and I frown. I can’t imagine Ash knocking like that.

“It’s me, Mounty. Ash called me to deal with Annabelle, and I told him to deal with his own sloppy leftovers,” Avery says, and I unlock the door for her, cutting the shower off now I know I don’t have to pretend. I can’t look her in the eye, I feel all raw and exposed at my little tantrum. Fuck, I’m being pathetic.

I say that to Avery and she breathes ice at me. “No judgment. Fuck them.”

“I just—I knew it was a bad idea to go there. I knew it! I let him talk me into it and now I’ve been spotted in his bed by that bitch, and for all I know she’s managed to get a photo of me there. You’re going to have to save me from being expelled again and the fucking whispers are only going to get worse!”

Avery nods and fluffs with her hair in that way she does when she’s plotting and texting. I wait her out, pulling my socks off and starting to strip to have a shower for real. Avery always tells me hot water heals all.

When I step under the hot spray, Avery hums quietly under her breath and lifts her phone to her ear. I can’t hear whoever is on the other end of the line, but I watch instantly as a slow smirk slides across Avery’s mouth.

“Oh, I’m sure it is a pleasure to hear from me, Summers. I have some news for you… I did warn you. If you piss me off again, I’ll have your scholarship revoked… well, crawling into my brother’s bed pisses me off… I can and I will… how about instead of whoring your way around my family you find another cock to worship… I hear Remy is desperate and he’s due to come into a reasonable sum… you’re not in a position to be picky, Summers. Oh, and if you go to the school board about Lips again, I won’t put out a social hit. I’ll end you.”

She hangs up and smiles at me, genuinely sweet, as she leaves me to my shower. “I’ll go make us a coffee. We can pull the drawers in front of the door so the idiots can’t get in and then watch Dirty Dancing with ice cream.”

I laugh at her enthusiasm for fucking with the guys and nod, lathering up and cleansing the shitty mood right out of my skin.

When I’m finished and wrapping myself in a big fluffy towel, the front door bangs open and I stop breathing so I can hear who the fuck it is.

Avery snaps, “If you walk into that bathroom, she will tear your testicles clean off of your body, and I’ll stand by and let her.”