Page 49 of Enemy Games

“It’s going to be fine. We’ll hang out for a little while, then come back. Nothing to worry about.”

Jimmy was the type of guy who never met a stranger. He immediately included Reid, Ethan, and Benjamin into our discussion about how things were going and what he was up to now. He graduated early, was working for his dad’s business, and still lived in town.

“Is that pretty common here?” Ethan asked, and I looked to Jimmy.

He shrugged. “There's a decent amount of people who have stayed since high school. They either work for a family business or want to stay close to home. There are even a few people who have gotten married and started families in the area.”

“Really?” I hadn’t paid much attention to where everyone ended up. I didn’t keep up on social media, so this was news to me.

“Well, Teresa and Lance got married last year. And they’re expecting their first child soon. Jesse met a girl at school, and they live in his parents’ house.” He rubbed his jaw. “Oh, and remember Jason? The stoner kid? He has two kids already and works as a cop.”

I blew out a breath. “No way. I never would have seen that coming.”

Jimmy let out a laugh. “No one did.”

“So who’s going to be there tonight?” I asked.

“Oh, just a couple of people. I let them know that you’re back in town and to head to my place if they wanted to meet up.”

I cringed, hiding my reaction from the guys in the backseat. Knowing Jimmy, that could mean anything from five or six people to a full-blown house party like we had back in high school. I was hoping for the former for the sake of Benjamin and his sanity.

When we pulled onto Jimmy’s street, he pointed down the road. “That one’s mine.”

Of course, it was the one with at least two dozen cars parked along the street and a flow of people heading in that direction.

Benjamin leaned forward. “Are you sure about this?”

I turned to Jimmy. “We can’t be seen drinking or around people who are drinking, remember?”

He waved me off. “Yeah, I know. Don't worry. This is going to be a dry night.”

I wasn't so sure about that, but we could at least try, and if things got bad, we could always leave.

We made it through the front door and into the living room before I was stolen away by some guys I knew from back in the day. I felt bad leaving Reid, Ethan, and Benjamin behind, but Jimmy was still with them and let them back farther into the house.

I glanced around at the familiar faces and froze when I saw one I hadn’t expected.

Presley.

What was she doing here?

Her friend, the one with the short green hair, was next to her, and they were talking to some girls I recognized from Presley’s high school. I wasn't sure if they were any of the girls I’d dated. Hopefully not.

She glanced around the room, and the moment her eyes locked with mine, her smile dropped. Her head cocked as if she hadn’t expected me to be here. But what was she doing here? This was Jimmy's house, right? He was my friend, not hers.

I patted Porter on the shoulder as he continued rambling about the football team and his glory days as the quarterback.

“I'll see you later, man. I gotta go see someone.”

I kept my eyes on her as I crossed the room. As if she could sense me approaching, Presley turned to face me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked with a bit too much bite.

She looked me up and down. “What are you doing here?”

“This is my friend's house.”

“This is my friend's house.” She repeated me as her brows pulled together.