Page 108 of Make Me Laugh

She sighs. “Another rule. No more marks.” Joey’s content smirk makes me want to start the night all over again. “They’ll know if we’re not careful about this.”

Joey isn’t talking about our followers and fans. The world thinks we’ve been fucking since the beginning. She doesn’t want our friends to know…

I shrug. “And?”

“That’ll complicate things… Don’t you think we’re doing enough of that already?” She pauses, looking at her lap. “Can we handle one thing at a time? Please?”

When Joey looks at me, eyes begging me to agree, I can’t stop myself. My hand shoots out, grabbing her gently by the wrist. “Come here.”

She hesitates, fighting to return to her controlled self quicker than I want. Somehow, I win and she melts into my side.

“You make the rules, and I’ll follow, but behind closed doors, you let me see you. Joey. Not Hex.” I have to slow my fall. I can’t tumble headfirst into nothingness. I’ve been there before. I’ve been on top of the world—so happy I couldn’t imagine my life getting any better.

I got cocky, so life threw me off a ledge, turned out the lights, and left me to rot.

I’m not sure when I finally crawled out of the hole and made it to the top, but I recently realized I could see the sun on cloudy days again.

I’d found a purpose again—one I’ve never felt I deserved.

I want Joey like I wanted hockey.

I want Joey like I wanted comedy.

I want Joey like I want to believe I deserve this second chance at a happy life.

But more than anything, I want her to want me too.

On her own, without anyone telling her what she should want.

“Deal.” Joey kisses me the way she does when she's about to do something I won’t like. Soft, like a goodbye. “But since the No Sex Contract is void between us, we have to have a new one.” She bites her lip, her green eyes holding mine to hers like the witch from Salem she might actually be. “We’re friends… who have really, really, really…” She trails off. “Seriously, what the fuck? How?” Joey blinks a few times, shaking her head as if there’s no possible way she can explain it. “Really great fucking sex. Friends who have really great fucking sex.”

I feel the beginning of a goofy smile pulling at the corner of my lips. “Do you want me to answer or was that a hypothetical question?”

Joey swats my arm. “I’m being serious.”

“About how really, really, really great our sex is?” My smile is full grown goofy now.

“West.” Joey draws my name out in a groan.

Warmth spreads through my chest as I chuckle. “I’m sorry, okay, okay.” I blow a breath and use my hand to mime pulling it all the way out, resetting the look on my face to something more serious.

She studies me, waiting for me to crack under her stare. When I’ve held strong long enough, Joey nods and continues. “We aren’t in a relationship. Hex and West Parker can pretend to be, but we won’t. Outside of the bedroom, I’m your friend and social media strategist through the end of tour. Nothing more.”

I nod after every point. These are all things I expected her to say.

“At this point, I think we need to renegotiate the terms of our contract as far as pay goes too if we’re going to start filming together.” She looks at the sheet covering her naked body. “Which we should do when we have clothes on. Tomorrow.”

I won’t bat an eye at whatever it is she demands. “Is that all?” Reaching for my water bottle on the nightstand, I take a sip.

She points at my mouth. “Swallow that.”

I do, brows scrunching together.

“No sleepovers. We fuck, and then go back to our own rooms. Cuddling leads to feelings.” Meaning this was the last time she’d let me see this side of Joey.

Logically, I know it makes sense, but I don’t want to think logically about this. I want to listen to the little voice in my head screaming “no” as he falls off the edge of the cliff Joey pushed him over.

He doesn’t hit the ground until she leaves my room and her last rule echoes through my mind like his cry for help.