Page 191 of End Game

“Your turn.”

I look down at the cards in my hand and realize I have absolutely no idea what happened during the last thirty seconds.

Griffin smiles.

Not enough to be obvious.

Enough that I know he noticed.

“Sorry.” I play a card mostly at random.

Cami’s entire face lights up. “Oh, you fucked up.”

“I gathered that.”

“You gave me exactly what I needed.”

Ronan looks at my cards, then at hers. “He did.”

I turn toward him. “Whose side are you on?”

“The side of objective reality.”

“Helpful.”

His mouth curves slightly.

He has been smiling more around me lately.

Or maybe I notice it more.

That’s the problem with wanting someone for long enough. Eventually you stop knowing whether anything actually changed or whether you’ve simply cataloged every tiny thing they do until all of it feels significant.

Except things have changed.

Christmas Eve changed something.

Ronan’s hand at the back of my neck in his father’s office.

His fingers in my hair.

That should have made this easier.

Instead, it has made every interaction feel like standing one step from the edge of something while both of us politely agree not to look down.

Cami wins the game—of course she does.

She celebrates like she just took a national title instead of beating three men at a card game in her living room.

Griffin drops his cards onto the table. “You changed the rules.”

“I clarified them.”

“You clarified them after you realized you were losing.”

“That’s called adaptability.”

Ronan starts collecting the cards. “That’s called cheating.”