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“You didn’t say hi.” I divert my attention to Carolina. “You hungry? I ordered a pizza.”
She worked a double today and is always hangry when she gets off work.
She licks her lips. “Yum. You da best.”
I grin. “Well aware of that, babe.”
She looks damn adorable when she strolls into the living room—wearing a loose, flower-patterned dress that isn’t made to look as sexy as it does on her. It shows a hint of cleavage, causing me to gulp as I remember the night in the hotel room.
Fuck.Will I ever forget that night?
She kicks off her white flip-flops on her way to the couch and takes the open seat next to me, tucking her legs underneath her ass. “How many levels do you need to finish? Are you still stuck?”
I love that she asks this. Hardly anyone—except for her, my mother, my sister, and Josh—asks about my game. They’re the only ones who take it seriously and understand how important it is to me, how much I love it. Carolina has been on this game’s journey since nearly day one—hearing me throw out idea after idea, change shit, work on levels, and beg gamers to give it a try.
She listens, understands, and offers advice about my game. Not too many chicks are comfortable with hanging out with a guy who plays video games as much as I do. Either that or theyfakebeing into it, not even knowing the difference between my game and Fortnight.
Carolina does because she genuinely cares.
“I’m slowly getting out of my slump,” I reply, unpausing it and hitting buttons on the controller. “It was too easy, breaking through a few levels. I needed to make it harder.” I’ve been working nonstop for twelve hours, only taking bathroom and food breaks.
Thank fuck Josh isn’t a big TV watcher. I like testing in the living room rather than my bedroom.
“Attaboy! I’m so proud of you!” She gestures to the screen. “How you do all this—create, design, code. It’s so amazing.”
I fasten my free arm around her back and drag her closer to my side. “Thanks, Mom.”
She shoves my shoulder, causing my character to die. “Shut up and take my compliment.”
“Looks like it’s easy to die when a chick is touching you,” Josh says from the chair next to me. “You have that going for you. Include a hot girl to distract them in every game.”
I flip him off.
He laughs. “You fools coming out tonight?”
“No way,” Carolina answers around a yawn. “I’m beat, and I work the morning shift tomorrow.”
“Losers,” he teases, winking at Carolina.
I narrow my eyes at him and hold up the controller—a silent warning that it’ll hit him in the face if he continues his annoying-ass flirting.
I turn my attention to Carolina. “Looks like it’s you and me tonight.”
Josh jumps up from his chair, snaps his fingers, and pings his finger back and forth between me and Carolina. “Good. You two kids do something bad.”
I flip him off again as he walks away, his laughter booming through the apartment.
15
Carolina
I tugmy phone from my apron when it vibrates, and my heart sinks when I read the text from the last person I want to talk to. He’s the man I hate and who’s made my life a living hell.
James: You can’t keep ignoring me.
My fingers are close to shaking as I hit the reply button.
Me: I’m not ignoring you.
