Page 100 of Playing By The Rules

“Boom.” My voice is quiet and I can’t help but start giggling.

Rita frowns. Cheyenne eventually gets it and starts to laugh too, which only adds to Rita’s confusion.

“Looks like you just exploded, Rita,” Cheyenne says.

“Oh shit!” Rita throws her arms up in the air. “You have to tell us, Blair. It’s not fair, keeping such a juicy secret to yourself.”

“It’s not that juicy,” I start to protest, but they’re not having it.

“Nope. No way. You’re spilling your guts!” Rita jumps on my bed, reaching out so she can tickle me. I dodge her hands, laughing harder, and when she touches my bare skin, I let out a scream.

“You do not want to put your hands on me,” I warn her. “I’m naked!”

“Oh, you whore.” She flops backward onto my mattress, her tone light. I know she doesn’t mean anything by calling me that. Her head is at the foot of the bed and her feet are practically in my face and I scoot away from them, sighing when Cheyenne plops onto the edge of my mattress too.

Looks like they’re going nowhere soon. I’m going to have to explain myself. Somewhat.

“Just give us a couple of details and we’ll leave you alone,” Rita says.

I sit up, propped against the pillows, my comforter wrapped all around me. Cam’s hoodie is still lying on the floor nearby in a heap and I wish I could pull it on. “He came over last night. We’ve been sort of seeing each other when we can lately.”

“Define lately,” Rita says.

“The last couple of weeks.”

“And what’s his name?”

I press my lips together. It feels so…final, if I say his name out loud. There’s no turning back once it’s out there. My roommates will know, and they might make a scene the next time they run into him, which I absolutely do not want. Us being together—if that’s even the right word—and becoming public knowledge is overwhelming. This is just so weird and awkward and truly unchartered territory.

And I haven’t even thought about what we will do once Knox finds out. He might lose it. He might be really pissed, and what happens then? Are we done? Will Cam back away out of respect for my brother? What about me and my feelings?

It’s too much to even think about.

“I’m not ready to reveal that information yet,” I say, keeping my voice even. “I’ll tell you when he’s cool with it.”

“Why wouldn’t he be cool with it?” Rita sounds suspicious, and I don’t blame her.

“I just don’t want to put him on blast, without consulting him first. I’m trying to be considerate of his feelings,” I explain.

Rita’s mouth opens, ready to protest when Cheyenne cuts her off.

“Leave her alone, Rita. She’ll tell us when she’s ready.”

With a sigh, Rita leaps to her feet, studying the two of us, though her gaze comes back to me, extra shrewd. “You better come clean as soon as possible, Blair. I’m dying over here. I need to take a shower.”

With that, she strides out of my room and holes up in her bathroom, the crank of the shower turning on obvious less than a minute later. Cheyenne is still sitting on the edge of my bed and she finally stands, a knowing smile on her face.

“If I asked if his initials were CF, would I be correct?” she asks.

I shrug, trying to play it off, but I feel the way my cheeks heat. I’m sure they’re bright pink.

“That’s what I thought.” She taps her index finger against her lips. “Your secret is safe with me.”

I watch her leave, softly closing the door behind her, and I sink under the covers, pulling them over my head.

I hope I can trust her to keep my secret. If this gets out now?

There might be hell to pay. And I’m not referring to my brother either.

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