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“What’s the matter, pet? Is the food we’re giving you not good enough to meet your high standards?” he mocks. I couldn’t answer him if I tried, so I don’t. I continue to chew my food, hoping I don’t choke because he’d probably just stand there and watch me die.
He takes the core from my fingers and tosses it in the trash. He waits for me to finish eating before he speaks again. “You done?”
I nod warily.
“Well, now, taking things without asking isn’t nice. What are you going to do to make it up to me?”
He crowds me as I frown. What the hell is he implying? When his gaze roves over my body, I cross my arms even though I know the hoodie stops him from seeing anything.
“I’m not sure I like what you’re getting at.”
He licks his lips and smirks before reaching out a hand, which I promptly slap away.
“I’ll throw it up right now if it means that much to you.”
He shakes his head but reaches for me again, this time grabbing my hand and dragging me over to the sofa. “Since I’m on babysitting duty, you can play this with me. I’m bored as fuck. Unless you want to entertain me in other ways?”
“If other ways are anything besides charades or a series of interpretive dances, then I’m going to have to pass.”
“Figures. Here.” He hands me one of the controllers and points out the buttons and their functions.
“Shoot, jump—”
I tune him out and focus on the screen when his cell starts ringing.
“Practice while I take this.” He starts the game and walks away to take his call.
I get in the zone and ignore everything else around me as I run around the base camp, shooting the other team while looking for the flag. I’m so in the zone that I don’t realize he’s back until I hear him curse.
“What the fuck?”
“What?” I ask distractedly, not looking at him because there is a camping motherfucker on top of the building trying to take me out. I watch him for a second before I take my shot.
“Take that asshole,” I mutter, chuckling when the round finishes. I look at the stats, nodding when I see my avatar’s name on top, before looking up at Slade, who is looking down at me with shock on his face.
“What?”
“You can play?”
I look at the stats, then down to the controller in my hand, and then back up to him and shrug.
“Most women I know have little interest in video games.”
“Yay, one more thing to make you suspicious of me for.”
He sighs and sits beside me, picking up a second controller. “Play again?”
“I guess,” I say, but secretly I’m doing a happy dance. I was going stir-crazy in that bedroom.
So, that’s what we spend the next three hours doing. It isn’t until the door opens that we stop. Jagger stands frozen in the doorway, watching us as Slade turns the television off and takes the controller from my hands.
“I was wondering how much longer you were going to be. I’ve got shit to do too.”
I flinch at his tone. I guess our little truce is over now. I stand and walk away, leaving them to argue as I head back to the bedroom. I cross the room and climb on top of the bed, lying down on my side, facing away from the door. Might as well take a nap. Not much else to do. I hear someone enter the room, but I ignore them and close my eyes. I fold in on myself and let my thoughts drift away, distancing myself from these two men who are giving me emotional whiplash.
When I open my eyes, I feel disoriented—the room seems darker, though it’s hard to tell with the stupid shutters down all the time. I climb from the bed and bite back a groan when I stretch, my body still feeling the aftereffects of being slammed into the ground by a freight train. I use the bathroom quickly and check out my face. My cheek is turning a lovely shade of deep purple, but the swelling seems to have gone down some. And the cut on my forehead looks pretty good, considering.
I splash some water on my face and gently pat it dry, feeling a headache beginning behind my eyes. It’s my fault for playing video games without my glasses on. I know better, but honestly, I didn’t think Slade would get them for me. I didn’t want to miss out on my only chance of escapism since I got here.
