“You’re the best.” He spun around to face the computer, cracking his knuckles and stretching his neck. “I’m going to bang this out in no time.”

I suppressed a laugh as I bit back a dirty joke. Maybe I’d been spending too much time with Chase after all.

17. near miss

CHAPTER 17

NEAR MISS

Bailey

“Time for a break,” Chase announced, shoving the keyboard tray back into place. He arched back in his chair, stretching out his long legs.

I glanced up from the bed, where I was sprawled out on my stomach reading my Data Journalism and Methods textbook. “But it’s only been an hour.”

“It’s five o’clock, which means it’s time to eat. We need brain food, James. It’s science.”

I groaned. “Let me guess, and then we’re going to need second dinner. And a snack. And a pencil sharpening break. Better yet, maybe we can go chop down a tree and handcraft some pencils so you don’t have to finish your essay.”

He grinned. “Probably, but let’s start with pizza.”

We abandoned our study materials and relocated downstairs. Chase hopped over the back of the couch, parkour-style, and plopped down beside me. It was a surprisingly nimble move for such a large human, even an athlete.

“Pizza will be here in twenty-five. Time for…video games?” He turned to me, head cocked.

“Sure.” I couldn’t focus on my dry as dirt textbook knowing food was on the way.

“Really?” His eyes lit up. “I was shit testing you. I didn’t think you’d say yes.”

“I know,” I said. “But I have three brothers. Didn’t exactly have anyone to play tea party with growing up. We played NHL ’07 all the time.”

Much to my mother’s dismay, I had never been a girly girl. When she found out about her “surprise” pregnancy after she’d had three boys, she was excited for frilly dresses, Barbies, and tea parties. Then I was born, hating all things pink and preferring Derek’s dump trucks to my dolls. I even cried when I was five because Santa brought me a purple and pink Lego set; I wanted the “real” multicolored Legos my brothers had.

He smirked. “So you’re saying you’re good at video games?”

“Oh, I’m better than good.”

Which Luke hated. To him, having a pair of boobs was a disqualifying condition when it came to playing. He was less than thrilled when I wanted to join and even more annoyed when I beat them, which was often. He had always wanted me to go hang in the kitchen with the other girls like a good hockey girlfriend should.

“Sweet.” He stood up and turned on the game console. “None of the chicks I know ever want to play. I think Shiv would like to strangle Dallas with the controller cord at this point.”

“Who’s Shiv?”