Chapter 22
Dex
Korren is still fast asleep when I get up the next morning. And even though we’re supposed to be at the fire station at nine for a debrief, I let him keep sleeping all the way until ten.
I tiptoe around him grabbing breakfast, which I eat on the porch with the cat winding itself around my legs.
I feel really guilty about my dare yesterday.
Korren was obviously desperate for sleep, and he would’ve had another broken night if I’d insisted him sharing my bed.
No wonder he was angry about it. I even heard him shouting out a couple times in the night, which didn’t happen the whole time we were away, so he probably never let his guard down enough to sleep properly while we were at the fire.
I wonder if he’s going to regret his dare as well. He obviously did it just to shock me enough that I’d back down, which worked. Maybe I should withdraw my dare so I don’t ruin things between us. I don’t want to drive him away.
A second later, I’m shaking my head at my own stupidity. Wasn’t that the whole point of this game—to drive Korren away and win the cabin?
But things have changed since we first started this dumb challenge.
I’ve realized how crushingly lonely I was before now, and how much I enjoy having Korren living with me.
He’s the perfect housemate—we get along really well, I don’t have to hide my shameful secrets from him, and there’s no danger of getting tangled up in the sort of relationship drama that wrecked my life before.
It’ll be a long time before I trust myself with another relationship.
I’m still thinking along these lines when Korren finally stumbles out of the cabin, dressed for the day but still bleary-eyed.
“You let me oversleep,” he accuses me.
“You needed it.”
He looks like he’s about to say something but instead closes his mouth, jaw working.
I reach out for his hand—I’m half-expecting him to resist, but he slips his hand into mine without a word and falls into step beside me.
As we follow the trail through the woods back toward Uncle Rhodes’ house, I say, “I’ve been thinking about something.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s nice having a housemate. D’you think we could come to some arrangement where we give up on this competition and just live together? We can get you a sofa bed if you’d like.”
Korren gives me a look. “Is this because you’re scared of sex?”
“No.”
“Because that’s not how the game works. I want that cabin all to myself. No sharing. That was the deal, and I’m not giving up until you’ve dropped out completely.”
That hurts. I should’ve known better, but I’d hoped Korren wouldn’t want to push me away so quickly.
“Fine,” I say, trying to act as thought I don’t care. I don’t think Korren is fooled. “In that case, I’ve been doing some research, and I’m game to let you fuck me tonight.”
The flicker of anxiety in Korren’s eyes tells me he never thought I’d go through with it.