Chapter 18 #2
His marker froze halfway through writing, and then he slowly looked down at his board. “I knew that.”
When I chuckled, he growled. “Shut up.”
“Now I’m curious what you wrote first.”
“No one will ever know.” He quickly wiped the board with the sleeve of his shirt before starting over.
That was Sawyer, I was learning. Full speed ahead, mouth open, heart out, then an immediate scramble when he realized he’d gotten ahead of himself. It was endearing as hell. I wondered, though, what would happen if he stopped trying to course-correct and just embraced himself fully.
When Rome called for answers, Hudson flipped his board first, his own name written down. When Drew confirmed that that was the right answer, Hudson added, “I’d like to just say he’s wrong, because he starts the majority of arguments—however, I knew he’d say my name.”
“We got the match. You don’t have to explain why you’re wrong,” Drew said.
“Why you’re wrong.”
As they carried on in the background, Rome turned our way. “Sawyer, let’s see how well you know your tracksuit-loving new boyfriend.”
Sawyer flipped his board, and I honestly wasn’t sure whom he’d go with until I saw the name he’d written. Sawyer.
My first instinct had been my own name, but once he’d realized the question was from my perspective, I had a feeling he’d go with his own.
I slowly turned mine to reveal his name.
“Hell yes,” he said, not caring at all that we’d both called him out. “All of you should be afraid right now.”
“Our newest couple and somehow also the most in sync two questions in. But will it last?” Rome waggled his brows and moved on to Peter and Alec, who, once again, couldn’t get on the same page.
“Would you look at that, another regret penalty. Peter, you must choose a pose that your partner has to maintain through the next round of questioning.”
Peter apparently had a grudge after the last penalty, because he made Alec squat like he was reading a newspaper on the toilet, which sent Sawyer into absolute hysterics.
That old-socks jellybean must’ve tasted bad.
The game kept moving after that, Rome tossing out faster questions that kept everyone on their toes laughing, and occasionally groaning.
Who could survive longer without their phone?
I wrote me, Sawyer wrote not me, and that had Catherine saying, “At least he’s honest,” while securing another win for us.
Who was more likely to flirt their way out of a speeding ticket?
Every single person in the room said Rome, who bowed like we’d paid him a compliment.
As the night went on, everyone had gotten a lot more comfortable, and that included the man sitting next to me.
We were always touching, whether it was his leg against mine or his fingers grazing my thigh, and it was all so natural that it was hard to remember that none of this had started naturally at all.
No, I’d stepped into a lie, and now I was trying to build something real inside it. Was that even possible?
Rome chose a fresh card, and a devious smirk crossed his face. “Blue markers answer for green. If your partner had to hide one embarrassing item from their bedroom before guests arrived, what would it be?”
Sawyer choked on his drink. “Rome.”
“What?” Rome said innocently. “I didn’t ask what drawer it was in.”
There were groans around the room, and Sawyer looked at me, narrowing his eyes and tapping his lips in thought.
The truth was, he had no idea what my bedroom looked like. That I had a stack of physical therapy journals on my desk or a ridiculously expensive mattress I’d bought after treating too many people with back issues. There wasn’t a single thing in there that would’ve embarrassed me.
Except how bad I could picture Sawyer in my bed.
Not exactly helpful.
Hudson’s board said receipts, which had Drew’s brows knitting together.
“Why would I hide receipts?” he said.
“Because you don’t want me to know what you spent on that limited-edition signed book last month.”
Drew’s mouth fell open like he hadn’t expected Hudson to know about that, but then he lifted his chin. “That was an investment.” Then he revealed his answer—Nothing. I have no shame—which earned them the regret bowl.
“Your penalty is this: Drew gets to choose your song, and you have to enter the room like you’re entering a championship fight.”
Drew’s eyes lit up, while Hudson shook his head and said, “Nope.”
“Should’ve guessed right,” Drew said, turning to Rome. “Do you have ‘I’m Too Sexy’?”
“Oh God. I hate you.”
“You love me.”
“Unfortunately.”
Thirty seconds later, Hudson entered the room to Right Said Fred with a scowl on his face that had the room dying. Even Catherine was wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.
Sawyer was practically melted into my side laughing, and as for me? I was gone. Completely gone.
Because this version of Sawyer—happy, breathless, red-faced from laughter, eyes bright—was impossible not to want more of.
Catherine and Lily had both agreed that their Venetian cherub lamp from a trip to Italy needed to go, and then it was our turn to find out what embarrassing thing Sawyer thought I was hiding.
His answer? A secret twelve-step skincare routine.
My brows shot up and I laughed.
“This has to be it,” he said. “Look at your face. That doesn’t happen by accident.”
“Uh, thank you?” I turned my board around. Old running shoes I refuse to throw away.
“Really? Sentimental ties, or you’re just lazy?”
“Neither. They’re just more comfortable than all my new ones.”
Rome tsked, already thrusting his hand into the regret bowl. “Your penalty for not being on the same page is that you must style your partner in ten seconds with items from the prop basket, which we’ll all get to take photos of and keep for blackmailing purposes, of course.”
Rome handed me the basket full of novelty items like feather boas, tiaras, fake mustache, oversized glasses…lingerie?
Sawyer glanced at the contents as we got to our feet. “Be nice…”
“Nice is you in this lacy lingerie,” I said.
“Payback’s a bitch.”
I grinned, and when Rome said go, I dolled Sawyer up in the bright rainbow feather boa, grass hula skirt, an oversized top hat, and a monocle, with a long cigarette holder in his mouth.
“I thought you were going to go more pretty princess, not Monopoly man,” Sawyer murmured around his prop.
“The Monopoly man wishes he had a hula skirt.”
Everyone already had their phones out and were snapping photos, but Sawyer, being a good sport, gave them a few poses to make the outfit really pop. I took a selfie before he dropped back on the couch, dangling the cigarette holder between his fingers. “Anyone have a lighter?”
As Rome headed around the room for the rest of the answers, Sawyer pressed his leg against mine and I gently nudged him back, keeping us connected.
One second we were joking, and the next he stilled, looking at me in a way that made my chest squeeze and my breath stutter. Even in his ridiculous getup.
How had I ended up here?
The game continued, and Sawyer managed to keep his props on, which made it almost impossible to take anything seriously. Especially when every time Rome called on us, he tipped the top hat like a gentleman, which kept everyone laughing and the mood light.
At least, it did for a while.
Then Rome pulled another card, laughing when he looked at it. “Remember, this is a classy family event. What’s your partner’s biggest tell when they’re turned on but trying not to show it?”
It had all been fun and games up until then. But when Alec and Peter’s boards went up, they both, shockingly, said the same thing: Peter rubs his thumb over his bottom lip.
Sawyer froze against me.
I saw his smile falter a little, even though he was obviously trying to brush off whatever he was feeling through the ridiculous questions and penalties that followed.
When Rome finally announced a break before the next round, Sawyer shifted from under my arm and glanced toward the doors that led out to the covered terrace.
“I’m gonna get some air,” he said.
“Sounds good.” I started to move, but then realized he hadn’t asked me to join. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, that’s okay, I won’t be long.” His smile was unconvincing. “Just warm in here.”
I didn’t call him out on it. Maybe I should have, but he’d let me stay close all night, so if he needed a minute alone, I could give him that.
But I’d be watching Peter like a hawk to make sure he didn’t follow him out there.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll grab us some snacks.”
“Perfect.” His gaze held mine for a beat and then he stood, his fingers brushing mine before he headed for the terrace.
I watched him disappear through the doors, still feeling his touch even in his absence.
And then I wondered how the hell I was supposed to protect him from Peter when the thing most likely to hurt him now…was me.