16. Dylan
Chapter sixteen
Dylan
Chris, Dom’s brother-in-law, feeds another mini corn dog to Hopper before the giant dog makes himself comfortable on Dee’s couch between Jake—his husband—and Aiden.
“You know, Hopper. Your ancestors were wolves. Now look at you,” Jake teases.
“You be nice to the baby,” Dee hollers from the kitchen where she’s making herself some popcorn. It’s become clear to me that it’s one of Dee’s main food groups.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Jake says. “He’s not a baby. He used to roam the woods feasting on…well, I don’t actually know, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t mini corn dogs.”
“So, what you’re saying is you don’t have proof it wasn’t mini corn dogs,” Chris provokes his husband from his spot in Dee’s favorite green chair. She perches next to him on the arm cushion, sliding her hand out for a high five, which he instantly gives her.
“Pretty sure I read somewhere that yellow labs did in fact feast on mini corn dogs in the wild. Have any facts to back up your claims, Jake?” Dee asks, all mischief in her eyes as she tosses a piece of popcorn across the room to Hopper, which he gobbles out of the air flawlessly.
I wasn’t sure how Dee would feel about me hosting the guys for a game night, but she beamed with unbridled enthusiasm as soon as I mentioned it, asking if she’d mind. She started racing around the living room, sorting through her various piles to make room around the coffee table for everyone.
She offered to get out of my hair and ask one of the girls to get together, but I found myself shouting no. It was…awkward. I fumbled a recovery, explaining that I didn’t want her to feel like she had to leave her own place.
She shrugged it off and agreed to stay. I can’t explain exactly why that had my nervous system settling, but I know I didn’t like the idea of kicking her out of her own place. And the idea of including her in this did something funny in my chest.
“You two are as bad as a Chris and Ellie team-up,” Jake says with a sigh, refusing to engage in battle. Wise choice.
“I’ll take that as a compliment?” Dee looks to Chris, who nods in agreement.
“As you should. Jake knows no peace when Ellie and I team up,” Chris confirms with glee.
“And neither do I. I’m finally off the hook here. Have at him, Dee.” Dom laughs at his brother’s expense.
“Some brother you are,” Jake grumbles, attempting to trip Dom as he walks past. Dom hops over his older brother’s foot without missing a beat before sitting in front of Dee’s TV, leaning back against the coffee table, legs stretching out in front of him.
I shake my head and continue to set up the gaming system before handing out two controllers, one to Dom and the other to Chris, since they’re the closest.
“So, what are we playing?” Dee asks, tucking her chin into the neckline of her sweatshirt. My sweatshirt. I must have left it on the couch. Not that I mind that she’s borrowing it. Then why can’t I stop staring?
“Distant Galaxy,” Aiden says. “It’s newer.
Basically, we’ve been dropped off on an alien planet and we fall immediately into a battle between two alien races who have been at war for centuries.
In self-defense, you accidentally kill the leader, and their army brings you back to their home planet to answer for your crime.
But then you realize his daughter, who is set to take power, hated her father and she doesn’t have you executed right away. So, you have to figure out why and —”
“Oh, so enemies to lovers,” Dee says, nodding along to Aiden’s explanation.
Aiden smiles. “Bec said the same thing.”
She makes herself comfortable, wedging herself into the too-small chair with Chris, who doesn’t seem to mind at all, moving over as far as he can to make room for her. “Consider me invested. Just give me names as we get going. I’m terrible with names.”
“The names aren’t important,” I say.
“Are you kidding?” Jake asks, outraged. “It’s obvious foreshadowing. Didn’t you notice his surname is nearly the same as the General from the ancient texts he found on the third mission?”
“Who the fuck was paying attention to that?” Dom asks. “I’m with Dee. I barely remember the name of the main character.”
“His name is Dominic,” Chris says, wheezing with laughter. “Dom, that is the one name you should remember.”
Dee looks absolutely giddy, chomping on another handful of popcorn, her head snapping back and forth as the guys go at it.
She asks questions as we play, showing genuine interest in the story.
She even takes a stab at playing herself.
She dies instantly, but determined as ever-loving fuck, she demands another turn.
And another. She finally lives for longer than a few minutes, and she gives a dramatic bow at the front of the room before making another bowl of popcorn to share.
After a few hours, the guys head out, and Dee helps me clean up, shaking her head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but please host another game night. Soon. I need to know what happens next.”
“You liked it?” I ask, unnecessarily, but wanting to hear her admit it.
It was obvious. She berated the guys for calling it a night, since we were close to the next battle.
But it’s late, already one in the morning, and we’re all in our thirties.
It’s way past our bedtime, and tomorrow we’ll all pay for it.
“Are you kidding? I’m fucking invested. Want to play with me now that they’re gone?”
My stupid fucking brain hears the words, and like the horny piece of shit that I am, I’m instantly picturing playing with her in all sorts of ways that do not involve this goddamn video game.
I clear my throat, and oblivious, Dee urges me on. “Come on. I know you want it.”
I shake my head, willing my dick not to get hard because suddenly I’ve lost control of downstairs Dylan as he takes the wheel of my brain and my body. Thankfully, Dee doesn’t seem to notice.
“You’re going to have to let an old man sleep. But I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. Consider this our version of book club,” I say, trying to refocus my thoughts on safer topics.
“I’m sorry I judged you. This is just as good as book club.”
“Did Deanna Perry just apologize? For a mistake?”
She bumps into me on her way to the kitchen, her hands full of dishes, before she places them in the sink. “Hey, I can admit when I’m wrong, dillhole. Can you?”
I look at her, and maybe it’s the third beer of the night, or the late hour, or the way her cheeks are flush, or the way her messy hair makes it feel like she’s comfortable and at home in my presence, but I can’t look away.
Confused by my lack of response, she watches me, her brows furrowed.
“Oh no, are you addicted now? You want me to apologize for everything? Fine. I’m sorry I called you a dillhole.
But if you want my goodwill to last, I’m going to need you to stop acting all high and mighty when I accidentally get stuck staring at the ceiling while running into the wall.
I’m still getting used to the controls,” she jokes.
My heart thuds as I recall how she laughed at herself as she learned the controls, still determined to get unstuck by herself, even when I offered to help.
When an alien came up behind her character and attacked, she threw the remote control into my lap, screaming at me to help her, right before a hulking beast of an alien chopped my guy’s head off.
She proceeded to blame me for the next thirty minutes for the kill.
It shouldn’t make my stomach fly. It shouldn’t light my insides up brighter than the skyline blinking in the darkness outside the window.
“Next time you get stuck staring at a wall, I’ll save you.”
She pops on her toes, kissing me on the cheek, then slapping me on the ass as she walks past me into her bedroom. “Glad that’s settled. On that note, good game,” she says in her deepest voice. Then she sings a dramatic “Good night” before closing her bedroom door behind her.
I wander into my room, dazed, unable to rationalize why I can still feel her soft lips pressed lightly against my cheek.
Without realizing it, my hand drifts to brush over the spot.
I walk straight to the wall, dropping my head to rest against the cool surface, then laugh at myself, realizing I’m in the exact position Dee would put me in if she were in control of my character.
Fuck, something is happening here.
Refusing to name it, I get ready for bed. I lie restless in the dark for an hour before sleep finally takes me.
I dream of Dee befriending aliens and becoming their queen—because of course she would—sharing a big bowl of popcorn with a crew of them, before she drags me to sit with her.
I wake with a smile on my face and a hard-on so stiff, I’m tenting the sheet.
I need to go on that date. Because if I’m not careful, I might fall for my terrifying, five-foot-nothing, powerhouse of a roommate.