Fake Game (The System #3)

Chapter Sixteen

SIXTEEN

JACKSON

“ G uess who’s back, losers.”

I ignore the noise, centering my concentration as I speed up my car using a rainbow pad. Stevie throws a green turtle shell from her car, but it’s easy to dodge. I shoot out a banana peel, but she narrowly avoids it. I’d never admit it, but she’s getting a little too good at this game.

“Nice try, but I’m winning this round,” she croons.

“We’ll see.”

I still have a trick up my sleeve.

“Hello? Any of you wankers listening to me?”

“No. Stop distracting me,” Aleks clips.

My eyes dip down to the bottom right quadrant of the TV screen to see Aleks riding in seventh place. The corner of my mouth ticks up in satisfaction. Since I met him in high school, he’s always crushed me in practically every game we play. It doesn’t matter how many more hours of work I put in; he is just a natural at everything—except racing games. They are his Achilles’ heel, and I exploit that weakness like no other.

“Come on, come on,” Stevie whispers under her breath.

“Sorry, sweetheart.” I swerve my car right, angling it into the shortcut hallway. I manage to hit the ramp with enough speed to catapult across the gulf. My car spits back onto the main track, ahead of Stevie.

“Dammit, Jackson.”

I grin. Sweet, sweet victory, just seconds away.

I demolished this game.

There’s a light chuckle from my left.

My car goes spinning to the side, a giant bullet knocking me completely off track.

“What the fuck?” Stevie and I yell.

It takes me too long to get myself situated again, and by the time I cross the finish line, a third-place banner unfurls across my square of the screen. The quadrant below me is lit up with a first-place trophy.

I turn to glare at the culprit.

“Ooooh, sorry. Did that mess up your winning streak?”

Deer smiles at me, her tone anything but apologetic as her blue eyes gleam with success. My gaze dips to the low-cut top she is wearing, and my annoyance wavers.

“Nice.” Aleks leans across me, brandishing his knuckles. Deer knocks them back with her own, the two conspirators gloating.

“Whatever, I still won the most rounds.”

“Barely,” Stevie huffs. “If I’d won this, we would’ve been tied.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t, so sucks to suck.”

“God, you’re such a sore loser.”

“I’m kicking you all out of my apartment if you don’t start paying attention to me.” Parker plants himself in front of the TV.

Deer laughs, uncurling herself from the couch and padding over to squeeze him in a hug. “Welcome back.”

The fuck?

She’s never greeted me with a hug before.

Why do my friends get special treatment?

“Happy?” She releases him and cocks her head to the side.

“I guess,” he grumbles, his lower lip pouting slightly.

“Good.” She pats him on the shoulder. “Now, where’s Syd?”

“Jet lag. She went straight to her place.” Parker flops down on the couch, taking Deer’s vacant spot next to me. He reaches forward and takes a sip from one of the flutes on the coffee table. “Ugh, what happened to this champagne?” He looks at the glass like it has gravely offended him. “It tastes like ass.”

“And you’d know what that tastes like,” Aleks tosses, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Fuck off.”

“That’s ‘cause it’s not champagne.” Deer plucks the flute from his hand and settles herself next to him on the couch. “It’s sparkling water, gin, lemon juice, and some sugar.”

Parker scrunches his nose. “That’s basically a poor person’s version of a French 75.”

“Sue me for being lazy.” She rolls her eyes, taking a large sip of the concoction.

My jaw works back and forth, annoyance brewing as Parker and Deer laugh.

“So, are you and Jackson bunking together?” Stevie tosses her legs over Aleks’ lap as she looks at us.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been sleeping in his room, haven’t you?”

Fuck .

I turn to Parker, but he just has his pointer finger pressed on the tip of his nose, “You gotta take the couch, mate.”

“What? No. What are you even doing back early? You were due back Tuesday.”

“Oh, so you finally realized?”

“Parker,” I growl.

“Syd made us come back early because I have a last-minute photoshoot with Health Potionz. You’re looking at the new face of HP energy drinks.” He leans back, throwing his arms over the cushions. “Besides, it’s my room. In fact, it’s my apartment complex. I don’t need your permission to be here.”

“Go crash with your girlfriend.”

“No.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Stevie jumps in.

“Or did she just get sick of looking at your ugly face?” Aleks laughs.

“Bloody hell. I forgot how awful you lot are,” he huffs. “No, she just wanted a night back at her own place.”

“I can take the couch.” Deer’s soft voice slips through the barrage of noise.

“You’re not taking the couch,” I cut back.

“But—”

“It’s not up for discussion.”

“Don’t worry, Deer. Big guy here can survive on the couch; it’s custom made from Norway.” Parker slings an arm around my shoulders, a shit-eating grin slapped on his face.

“You better sleep with one eye open.”

He rolls his eyes. “Besides, it’s just one night. We can get you set up in your place tomorrow, and he can go back to his cave.”

“Tomorrow? It’s ready?”

Wait. What?

“Yeah, technically. I mean, the paint job was finished up this weekend. Might still smell a little chemically tomorrow but shouldn’t be bad enough that you can’t move in a few days early.”

No.

No, I was supposed to have another few days with her.

She wasn’t…

This wasn’t supposed to be her last night.

“Ohmigods. Yes! I can’t wait to see it.”

“Great. I’ll get the movers to your old place first thing. Syd will drop by and help after our meeting.”

“Thanks. It’ll be so nice to have my setup again. No offense to your build.”

“A little offense. Did you see the res from my graphics card? It’s an RTX 4090.”

“No, no, it’s a sick build. Really. It’s just not my style. I have these cooling fans that light up a rotating ombre pink color, and my graphics card is that limited edition Sakura one that has petals falling when it’s running.”

“Huh. You’ll have to show me.”

“Sure. I’ll have you over once it’s all set up.” She grins up at him, her eyes sparkling in that way that means she’s genuinely happy.

There’s a squeaking noise as my molars grind against each other.

“I’m headed to bed.”

I push up from the couch, flinging Parker’s arm off me in the process. Deer startles, her shoulders pinching back as she makes room for me to squeeze past her.

“What? It’s barely midnight,” Parker calls out as I stalk away.

“Bed doesn’t sound like a bad idea, right, babe?” Stevie purrs.

“Doesn’t sound bad at all,” Aleks hums back.

“Oh, come on. What did we say about public spaces?” Parker’s voice pitches higher, “Seriously! Don’t make out on the couch, you guys.”

I ignore them all, and trudge into Parker’s bedroom to collect my shit. I’d left a fair amount of my gym gear in here, not wanting to bother Deer every morning while she was in my room. I throw everything into my sports bag and zip it up, not really caring.

All I care about right now is Deer leaving tomorrow.

My mind floats back to yesterday: her hand on my cheek, her touch warm and calming.

My jaw twinges as it continues to clench harder.

Maybe this is a good thing. She’s making everything confusing. It isn’t supposed to be confusing. Life is supposed to be easy, simple. But nothing has been simple since she walked in. She’s splattered her whimsy on everything she’s touched, and I can’t help but find myself drawn to her intoxicating smile.

For the past week, my dreams have been haunted by visions of her. No matter how hard I try to tear her out of my mind, she’s burrowed her way in, using those sharp, decorative nails to grip the corners of my sanity. She’s an addiction I didn’t know I had until it was too late to quit.

Yesterday is only proof of that, of how blinded I’ve become.

I almost made her my fake girlfriend.

Fuck.

I have to let her go.

Now.