Page 43 of Offensive Plays

A fire burns in my belly, and I know I'm going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.

"Mi casa es su casa," Landry says, "Help yourselves to whatever you want, but I'm going to bed. Everyone good on rooms?"

"Yes, Cap. Thanks for letting us crash here," Zane says, helping a yawning Kesley off the floor.

Everyone disperses, and the lights are turned off.

I go into the kitchen, grab a root beer, and notice that Libby hasn't left. She's still sitting on the couch.

"Aren't you tired?" I ask her.

She looks up at me. "I'm sorry about that. It was...just a game. I hope you know that."

"Yeah, I know. I was the one that chose it." And looking back now, I should've just stayed quiet.

"Seriously, it didn't mean anything," she insists.

Probably like the kisses we shared earlier didn't mean anything either. "Right. Well, I'm going to bed."

"Ok," she says softly.

I go up the stairs and don't look back. Because as much as I like Libby. She's done this to me before. And I don't want to get caught up in another game of “Pick me, please." We’re not teenagers anymore.

I don't have time to be somebody's option. Even if it's the girl I've secretly had a crush on since I was a kid.

I shut the door to my room and rip the sheets off the bed. I can let her go. I've done it before.

That's what I tell myself, just as I'm opening my BlindBang app and pulling up our old messages.

I know it's her on the other side of the screen. But does she know it's me? Hicks almost gave me away earlier.

strangerDanger23: I'm going to assume you chickened out.

A few seconds later, her message comes through.

LeaveHerWild: I guess you could call it that.

strangerDanger23: What changed?

LeaveHerWild: Nothing.

LeaveHerWild: Everything.

LeaveHerWild: I don't think I can do this.

strangerDanger23: Do what, butterfly?

It takes her minute to reply.

LeaveHerWild: I like you…but

I stop reading because that's the fucking problem right there. She likes me. My very breath hangs on every word she says. I would burn the world down twenty times over if it meant making her mine.

But Libby...she just likes me. And that will always be our fucking problem.

Chapter 10

Libby