And then I heard it again.
Bzzzzzzzz.
The toy was still on. I shifted slightly, trying to press down on the pillow and silence the hum without making it obvious. But Kase had already tilted his head, that damn smirk creeping onto his face.
“You good?” he asked, voice dipped in honey and mischief.
I nodded too fast. “Y-yeah. Did… did you need something?”
He leaned back, arm stretching behind me, that chain still catching light like a setup. “Yeah. My bad about yesterday.”
“No worries,” I said way too fast. “I, ugh… forgot about it.”
He raised a brow. “You forgot about me telling the whole club you were wet on the dance floor?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing smart came out.
“Listen, Wheels,” he said, voice thick with teasing.
“It’s alright. You got wet. So what?”
“Wheels? Why do you always call me that?
He grinned. “Yeah. You always the third wheel with my brother and your cousin. Everywhere we go, it’s Jace, Tuesday, and you. Backseat. At the table. Holding the camera while they tongue each other down. So boom—Wheels.”
I stared at him, stunned. “That is… incredibly rude.”
“But it fits,” he said, eyes on me. “And you cute when you mad, so I win either way.”
I glared at him, but the toy under me wasn’t letting me hold onto any dignity. The damn thing buzzed again, loud. Kase leaned in, head tilted like he was putting two and two together.
“Wheels…” he said slowly, voice low and playful.
“You sure that ain't your seat… or your toy acting up?”
“I—uh—I don’t know what you mean,” I stammered.
“Mmhmm,” he nodded, licking his bottom lip . “You out here sitting on a secret, huh? Let me find out you in here ridin’ a vibe like it’s training wheels.”
Before I could even defend myself, the toy slipped. Right from under the pillow, and hit the hardwood. I wanted to pass out seeing it buzzinglike a damn Harley. I dove to grab it, but it was too late. Kase leaned over, laughing loudly and sounhelpful.
“Aww nah. Not the deluxe edition with the turbo engine.”
“Stop!” I hissed, yanking it off the floor and ripping the battery out like I was disabling a bomb.
He wiped a tear from his eye. “Yo, I didn’t even know they made ‘em that loud! That joint sound like it need gas.”
“You are so immature.”
“Nah, you just make it too easy,” he said, still grinning.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed on the table. We both glanced down. The screen lit up with a message:
Key Key: You left your boxers in my car. Want me to drop them off later?
My smile snapped into place like a trap. “Well,Turbo Engine, huh?” I said sweetly, folding my arms. “Guess I’m not the only one with battery-powered problems. What was it—five pumps and a grunt? Y’all was in the car, so it had to be quick.”
His smirk dropped. “Man, that ain’t even?—”
