I scoff. He thinks we don’t stand a chance against them. Screw him.
“Deal.” I nudge him with my shoulder, eager to erase the smug look from his face.
Dominic sits on my other side, sandwiching me between him and my brother. When his thigh presses against mine, my cheeks go hot. Dammit. They’re trying to intimidate me, but they have no idea how Dom’s closeness really affects me. My heart is ready to jump out of my chest.
“Nervous?” He tilts closer, his mouth at my ear.
“You wish.” I wiggle forward and stand. “Your tactics won’t work on me.”
When I get a look at Chiara, I stifle a groan. Clearly, the tactics are working on her. She’s staring at my brother with stars in her eyes.
Fifteen minutes later,I’m sitting on the couch stewing. I beat Matt, but Chiara lost to Dominic. Now, as Matt kicks her butt on screen, I tap my foot. I don’t want to go back to my room. I want to stay and play, damn them!
“Which character are you going to be?” Dom asks. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, the screen lighting up with a text notification. From here, all I can make out is the first letter of thesender’s name: R. With barely a glance, he locks the device and tosses it onto the coffee table.
I turn away. “Kitana.”
He snickers. “You’re so predictable.”
“Look who’s talking.” I point at the TV. “Scorpion? Again?”
The first round begins, and I press what feels like all the buttons at once. Miraculously, I win. Afterward, Dominic turns his glare on me. All I can think about as he scowls is how handsome he is, even when he’s pissed.
It isn’t until the third round is over that I realize he lost on purpose.
When I lose again, Matt snatches the controller out of my hand. “You had your ass handed to you, little one.”
Chiara leans into me. “Should we go to your room?”
I sit, my shoulders tense, my focus trained on the TV. I don’t want to leave this room. This is the first time since we moved in that my mom has allowed me to have anyone over.
Matt rounds the couch and zeroes in on me, his brow furrowed.
“What’s wrong?” His voice is soft.
“I—”
“You aren’t going to cry, are you?” Dominic asks, his voice too loud, too harsh. “I hate when girls cry for no reason.”
Matt gives him thatseriously?look, urging him to shut up.
But it’s too late.
I stand, causing Matt to take a step back. Holding my head high, I take my time exiting the room. It’s the best I can do while holding back the tsunami of emotions roiling in my chest.
“Mia, you can stay if you want,” Matt calls out to me.
“Thanks, but no. I hate when guys act like dicks for no reason.”
With that, I climb the stairs to my bedroom. Chiara follows me, laughing quietly under her breath.
Mia: 1.
Condescending asshole: 0.
For what feels like an eternity,I wait for Mom to get home from work. I make myself dinner, figuring she’ll be back by the time I eat. Yet, when I put my plate in the dishwasher and heat up a mug of hot chocolate, she’s still not home.
Finally, the front door closes, and her voice echoes down the hall. “This trip is very important for your dad. If he signs this contract…”
