I was at the arcade now and was instantly regretting my decision.
It was dark in here… so many crane games and echoes of inaudible banter blowing through the entire area. I could barely hear myself think.
After glancing around nervously, I stepped through the aisles of games and tried to spot Jase’s person.
Why was I here? I didn’t know.
I told myself I was going to spy on him to fill the last two spaces on my paper… even though I already did.
After weaving through the foreign games, I paused and glanced around, wondering if he was more of a air hockey person or a racing game person.
But then I paused, his previous words echoing through my head:
I like fighting games.
I then thinned my lips and started to the action and horror section, looking left and right before I made it.
And—sure enough—he was here, quickly slamming buttons on Street Fighter, but he didn’t look as into it as he should’ve.
His stance was relaxed, and every movement was with grace… as if he was focusing entirely on something else around him and was playing the game in the background.
I immediately paused and shrank behind an arcade machine, pulling my beanie more over my hair as I spared him a generous glance.
He kept playing the game, though his stance didn’t falter.
I just thinned my lips and swallowed something hard, glancing around the room to try to see if there were any other games I could play while stalking him.
So I at least looked normal.
The moment I gazed back over to what he was doing, he was standing right in front of me.
I screamed, scrambling backward.
He just smiled.
I caught my breath before pressing my hand to my chest. “What the hell?! You scared the hell out of me!”
He never responded, just gave me his familiar dark smile. “You make it easy.”
I just threw down my hands and sucked in a breath, gazing up at him seconds later. “I was just passing through. I need to go home now.”
He just leaned his arm against the arcade machine on my right. “Can’t I buy you some food first?”
I gave him a warning look.
“It’s only a mere suggestion,” he said with a smile. “You haven’t eaten anything for dinner, have you?”
I swallowed something hard.
I guess Froot Loops didn’t count.
“Just a small meal,” he said then, almost daring me, “can’t hurt.”
“My sister’s waiting for me.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t follow you,” he responded then, smirking. “Pity.”
I just gazed up, staring into his obsidian eyes. “She’s going to worry.”
“Then you better hurry up,” he said, stepping past me, “I’ll be at the food counter.”
I stared after him, lips parting.
And—because I was an idiot—I found myself sitting at a very-poorly colored table with a pile of nachos in front of me.
Jase sat across from me, his side of the table only containing a half-drunken cup of soda.
I took a bite of a nacho and chewed slowly.
He just smirked. “Stalking me?”
I nearly choked but was able to swallow it first. “No.”
“Liar,” he said then, smirking, “you like me. Admit it.”
“Hardly.”
It was a lie. I was full of lies today.
“You find me attracting,” he said then.
“I find you repulsive.”
Another lie.
“How are the nachos?” he asked me then, changing the subject.
“Fine,” I said then, taking another bite. “Now can we finish these last two questions or not?”
“Shoot,” he said then, smirking.
“What’s your ideal pen color?” I asked him then.
“Mmm…” he responded, eyes glistening under the soft lights, “black. Like my soul.”
I sighed and pulled out my paper, holding a chip in my mouth as I scratched down his answer.
“Favorite food?” I asked him.
“Steak,” he said then, smirking.
I just kept the chip in my mouth and wrote down, “meat”, then—realizing what I just wrote was a horrific answer—I erased it and rewrote “steak”.
After setting the pen down I held onto my chip so I could chew it better.
He just gazed down at my paper, scanning it. “Jerk? Stuck-up asshole?” He smiled up at me. “Ouch.”
“Like you haven’t heard the words before.”
“I have, doesn’t mean it hurts any less.”
I swallowed the chip and gazed up at him. “You irritate me.”
“It’s easy.”
My lashes lowered. “Why do you like irritating me so much? And why do you enjoy getting under my skin so much?”
His smile grew dangerous. “You make it fun.”
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