Page 57 of The CEO I Hate

“Never got the game back though.”

“Probably still sitting in a box in my parents’ garage.” His shoulders slumped. “The good old days.”

I frowned. I’d been trying to keep things light. I hadn’t meant to make Jake think of everything he’d lost since then. Jake jammed his finger into the button on his controller, and I turned my attention to the game, which had finally loaded.

“You wanna be an elf or a scout this time?” Jake asked. “Actually, wait. This guy is more your style.” A big scowling ogre flashed across the screen.

Jake had always liked video games—we both had—but he’d become a lot more hardcore since the accident. Some days it was the one outlet I could offer him, so I’d been hooking him up with all the latest stuff from Connor as well as the latest releases from every other gaming company too.

“Wow,” I said. “Shots fired.”

“You can’t tell me Connor didn’t base this character off you.” He laughed at the look on my face, and my thoughts immediately jumped to the picture Mia had bought at the convention, at how excited she’d been at the thought of making it the writers’ room mascot. As promised, the picture was now in my possession.

She’d been reluctant to let it go, but notthatreluctant. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the image of her smiling at me from across the table, the light catching flecks of gold in those brown eyes, her cheeks flushed pink, her lips glossy. My hand tightened around the controller.

“Dude, I was joking,” Jake muttered.

I looked up at the screen only to realize I’d selected the ogre.

“That guy will be slow as hell,” Jake continued. “Look at his stats.”

I changed my selection, and the game started up, thrusting us right into the middle of a battle in the fictional world of Endrith. A woman’s voice echoed over clashing swords. “Bound by legacy, driven by fate. To wield the blade is to carry a kingdom’s future.”

“So,” Jake said as he chopped a guy’s head off. “I heard you’re having dinner with my parents on Friday.”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I was so caught off guard that I didn’t even notice the enemy closing in until my character was run through with a sword.

“Man, you gonna make me heal you this early in the game?” Jake complained, dashing over to revive my character.

“Uh, yeah,” I said, answering his dinner question. I hadn’t expected Mia to tell Jake. We’d decided not to tell her parents in advance. Mia wantedthemto be the ones ambushed for a change—so he could only have learned from her.

I tried to get a good look at Jake’s face. He was focused on the screen, firing off flaming arrows at some demon-like bat creature.

Was he pissed that I was going to be Mia’s fake boyfriend for the night?

I couldn’t tell, but the sirens whirring in my head said to explain.Now!“She was telling me about what a rough time she’s been having with your parents and the weirdos they keep trying to set her up with?—”

Jake waved me off as my heart hammered. “Yeah, I know. Watch those black blades. They’re poisoned. They’ve really doubled down on trying to marry her off. Honestly, I’m glad she’s got you in hercorner, but I’m not sure my parents are going to buy the idea of you and Mia together.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, we all know you look at her like a little sister.”

He was too focused on the screen to notice my expression, which was a good thing. It kept him from realizing how wrong he was. I didn’twanthim to realize that. Because he might just turn around and throttle me.

“But I figure even if they don’t buy it,” Jake continued, “you being there might be enough to throw them off balance.”

“Right,” I said, slashing through enemies. Why did this have to be so difficult? Why couldn’t I get Mia off my mind?

“I know they’re being extra hard on her, and it’s my fault,” Jake said. “And I feel like shit about it.”

“It’s not your fault,” I said automatically.

“Itis. My parents have always tried to tell us how to live our lives, but it’s been so much worse since the accident. It has them thinking they were right all along.

That’s why they’ve doubled down on Mia. They’d rather her be married to some loser and pop out two-point-five kids instead of following her dreams.”

He grumbled. “I know I should be the one going home with her, but I just can’t deal with them right now. So I appreciate you taking one for the team, man.”