Page 45 of Hate Me Like You Mean It

“Two.”

“One.”

The flag fell. Our engines roared. And we lurched forward.

We’d agreed on one round, with Dominic noting that he wasn’t going to let me get away with messing around on a racetrack all day when there were entire walls waiting to be meticulously scrubbed back at his house.

So we did one round, which he won.

Then he begrudgingly suggested doing a second. He won that one, too, and went on to win the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth.

We bickered back and forth, taunting each other relentlessly the whole time.

And continued to do so when we got back to his place, and he watched me scrub a stark white wall with a bamboo toothbrush until he got bored and dismissed me.

At which point I pretended to leave.

The Family Chatnel

Me

I have a question

Adrien

Me too. Why the fuck haven’t you been picking up your phone or answering any of my texts?

Me

Busy with work

Adrien

Gampy says he talked to you two days ago.

Me

He called me eight times in the span of 3 minutes at like 1 a.m.

I thought he was dying.

Gramp Stamp

Dr. Thomas predicts I will outlive both of you.

I have the resting heart rate of a sleeping monk.

And you didn’t tell me about the time difference.

Me

I have to tell you there’s a time difference between here and BC??

Adrien

Dr. Thomas wants the D, Gamps. I’ve seen the way she ogles when your sweater vests and socks match.

Sister In Law, Esq.