Page 56 of Play for Power (Central Sparks #3)

I don’t think I’ve had as much fun while also having a cathartic outlet as I’ve had in the smash room with Addison.

Girl is small and highly emotional, but damn she has rage.

I hooked up my rap hype playlist to the speakers and the two of us have been bashing objects with bats and throwing shit at walls to the blasting beats of Cardi, Kaliii, Queen B, and The Stallion.

A few dance breaks here and there, the two of us laughing and singing along to the lyrics in between destroying.

I got distracted with dancing to Kaliii’s “Area Codes,” that song is my anthem, but watching Addy trying to twerk her skinny ass was possibly the highlight of my day.

My stomach hurts in the best way from laughing so hard, and eventually I need to rehydrate, so I turn the music down and go for some water.

“This is exactly what I needed.” I breathe through a gulp of water as Addy throws the bat down again.

“Good, huh!” she says when she comes over to me. I notice then that her eyes are a little red, a few wet marks under her eyes.

“Hey, are you okay?” A little pain pinches my chest seeing her because I had no idea she was crying. She just rolls her eyes and lets out a watery chuckle, using the back of her wrist to wipe her face.

“I’m fine. It’s just the rage leaving my body.”

“And that’s all it is?” I push her a little, giving her a look to let her know I’m literally the last person to judge her. Like ever.

“Just hard right now. Noah’s barely in the city anymore and I know it’s temporary because of the new office location.

And I’m so proud of him, really, I am. I just…

miss him. And the assignments are killing me at the moment, I really hate being a student and I’m so ready to be done with it.

Mom keeps putting pressure on being one big happy family again.

It’s just…heavy. Everything is heavy and I just wish I could turn it all off.

” She heaves a heavy breath, but she does seem a little lighter than before.

The gleam in her eyes is more settled than it usually is, and I can tell that this Addison, while still facing her normal struggles, is a hell of a lot stronger than Addy from two years ago.

Maybe that tall Greek idiot has been good for her.

“Is there anything I can do? Other than help you keep breaking shit?” I chuckle when she smiles and shakes her head.

“Actually,”

“Anything, say it and it shall be yours.” I exaggerate a bow to her like an eighteenth-century prince ready to kiss her feet and grant her wishes. She chuckles again before answering.

“You can tell me what the comment about bashing hot idiots was about?” She gives me a playful look and my smile drops to give her a bored one.

“There is nothing interesting or deep about my sex life, Addy. Trust me.” I turn and swing a bat to break a stack of plates, perhaps with a little more rage than I planned.

“Mm-hmm.” I hear Addy’s unconvinced hum behind me. With the bat heaved onto my shoulder, I twist around to give her a bland look.

“What?” I ask, trying to look extra unbothered.

“Always cool, calm, and collected Rosie, who doesn’t let anything get under her skin, is doing a great job of breaking things today.” She purses her lips, her bright green eyes narrowed in knowing.

I analyze her face, just for a bit longer.

Trying to work out how much I can tell her and how much I should keep to myself.

And then I remember the things Caleb said to me in the elevator.

That he’s tired of being a secret. That he wants to be exclusive.

Goddamn it. I already broke my no-repeat rule for him, now we were sharing a hotel room, which almost breaks the no-sleepover rule, and now he wants me to break my nonexclusive rule? It’s absurd.

I really need girl talk, I realize.

“So there’s this guy?—”

“I knew it!” She drops her bat as she hops toward me in excitement.

I smother my chuckle and drop the bat too.

Addy uses my hand to pull me down to the ground, and we sit with our backs against the wall.

“Tell me everything! You have no idea how excited I am that you…like, the Rosie Garcia has boy trouble.” She laughs manically, and I purse my lips at her, enjoying her joy, just wishing it wasn’t at my frustration.

“Casey is going to shit her pants when she finds out.” She smacks my leg. “So go on, spill the beans.”

“Anyway, you tyrant.” I smack her back, letting my head fall back against the door and looking at the ceiling.

This might be easier without eye contact.

“I’ve been seeing the same guy for, like, maybe two-ish months.

” She gasps and I arch an unimpressed brow at her.

“Yes, yes. I broke my no-repeat rule.” She gasps again, and I turn a scolding look at her.

She giggles a whispered apology and I go back to looking at the ceiling.

“I don’t know how, he just gets under my skin.

The sex is, like, groundbreaking.” I turn to look at her so she can really understand just how fucking good.

“Like, this man has a penis blessed by the gods and really knows how to use it. And his tongue!? Oh Dios, his tongue. It’s so good.

” He really is a pretty face to sit on. Addison giggles.

“You have no idea how great it is to get sex gossip when it isn’t one of my siblings.” She sighs. I’ve heard all the dirty Jessie and Casey details—man is definitely living up to his caveman nickname—but Addison refuses to participate in those conversations, for obvious reasons.

“Yeah, well, it isn’t the sex that’s causing my head problems.”

“No? Not the fact you realized you broke your no-repeat rule?” She bumps me with her elbow.

“Nope. It’s that he’s making me want to consider breaking my no-sleepover rule. And my nonexclusive rule. And my meet the friends rule.” I don’t say that the mystery man already knows my friends, but not keeping Caleb a secret would essentially be breaking that rule.

“Oh my god,” Addison whispers, and I groan, squeezing my eyes closed. “Are you in love with him?”

“What!?” I look at her and her eyes are blown wide, her mouth open in a happy surprise. “Bitch, you better be joking. I am not in love. Are you crazy!”

“It sounds like love.” She raises her brows suggestively.

“It absolutely does not.” I am not in love. I can’t even feel love. Addison has no idea what she is talking about.

“Okay, tell me more then.”

“What do you mean?”

“About him, and you. Why does he make you want to break all your rules?” She taps her chin softly and she looks at me with knowing eyes. Eyes I still can’t look directly in, so I turn my attention back to the ceiling, thinking of another set of eyes that entrap me every time I see them.

“His eyes. They’re, like, too blue to be purple, but from different angles they’re too purple to be blue!”

“Oooo, that’s hot. Like Elizabeth Taylor! They are so rare!”

“Right! He’s also really fun. Like, I can connect with his playful side, and not only when it’s sexual—he just knows how to look at the bright, fun side of everything.

Doesn’t take life so seriously. And I love that.

” Except when he is declaring the need for an exclusive status and to no longer be a secret, that is not so fun.

I heave a heavy sigh and all my thoughts become consumed by Caleb.

I can’t even stop the stream of consciousness that falls from my lips.

“He’s funny, and super smart. He’s also one of the few eligible bachelors in New York who are all of those things, while also being incredibly sexy and also successful.

I think he’s a lot more successful than he lets on too.

He knows me a lot better than most people, and he makes me feel…

I don’t know, comfortable? Like I can be myself.

He would never judge me for my sexual history, or for my shitty family.

He never only has sex on the mind…don’t get me wrong, the guy is a sex pest?—”

I suck in a breath at my slipup and quickly side-eye Addy to see if she picked up on the nickname, but she just smiles like she has no idea, and I heave a sigh.

Yeah, no. I am not ready for people to know who the man consuming my every thought is.

Sorry, pest, you’re a dirty little secret for just a little bit longer.

“Anyway, he’s just good to talk to. I don’t know.

I feel almost whole when I’m with him. Even when it’s just silent.

His company…I enjoy it.” Crave it, but I leave that out.

When I look at Addy again, her head is leaning against the wall and she is smiling at me with a look of pure adoration.

Almost wistful with green eyes that look almost wet.

“Rosie, maybe you’re not in love yet, but it sounds like you’re well on your way.” She says it gently and I sit up straighter.

“Nope. That’s not what this is.” I laugh at her ridiculous insinuation.

“Okay, but what if it is, is that really so bad?” She chuckles, resting a warm hand on my leg as she continues to bore her overly emotional eyes into me.

“Yes, Addison. That’s worse than bad, that’s horrible. Like, the worst possible outcome.” I look at her, completely horrified.

“And why is that? Rosie Garcia with a boyfriend who matches her perfectly? God, I hope I live to see it.”

“Well, you won’t, trust me.” I shuck off her hand, over the physical affection, and get to standing, taking the bat back in my hand.

“Just tell me why and I’ll drop the question.

” Addy’s tone is full of determination, and I avoid making eye contact as I head to my phone to turn up the music.

I can’t tell her the actual reason why. It’s my best kept secret.

Casey doesn’t know, either, and it’s one of my many shames when it comes to these girls.

They believe they know who I am, but they really, really know nothing at all.

“Just not in the plan.” I give her a fake smile, aiming for playfulness but feeling the weight of everything I don’t say heavily on my shoulders.

Addy is no idiot, though she might not know what is going on, she narrows her eyes because she knows there is something.

When I raise a challenging brow at her, she just rolls her eyes and secures her goggles again, gesturing to play the music.

I hit Play on “WAP” and Addison breaks out into laughter as I let my smile split across my face.

We blast the volume, and with another swing of the bat into the stack of plates, I feel the tension roll down my shoulders.

Girl talk might be cathartic, but now I really don’t know what to do about this stupid boy situation. I swing again in complete raging frustration. This was meant to be about cleansing my anger at my father. Who knew I’d have my titties all twisted about a completely different man.

Caleb motherfucking Smith.