Page 43 of The Player

“You make it sound worse than it was. I’m not mentally scarred because I sat in my dad’s lap a little less than Shelley and didn’t bake as many cookies with Mum as Kate did.”

“But it affects you in other ways.”

“Okay, Freud. How does it affect me?” I couldn’t wait to hear what he had to say.

“You’re independent, but you want to be noticed. You like knowing you can take care of yourself, but sometimes… you wish someone would take charge. Pick you up. Put you first.”

“My family do put me first,” I replied a little too defensively.

“Not always.”

I was done psychoanalysing my childhood. “I don’t want to talk about this. We’ll only end up arguing.”

“Okay, let’s change the subject. Tell me a little more about Kate. I know about Shelley through Colton, but I barely know Kate.”

“I don’t want to talk about my family anymore,” I said, because I meant it. Thinking about them was making me feel sad. “How about we talk about Shelley and Colton’s engagement party instead, and why you acted like a total dick to me again that night?”

He laughed loud, sarcastically, and I could already imagine the cocky look on his face right now.

“Oh, you wanna go there, do you?” he teased.

“I sure do.”

“Even after you turned up at the club with another guy?”

“Oh my God! That was Eric. Shelley’s best friend. Bestgayfriend. He was more interested in getting your number than mine that night.”

I felt movement beside me as Will turned to face me.

“Did you give it to him?”

“What?”

“My number. Did you give it to him?”

“No.”

“Good.” The mattress dipped again as he rolled onto his back. “He wasn’t my type.”

“You made that crystal clear by the way you were glaring at us.”

He huffed.

“You were dancing with him, getting all close and rubbing up against him. I didn’t like it.”

“Still couldn’t take your eyes off us though, could you?”

I felt his warm breath tickling my skin again as he turned his head towards me.

“I seem to remember your eyes were on me too. You were pushing me to get a reaction.”

He was right.

“Maybe,” I admitted reluctantly. “But in my defence, I thought you knew Eric.”

“I didn’t.”

“Well, I’m sorry I teased you, and thank you.”