Page 63 of Bonus Game
Riley was on the couch—and he was scared to move.
Sloan had been pacing around him like a territorial badger since the second he’d sat down, and he didn’t know whether to hide in his room and bolt the door or keep the maniac in his sights so he couldn’t pull a fast one.
His roommate was currently in the kitchen making food that smelled annoyingly delicious, muttering to himself as dishes clattered, making it sound like he was at war with the saucepan.
Sighing, Riley texted Allen and Jake in their group chat while he contemplated inviting them over before Sloan destroyed the apartment.
Got sent home on concussion protocol. Nothing serious, just a precaution. Guess who they asked to be my nursemaid.
Jake: I don’t know any nurses.
Allen: Is Kingston wearing a sexy nurse uniform? I can loan him one from work if he needs it.
Jake: I’m confused. Are you out on concussion protocol, or role-playing with Sloan?
Riley shook his head. He loved how quickly their conversations fell into chaos.
Allen is being a pervert. Sloan is my concussion buddy, even though I asked to stay with you guys. He shoved his way into the conversation and took the job, so now I’m stuck with him.
Allen: Aw, I think he likes you.
Riley stared at the words, reading repetitively until he gave up trying to make sense of them.
Allen: He’s like a stray cat sitting ten feet away from you, demanding snuggles and refusing to let you close.
Okay. That made even less sense.
Jake: He’s pretty.
Allen: Oh, I know! I think it’s the scowl. It makes him look like a pouty kitten.
The random comments were something Riley was used to because he grew up with Jake, but they really thoughtSloanwas pretty? He looked…like a guy. He was nothing like Allen, but maybe it was unfair to make that comparison.
Sloan did have a pleasing face, and his mouth was obnoxiously distracting. And his hair looked soft because it wasso light, even when it was damp from sweat. And his blue eyes reminded him of sunny winter days when the temperature was so cold it was impossible for the sky to form clouds.
Yeah, maybe.
Allen: Ha! Look at you being a good boy and looking past your grudge to be nice?—
The phone was suddenly plucked from his hand, and Riley jumped, scrambling to take it back before Sloan could read his messages.
“What are you doing?”
“Give it back!”
A hand pressed down on his throbbing head, and Riley twisted around on the couch, reaching over the back as Sloan held the phone out of reach so he couldread his messages!
“Hello!” Riley shouted. “Breach of fucking privacy here!”
Sloan slowly shifted his attention from the phone to Riley, showing no reaction to the gossip that he had butted in on.
“You’re not supposed to be looking at screens,” Sloan said gruffly. “Can’t you sit there with your eyes closed for a few hours? Will I really have to watch you like I’m yournurse?”
Riley felt heat prickling his skin like pins and needles, but he said nothing as Sloan nonchalantly shoved the phone into his pocket and strode back to the kitchen.
“And I’m not a fucking kitten either.”
Riley’s jaw dropped, and every function in his system went offline as he stared at Sloan from across the room. It didn’t make sense, but—could it be possible that Sloan was an asshole because he didn’t know how to make friends?
