Page 65 of Chasing Hope

MATTEO

making me gag this late at night should be a crime

ELLINGTON

you’re such a prude

I bet you are secretly kinky

MATTEO

what’s weird is that you’re always trying to find out if I’m kinky

you secretly in love with me, C?

“Iwin,” Evie declares for the fifth time tonight.

I duck my head down to see if there are any cards under the coffee table. “Bullshit! You had two cards left!”

Her grin is as smug as her tone. “Yes, and then I placed a card down. You picked up four, again, and I just placed my last card down. So, I win.”

I lean back, placing my arm along the couch. “This is rigged.”

“No, you’re just a sore loser.” Her nose wrinkles. “And bad at playing Uno.”

“I am not a sore loser!”

“Says the one who claims I’ve cheated at every game.”

My brow quirks. “Did you?”

Evie chuckles. “Oh my god, no!”

“Fine, fine, I retract my accusation.”

Folding her arms over her chest, Evie teases, “Then say I’m the best Uno player.”

“Cocky much?”

“Sore loser much?”

Rolling my eyes, just to appease her—anything to appease her—I admit, “You’re great at playing Uno.”

“Thebest,” she corrects.

Mock bowing, I drawl, “The best.” Then, an idea comes to mind. Standing from the floor where we’ve been for the last two hours playing Uno, drinking wine, and watching the storm rage around us, I move toward the office nook by the window, opening one of the drawers. “And to celebrate your winning streak, I have a surprise.”

A slow smile crawls across her face. “Oh?”

I wasn’t sure when to give this to Evie. I can’t even explain why I’ve been holding onto it. At first, it was because I didn’t want the movers breaking it, and then it was like something intuitive told me to wait.

Hiding it behind my back, I slowly make my way back over to the coffee table. Then I hold it out between us, watching as her smile slowly disappears.

“My camera,” she breathes, not moving to grab it from my outstretched hand.

Taking a seat beside her, I’m all too aware of the way her pulse is jumping in her neck, the way her chest is rising and falling a little faster than before.

“I know how much it means to you. I didn’t want it damaged in the move.”