Page 17 of The Killing Game

“I can assure you, Ashe. As much as I love seeing you get wound up, whatever note you’re going on about wasn’t from me. However, I will be storing that away for a later date.” Amusement flits across his chiseled features.

I hop off the counter, marching over to him. I look up at him with all the anger I can muster.

“So you’re telling me some stranger just wandered into my room to place a cryptic note and it wasn’t you? The one who’s been trying to get with me since this morning. The one who…”

I clamp my mouth shut before I reveal too much, teeth clattering together. I step back from him, still fuming.

“The one what, Ashe?” Jason asks smugly, cocking his head to one side. He leans into me, but says nothing. His stare goads me to keep going.

All I see is red, fiery anger. He knew exactly how this conversation would go. He knew I would be backed into a corner and be tempted to give away our secret in a fit of exasperation. If I could claw his face off right now like a wildebeest, I would.

“You know what? Fine. Fine, Jason. It wasn’t you. The Gods’ gift to Earth is innocent. Then who the hell left the note in my room?” I question.

A loud bang comes from behind us. We jump apart and stare towards the glass doors. Colton comes into the frame of the kitchen doorway.

“Alright, kids. Stop fighting. You can flirt later once everyone is ready for bed.” Colton sets down a plate of burgers on the island.

I glare at him. “We weren’t flirting. He’s being an ass.”

Colton laughs. Full-on belly laughs in my face.

“Ashe, I already know. We’re all aware of whatever is going on between you two. All I ask, as your friend, is that you remember our friendship comes first.”

I freeze. Everything inside me goes numb.

He doesn’t trust me.

I clench my jaw shut again as tears well behind my eyes. I stare at my friends like I’m a stranger to them. Despite all the years together, this is how they view me?

While the idea of hooking up with Jason isn’t the worst decision I could make in this lifetime, it definitely wasn’t the one I premeditated to make on this trip. The fact that Colton even questions my decision making in jeopardizing the group instead of Jason’s insistent nagging is disheartening.

Why am I the one being interrogated when Jason was the one who started this?

“Wow, Colton. That’s low. Real low. I’m over here saying he’s the one starting all of this and you’re accusing me as the instigator?” Now I’m the one crossing my arms, pouting.

“While I agree that Jason can be an ass sometimes, he didn’t leave the note. He came down to help me start the grill while you were in the shower and then went to his room for a work call. He’s got an alibi,” Colton says, grabbing a plate from the counter. He wanders over to the fixings to make his dinner.

I stare at him.

“Are you so sure about that? He was in my room after I got out of the shower.”

Colton pauses mid-grab of a burger patty and looks up at me. A slight slip of a grin crosses his face.

“Was he now? Well then, looks like you’re on your own, bro.” He shrugs as he continues adding food to his plate.

I turn back to Jason, stomping my feet like a juvenile child having a melt down.

“See?! It was you.”

He holds his arms up. “Ashe, I swear to god. It wasn’t from me.”

“Screw the note. I have a better question. Why were you up in her room, Jay?” Colton mumbles with his mouth full. His eyes light up with the prospect of gossip.

Jason looks down to me, a Cheshire grin painted across his beautiful, mesmerizing face. He takes a deep breath before looking back up at Colton.

“Well, if you must know. Ashe and I…”

“Guys,” Sam’s shrill voice cuts through the conversation.