Game Changer (The Field Party)

“I’m out,” Nash said from the sofa, where he was cuddled up to Tallulah.

No one else spoke up.

“I’ll play,” Ezmita said from beside me.

Gunner’s head whipped around to flash an evil grin her way. I was not ready to let her leave me. I had yet to get to any touching, and she felt nice this close. “You don’t want to play him,” I said. I doubted she knew how to play anyway.

She sat up and shrugged. “Why not? Looks fun.”

Gunner laughed then.

“Save the girl while you can,” Brady suggested from the kitchen, where he was eating pizza.

“You sure you want to try?” I asked her, not wanting her to leave me or suffer Gunner’s obnoxious mouth.

“Yeah,” she said, then stood up and walked over to the remote that Ryker had tossed.

“He’s an ass,” Ryker told her. “You’re better off eating a brownie and staying all cozied up to Asa.”

She lifted her left shoulder casually. “Doesn’t bother me. I’ve watched enough. I want to try.”

Sighing, I shot Gunner a warning glare. He didn’t have to completely annihilate her. She was enjoying herself. No need to make her wish she hadn’t come.

“What? She’s the one asking to play,” he said to me, grinning.

“You got this, Ezmita. Shut him up!” Maggie called from the recliner she was in with West. They’d been watching the games like that for a while.

Gunner laughed at the idea of that.

I cringed.

“Do you want me to help you?” I asked her.

She shook her head no. “It’s okay. I think I got it.”

Fine. I had tried my best. This would be over soon enough, and she could come get back on this beanbag with me.

“You’ve got to pick your team,” Gunner told her.

“Mm-hmm,” she said as she went about doing just that without question. I watched her, surprised at the fact she was choosing wisely. That was odd. She seemed to know how to pick the team and set it up. I doubted any girl in here could do that without help. I sat up from my reclined position on the beanbag and watched as her brow furrowed in concentration.

She had brothers. I wasn’t going to point that out to Gunner, but I had a feeling this wasn’t her first time playing Madden. I bit back a grin because she was going to get smoked but not nearly as easily as Gunner seemed to think.

“Ready?” she asked him once she was set up.

He looked impressed with her choices. “Yeah,” he said. “Let’s get the beatdown on.”

“Is no one else gonna point out that she just picked a kick-ass lineup?” West asked.

I grinned then as I looked over at him.

“She just got lucky,” Gunner replied.

Everyone was silent, and I realized even the girls were now watching the screen as if this was important. Gunner was already smack-talking, and Ezmita seemed to take it in stride. She smiled at his comments but said nothing in return. Gunner’s team had the ball first, and just when he was about to score, Ezmita’s defense intercepted and ran it back for a touchdown.

The room erupted in cheers and laughter. I was on my feet and fist-punching the air.

I looked at her then and she smiled at me. It was as if she was sharing a silent secret with me. I was right. She’d played this game with her brothers. From that play, I would venture to guess she played it a lot.

By halftime, everyone was now gathered around watching. It was 20–14 and Gunner was behind. His smack-talking had eased some, and he was frowning as he focused. Ryker, however, was smack-talking him for Ezmita, who was being politely quiet about the fact she was owning him. I was fucking proud. She wasn’t mine, but damn, I was still proud.

“Ezmita?” Nash asked.

“Yes?”

“How many times have you played this game?”

A slow smile spread across her face. It was a damn good smile. One I wanted to see more often. One I could get used to. “Possibly a hundred times.”

Nash barked out a laugh.

“You have an Xbox?” Gunner asked her, looking surprised.

She shook her head no. “I have brothers who have an Xbox.”

The others started laughing.

Gunner shot a glare at me. “You knew this.”

I shrugged. “I knew she had brothers. Didn’t know she was about to kick your ass, but if I had known, I wouldn’t have told you.”

Ezmita beat him 34–17.

JUNE 28, 2020 I Needed Out of Lawton

CHAPTER 16

EZMITA

Brett held out the bowl of popcorn we were sharing so I could get some without reaching into his lap. My parents were allowing us to have a movie date in the living room. My mother was in her room reading a book, and my father was in the office working, which was code for hiding to drink whiskey. Momma didn’t like for him to drink more than a glass of wine.