The Sweetest Game (The Perfect Game 3)

Dean’s face scrunched up. “Yes. More than once. ”

The bartender appeared and placed our shots on the table. I handed her my credit card and told her to bring us the check, wanting her to leave as soon as possible so we could get to the bottom of this shit with my brother.

“Okay, so what does she say?” Matteo asked, getting us back on track.

“She usually avoids it. But she’ll kiss me to shut me up or say she likes me too, but—”

“But what?” I interrupted.

“She likes me too, but she doesn’t want a boyfriend right now. Or she can’t. Or some other bullshit excuse. I don’t know. It’s all lies. Fuck her. I’m done. ”

“I think that’s exactly what she needs. ” Matteo stared at my brother and a light bulb went off inside my head.

“Matteo’s right. You have to make sure she knows you’re done. ”

“I just said that I would. ”

I slapped my hand against his shoulder. “But you have to follow through. She needs to lose you to figure out once and for all what the fuck she wants. ”

“This isn’t a game to me, Jack. I’m done. She just wrecked me and I won’t let her do it anymore. She either wants to be with me or she doesn’t. Either way, I’m fucking done waiting around for her to make up her mind. ” I watched as he downed his shot.

“Ready to go back home?” I asked.

“You bet. ”

The three of us rose to our feet as Matteo pushed his tequila shot toward Dean and he downed it as well. I signed off on our tab with the bartender before we headed out of the darkness and into the bright Manhattan sunlight.

“I need to park the car. Apparently my wife is upstairs with yours,” Matteo said from the driver’s seat. “Do you want me to drop you two off at the entrance and then meet you inside?”

“Don’t be an asshole. We’ll park the car and go in together. ”

Dean stayed quiet the elevator ride up to the twenty-third floor and he was the first one off when it came to a stop. I’d never seen him so fired up before. Matteo and I jogged to keep up with him, neither one of us wanting to miss a minute of this show. It was a shitty move, I know, but the idea of seeing my super sweet brother be a dick to someone was fucking exciting.

He walked through the door before any of us and grabbed Melissa by the arm. “We need to talk. Now. ”

“Ouch. Jeez, Dean, let me go. ”

“No. You want to talk in private or do you want me to say what I have to say right here in front of all these people?” He waved his arm in our direction and I looked at Cassie, who was currently glaring at me.

I mouthed “not my fault” to her and she narrowed her eyes at me.

Melissa glanced around the room at Trina, Cassie, Matteo, and me before whispering, “In private,” and stalked off behind Dean’s giant frame.

“Hey, Trina!” I smiled at Matteo’s wife. “You look great. ”

“Stop hitting on my wife,” Matteo joked.

“You don’t want to go there, do you? We can if you want,” I joked back.

Dean’s shouting stopped our conversation as all four of us turned our heads in the direction of the guest bedroom. We were mesmerized by the sound of Dean actually yelling at someone. And knowing that the someone was Fun-Size. The whole thing seemed insane.

Despite the closed bedroom door, we could hear absolutely everything. It was awesome.

“You acted like it didn’t matter. Like nothing between us ever fucking matters. Why? Why do you do that?” he yelled, the frustration in his voice coming through loud and clear from a room away.

“I don’t know,” she answered softly.

“Bullshit! That’s bullshit! You do know. Do you have any idea how much of an idiot I felt like this morning when you walked out of the room? I thought things were different after last night, but I was wrong. I’m always fucking wrong when it comes to you. ”