Playing (Inked Hearts 2)

She frowns. "It's going to happen eventually. He's handsome and famous. Girls are always stopping him to ask for his autograph. They're always touching him. Their stupid hands on his arm like they deserve to touch him." She shakes her head. "Is it so wrong that I want him to look at me like he's desperate to rip off my clothes?"

"Depends what you'd do if he offered to rip your clothes off."

"He won't."

"But if he did?"

She lets out a sigh of pleasure. "I have to read five hundred pages tonight. I can't think about Drew ripping off my clothes or I won't make it through the first sentence." She pulls her knees into her chest. "What would you do if Miles developed feelings for you?"

"He won't."

"But if he did?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

I'm in a daze the rest of brunch. Mostly, we talk about school. Midterms. Her plans to go home, to San Francisco, for Thanksgiving break. My attempts to avoid going home to see my parents for even a single weekend. The house still hurts too much.

At home, there's something waiting by my apartment door—a wrapped box, complete with an aqua-blue bow. The card is simple.

Good luck studying tonight.

- Miles

I set inside, throw myself onto the bed, and unwrap the box. It's a Nintendo 64 and two faded, gray cartridge games—Star Wars Episode I: Racer and Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

How the hell did he track down two twenty-year-old games? I haven't seen either of these, or a Nintendo 64, in ages.

I connect the wires to the TV the same way I did when I was a kid—red to red, white to white, yellow to yellow.

I text Miles.

Meg: Thank you. I love it.

Miles: Always happy to bring you pleasure.

Meg: You're very distracting. My grades are going to suffer.

Miles: I can take it back if you don't trust yourself.

Meg: No! You can't! It's the sweetest gift anyone has ever given me.

Miles: You're a nerd.

Meg: You are too.

Miles: That's our secret.

We have a secret. We have other secrets. We have a level of intimacy I don't quite understand.

Does Miles have feelings for me? It's possible. Guys don't buy hard-to-find video games for girls they're apathetic about.

My phone buzzes.

Miles: Kara tell you about our show Saturday?

Meg: She did. I even managed to make plans to go with her. I'm not sure how. I'm not very quick today. Someone kept me up all night then used up all my energy this morning.