Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Soon, Teague is freed from the spotlight and becomes just another person hanging out in front of Gracie’s big TV with a plate of cookies, bowls of popcorn, and cans of soda. Gracie and Deena have a lot of history together in the Theatre department, so the pair of them dominate the conversation in the room, laughing and shouting over each other as they recall a crazy mishap involving two seniors being locked out of the dressing room naked in the middle of a performance. Zeke and Bernie have their own convo going on, but Teague can’t catch what it’s about.
Not that he cares. He’s on the couch squeezed right up next to Liam, whose face is frustratingly unreadable. He can’t tell if Liam’s listening to Gracie and Deena’s stories or if he’s lost in his own world. Liam keeps checking his phone every few minutes, giving the impression he’s already itching to go. No one is paying a lick of attention to the late-night talk show on TV.
Teague notices his own leg bouncing in place. He really wants to strike up a chat with Liam, but what can they talk about that won’t make everything worse? The only things that roll through his mind are Spruce, their trip to the ranch, and apologizing again.
Considering the half-lidded, bored way Liam keeps looking at everything, he appears to be over this party—but hopefully not over him. Is it even worth it to try striking up a conversation? Or are his chances truly blown after today?
When Liam checks his phone for a twenty-third time, Teague finally gives in. “Waiting on your booty call to hit you up?” he asks with half a chuckle.
Liam squints at nothing in particular. “Huh?”
Stupid joke. Really stupid. He shouldn’t have said it. Why did he say it? He’s so much cleverer than that. “Never mind.” Teague clears his throat and shuffles his feet. “Hey, uh … so what did you really think of my costume? I knew you were messing with me, by the way, when you said this was a costume thing. I just can’t back down from a challenge, know what I mean?”
Liam seems to struggle with that. “It … wasn’t a challenge.”
Teague lifts an eyebrow. “Really? What was it then? An effort to humiliate me?” He leans in closer to Liam. With how close they already are, he’s now pressed up against his side with nowhere to escape. “You gotta know by now, I am un-humiliate-able. Still, it’s kinda cute that you tried. And … maybe I deserved it a little.”
Liam lifts his face and gives Teague a confused, tortured look.
Literally an inch between their lips.
Between their noses.
Their eyes.
They could literally kiss right now. They basically already are. Just a nudge from someone on the couch will force their lips to touch, even without their permission. It’s basic physics. Gravity. A natural magnetic pull between bodies.
Is that sexual tension Teague feels? It can’t be an illusion.
Something is churning between them, Teague is certain. That must be why Liam is so resistant. So annoyed and hot all the time when it comes to Teague. If it wasn’t true, Liam would have turned away or left the couch by now.
Not to mention what he said earlier—about Teague being evil and playing with Liam’s feelings. Or whatever wording he used. Why would he say that if there weren’t feelings already there to be played with? Did Teague hear him right? Is he overthinking it?
Teague’s heart takes a leap.
He’s going to kiss Liam. Right now. He’s going to kiss Liam on the mouth, sweetly, like an experiment, a toe in the water, just to finally break this unnecessary and unbearable tension that’s been clearly driving the two of them crazy.
And if he’s wrong and all of this is in his head, well, he can just blame being a horny satyr.
But for some inexplicable reason, it’s then that Gracie chooses to selectively hear something Teague just said. “Wait. Challenge? Did you just mention the straight face challenge?”
“Ooh,” sings Deena, clapping. “I love that game.”
“Game?” asks Teague, looking at each of them. “Straight face what?”
“You’ve never played?? It’s so much fun!” cries Gracie. “It’s a Theatre focusing thing. Look, I’ll play a round with Deena right now. It’s basically a staring contest, except you can blink, but you can’t smile. Watch.” She sits down on the coffee table across from Deena’s chair, and the two lock eyes. All the conversation in the room halts as they stare at each other. Gracie’s eyes grow so large, her expression turns funny. In a matter of fifteen seconds, Deena’s straight face breaks and she lets out a belt of laughter. “I win!” cries Gracie. “See? It’s harder than it looks.”
“Dude, that’s easy,” says Zeke. “Y’all Theatre nerds are weird. Bernie, dude, let’s go.”
“Let’s go!” agrees Bernie with a smack of his hands together, then the two lock eyes and try their own round. Bernie only lasts half a minute before he suddenly can’t take it and looks away. “Okay, that’s more intense than I expected. Can’t do it. Nope.”