I sat on the counter in the kitchen while he concocted something with whatever ingredients he found in the fridge and pantry. All the while, we talked about my day and what we’d both been up to over the last week and a half. He seemed far more interested in hearing about Ty’s boot camp than anything else. Apparently, he found it humorous.
Then we ate in the living room, sitting in front of the TV that neither of us actually paid attention to. We were too busy continuing our conversation from earlier. But by the time we finished dinner, I was tired of talking about Tiffany and my portrayal of her.
“Is this really how it’s going to be all the time?”
He turned to the side, facing me, and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Like, is this all we’re ever going to talk about?”
“No, but as of right now, it’s the most interesting thing that’s happening in our lives.” He wiped his palm down his face and sighed. “It’s not like I knew any of this when we were hanging out before. This is the first time we’ve actually had a face-to-face conversation about it since I found out who you really are. Sure, you and Dave explained some things, but this is the first time we’ve been able to talk about it freely without anyone else around.”
He made a good point, though that didn’t mean I was interested in talking about my sister to the guy I had the hots for. “Fair enough, so how about this… How about you get ten questions, which I will answer to the best of my ability, and then we move on to something else. Does that sound good to you?”
Jacoby nodded and then sat back, lacing his fingers together behind his head as if getting more enjoyment out of this than he should have. “Okay, for my first question…why did you agree to do this if you hate it so much?”
“Money. Next question.”
He looked like he was about to argue, but instead, he asked, “Why do you need the money?”
“The youth center does a great job of keeping kids off the street. But it doesn’t do anything for the ‘non-athletic’ ones, the kids like me and Dave. So I want to create a space for gamers. Just because they’re not troublemakers doesn’t mean they don’t need a safe haven, too.”
He was quiet for a moment. It was clear that my answer had caught him off guard, but he quickly cleared his throat, shook his head, and moved on. “Do your parents know that you’re doing this whole Tiffany takeover?”
“No. The only people involved are Tiffany, Adam, Ty, Dave, and me. Well, and now you, but you don’t count because you’re not supposed to know.”
“What happens if other people find out? I mean, I did. It’s not that big of a stretch to think someone else might figure it out, too.”
“As far as I know, Tiff has never admitted to even having a sister, let alone a twin. I know enough about her to imitate her around others. For the most part, they’ll probably think she’s on drugs, at which point, I don’t care. But the chances of anyone finding out are slim to none.”
“That actually doesn’t answer my question, so it doesn’t count.”
I rolled my eyes, figuring he’d try something like this. “Fine, I guess it would depend on how someone found out. If it was because of something I did or said, I could be held liable—same goes for Dave. Which is why it’s super important that Ty never finds out that you know. Dave didn’t technically break the NDA, but he could still be found liable, which would mean he’d be responsible for paying Tiff a lot of money.”
The severity of the situation finally hit him.
In his silence, I stated, “You have six questions left.”
“Do you have to do any filming with Adam?”
It was slight, almost unnoticeable, but I saw it—the twinge of jealousy at the thought of Adam spending time with me. Part of me celebrated the sight. It was like I had a small gang of teenage girls inside jumping for joy and giggling at the excitement of the cute boy smiling at them.
I did my best to keep a straight face while responding, not wanting him to know that I’d noticed his tangible thought. “No, he didn’t want anything to do with the show, so he made sure they don’t film him at all. Which works out well for me because that means I don’t have to be around him. I don’t know much about him, but if he’s with my sister, then there’s something wrong with him.”
Jacoby laughed beneath his breath and slightly shook his head. “I think I’m going to reserve my remaining five questions for another time. I’d be wasting them if I had to use them right now. Plus, that controller is calling my name,” he said, pointing to the one I’d been using before he showed up.
I was not about to argue. Playing video games was so much better than talking about my sister or the dangers of anyone finding out the truth. Gaming was easy, fun, and it didn’t require a conversation.
“How about we make things interesting?” he asked with a glint in his eye.
“What do you have in mind?”
“The loser has to massage the winner’s feet.”
I didn’t care to touch feet, but I did enjoy a good foot rub. “Deal.”
It didn’t take long before I realized I’d been playing against Dave for far too long. It seemed I was so used to his tactics and moves that it hindered my ability to play strategically against Jacoby. Before I knew it, my lives had been depleted, but when I checked the left side of the screen, I noticed his
