“The Games? Bad. My experience during them overall? Great.”
Jade glanced up over the rim of his glasses, giving me a once over. “I’m glad to hear the latter, at least. Why have the Games been bad so far?”
I slumped into the chair across from him. “That’s why I came to talk to you. What’s with this obstacle course shit? Who’s designing the challenges, a dog trainer?”
Jade paused. He must’ve realized I was serious because he put down the papers and folded his hands together. “Ah. Gaius told me what happened. Whydidyou miss the first challenge?”
“Does it matter?” I grumbled.
Jade arched a brow. It was such a classic Jade expression. He resembled a stern but fair schoolteacher who was fully aware of my crimes. If he gave someone that look for long enough, they’d confess to anything.
“I overslept, okay?” I admitted, throwing up my hands. “It won’t happen again.”
“I see.” He nodded, still giving me a sly look. “You know, I checked your room, and you weren’t there.” Dammit.
“I wasn’t in my bed,” I mumbled. “I was... somewhere else.”
The corner of his lips curled into a knowing smirk. “Would that ‘somewhere else’ have anything to do with why you smell different?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I bolted upright in my seat. “I do not!”
Jade thumbed through the papers, unconvinced. “If you say so...”
Why did I even bother trying to fool Jade? He was a living lie detector, like instead of a dragon he was a fucking polygraph shifter.
“Fine. I was with Matteo,” I said, crossing my arms. “You squeezed it out of me, you viper.”
“I did no such thing,” Jade said mildly, knowing exactly what he’d done. “And congratulations. You look happy, Thystle.”
The heat in my cheeks intensified. It wasn’t often any of my brothers commented on my visible joy. Not that I was often visibly joyful.
“I am happy,” I said under my breath.
Jade flashed a genuine smile. “I’ll keep this between us. Duke doesn’t need to know.”
“Oh, right. The stupid rules.” I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, Jade.”
He shrugged. “The rules are for good TV, not for real relationships. At the end of the day, it’s your happiness that matters. That’s the whole point of the Games.”
As much as my brothers got on my nerves, I didn’t want to be the reason they missed a chance to find love.
“Yeah, but if Duke finds out and gets pissed, he might not want to produce any more seasons,” I pointed out. “I don’t want anyone to get screwed because of me.”
Jade wasn’t concerned. “Duke gets paid handsomely. It’s enough incentive to produce seasons of this show for the rest of his life. He may be a grouch, but he’s no fool. Don’t worry, Thystle.”
I nodded slowly. “So... it’s okay that I like Matteo?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because the Games have barely started, and I’m head over heels for him. It’s not really fair to everyone else.”
“Did Crimson worry when he fell in love with Taylor?” Jade countered.
“I dunno. I guess not. I still haven’t watched the show,” I admitted.
Jade’s brows raised. “You haven’t?”
“Geez, was I supposed to? I want to watch it, I’ve just... been busy.”
