His mouth twitches. I point at him. “And don’t pretend you don’t remember. Like that time in the tunnel? Getting to know each other.”
“You’re reminiscing a lot tonight.”
“I do that when I drink, I think.” I shrug. “Lucas used to say that.”
Jax’s eyes flick up. “Lucas said what?”
“That every time I drink I start talking about my past like I miss it.”
He takes another drag from his cigarette. “How’s boring Lucas?”
“Haven’t seen him since he picked up his things,” I say. “Almost a year ago.”
I flick ash onto the cup next to me, the gesture careless. “Don’t distract me.” I point at him again. “The game.”
Jax sighs.
“Relax,” I say, grabbing the bottle again. “It’s simple.” I pour two more shots. “One secret each round,” I say, sliding one across the bar.
Jax studies me for a moment. “Fine.” We clink glasses. “To secrets.”
We drink.
I wipe my mouth. ”Okay,” I say. “I’ll go first.”
Jax leans back against the counter. “Let’s hear it.”
I pause dramatically. “I once wore the same lucky socks for an entire competition season until the dressing room threatened to burn them.”
Jax nods once. “Reasonable.”
I laugh. I point at him. “Your turn.”
He coughs before answering. “When I was a kid I used to fake being sick so my dad would stay home from the hospital.”
“Oh shit,” I say, my laughter dying in my throat. “You were supposed to keep it stupid this round.”
“My bad,” he says, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
And there they are, like they’ve been waiting for their moment all night. I stare.
Jax lowers the shirt slowly. “You good?”
“Yes,” I say immediately.
His mouth twitches. “You look like you’re having a moment.”
“I am not having a moment.”
“You were staring.”
“I was observing the new tattoos.”
Jax raises an eyebrow. “New secret?”
I squint suspiciously at his torso.
“Fine.”
