Worth the Risk (The Game #4)(56)
Author: Emma Hart

My lips twitch the way they do whenever she says it. “Smart girl.”

Roxy slaps my chest. “Ass.”

I drop her hand, wrap my arm around her shoulders, and pull her into me. “I love you too.”

I’ll never get tired of hearing it or saying it. So what if falling in love with her wasn’t my plan? Somehow we got here and I wouldn’t change this for the world.

Maybe she has a point with the “girl” stuff.

“Smart guy.” She curls into me.

“Debatable.”

“It’s amazing how much jackass you put into one word.”

I grin. “Just trying to get in your pants again, babe.”

She laughs. “I’m not wearing pants.”

“In your pants, up your dress, either one works for me.” I shrug. “Admittedly the dress would be easier.”

Roxy runs her fingers through her hair and looks up at me. Her lips are curved on one side, her eyes wide and shining in amusement.

“You just want me for my sex.”

“And your hands. And your mouth. Oh, and your boobs. Definitely for your boobs.”

She laughs again, louder, and pokes me in the stomach. “You’re crazy.”

“I could go for a really cheesy response to that, but I think I’ll settle for a, “You’re just realizing this?””

“Mild or mature?”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “You what?”

“For your cheesy response. Mild or mature?”

“Now who’s the crazy one?” I tap her nose. “For the record, it would have been extra mature.”

A giggle leaves her and I can’t help but laugh with her. Since she spoke to her parents a few days ago it’s like a huge weight has lifted off her shoulders. You can see it in everything she does; she’s more playful, more teasing. Even when she’s at work she’s happier.

Walking away from her was the best thing I could have done. It killed us both but now she’s like the girl I remember her being. Sure she’s older, more mature, and a hell of a lot f**king sexier, but the way she laughs and jokes is the Roxy I grew up with.

She’s not perfect. She’s stubborn as shit and challenges me at every turn, but I kinda like it.

I just hope she won’t challenge me now.

“Let’s get food.”

“From where?”

“Wherever you want, Rox.”

“McDonalds.”

I stop. “Are you f**king serious?”

She looks up at me. “What?”

“I just told you we can get dinner wherever you want, and you pick McDonalds?”

“What’s wrong with Maccy’s?” she demands.

“Nothing. I just…” I shake my head. “Never mind.”

“I don’t do fancy restaurants. I’d rather have a burger and fries.”

“Okay, strange girl. If you want fast food, Maccy’s it is.”

We turn off the street and walk in the direction of McDonalds. I can’t believe she picked fast food. It’s not exactly the place I imagined when I pictured myself asking her to come to Berkeley with me.

I pictured actual waiters, not Ronald f**king McDonald.

We order our food and Roxy finds a table while I wait for it. I didn’t know girls ordered large meals until now, and I say as much when I sit down.

“Psh.” She scoffs. “I’m not a stick. If I want to eat crap food, I will. I’m hardly going to get fat from one large burger and fries, am I?”

If I wasn’t already in love with her, I definitely am now.

“I’ll just have to do a little more exercise.” She shrugs, pauses, then points a fry in my direction. “And before you say anything, mister, that exercise has been considered and accepted.”

Yep. I love this girl.

“And here I was with a book full of ideas to convince you.” I sigh.

“There might be a part of me that still needs convincing.”

“Right here?”

She throws a fry at me. “You’re insatiable, Daniels.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” I smirk. “I don’t think I will ever get enough of you. That’s all.”

“Too much of me isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

“Depends who you ask. And what you’re doing too much of…”

“I think I can guess where this is going.”

I grin. I could sit here forever and banter with her, back and forth constantly. I’ll never get tired of her smart-ass remarks, her sarcasm, or her teasing comments. And I’ll never get tired of being able to follow through with that banter afterward.

“I need to ask you something,” I say slowly.

“Uh-oh.” Roxy puts her milkshake down. “What did I do this time?”

I laugh. “Nothing. I just need to ask something.”

“Well stop babbling and ask me.”

I kick her under the table, and she does it back. “Have you thought about what’ll happen when I go back to California in a few weeks?”

The small smile lingering on her lips fades, and she drops her eyes. “No.”

“I have.”

She nods quietly. I take a deep breath, staring at her. Here goes nothing.

“I want you to come with me.”

Her eyes snap up. They’re wide in shock, and her lips are parted. “What?”

“Come with me. To California.”

“You live in a frat house, Kyle.”

I shake my head. “Mom and Dad saved up money for our college funds. We had the choice of it paying our tuition or renting an apartment for a year when we hit sophomore year. We both picked an apartment. And we have our trust funds from our grandparents – not much there, but enough to get started with somewhere to live.”

“And you’ve not touched a dollar of it?”

“Nope. We were told when we were eighteen about the funds, and Iz and I both decided the same thing. It makes sense – we have a place to live and when we finish college we can stay, but if we go, we already have the money invested the apartment to find another.”

She looks down again and dips a fry repeated in ketchup. “I guess. So you’re moving into an apartment when you go back?”

“Yep.”

“And you really want me to come with you?”

“You were going to go to UCLA anyway, right? Live with me in Berkeley, then move there next year. There are loads of places in California offering the courses you need.”

Including Berkeley. But I’m not going to tell her I know that… Or that I searched Berkeley specifically.