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“Left foot red, Ray,” Norman announced, grinning down at the tangled Ray and Emma.
Left foot red? Ray thought, his eyes widening. Crap.
The three of them had had a standing date to play games from the human world on a weekly basis--Emma’s idea, because of course it was. No one else would have come up with this sort of torture, Ray thought ruefully. They’d been playing together for five years, ever since they were thirteen, and they never ran out of games to try.
This week’s activity was an infernal mess of entwined limbs called Twister.
Being eighteen and in close proximity with the girl he’d always had a crush on, Ray was miserable.
He placed his bare left foot on red, forcing his leg around Emma’s arm. She giggled as Ray almost knocked her over, his hips pressed up against her back, and he bit the inside of his cheek.
The mat was laid out with six circles each of green, yellow, red, and blue. Norman held a spinner laid out in a quadrant of right foot, left foot, right hand, and left hand, and would call out which body part should be put on which circle. The object of the game was to get as twisted up as possible with each other. With two players, Ray and Emma weren’t supposed to place a body part on the same circle.
Being completely pressed up against Emma, of course Ray had to voice his objections. “This game is so stupid.”
“Awww, Ray.” Emma lifted her head, brushing her fiery, red hair against his stomach as his shirt lifted up to accommodate her. “Don’t be like that! This game is fun!”
“Oh?” Norman said, his eyes glittering, in so far as Ray could see. “You’re telling me you don’t like being twisted up with Emma?”
Ray harrumphed. “You try it.”
“As soon as one of you falls over, I will.” Norman didn’t look perturbed in the slightest about the idea, which bothered Ray more than he could say. “Emma, right hand blue.”
“Excuse me, Ray!” Emma was a ball of sunshine as she slipped her hand around Ray’s leg, her fingers brushing against his bare foot as she pressed her hand to the blue circle. “Oooh, I’m about to fall over!”
Ray drew a breath through his nose, his chest shuddering on the exhale. If Emma could just not moan like that… Ugh, Ray thought, his limbs shaking with the effort to hold himself up above her. “What’s next, Norman?”
Norman beamed. “Right foot yellow, Ray.”
Determined not to plaster himself over Emma more than he had to, Ray lifted his right foot up and over her, nearly unbalancing himself. He set his right foot on the circle next to his left one, flipping over so now he was more primed to crab-walk than fall on Emma.
Ray breathed a sigh of relief. Whew.
Norman wasn’t done. “Left hand yellow, Emma.”
Emma flashed Norman a thumbs up. “Sure, Norman!” She slithered under Ray, pressing her back into his back and making his chest arch out.
“Oh, come on!” Ray couldn’t deal with this. “Mom, she’s touching me!”
Norman, having long been designated as the mom-friend, laughed. “The object of the game is to get twisted up, Ray.”
“Yeah, Ray.” Emma’s grin was entirely too smug for Ray’s liking. “The whole point of the game is--”
“I know, Emma.” Ray huffed. “To knock me over.”
Emma was lifting him up so his fingers barely brushed the surface of the circle. He didn’t know how she’d gotten so strong, but she seemed to hold him with ease. Ray’s brain betrayed him. Hot. Heat flooded his cheeks at the errant thought. No, no, no, I shouldn’t be thinking these things about anyone, much less Emma Ratri!
They’d been raised together! She was his sister!
But Ray had never, ever thought of her as one, even while they were at Grace Field. Emma had been attractive to Ray even before he knew what attraction was. No one had explained that to him, so he’d floundered for years, feeling his chest tighten whenever she let loose that carefree, joyous laughter that plagued his dreams.
He respected Emma for the effect she had on people, always rallying them around her and never leaving anyone behind. It was her determination that forced Ray to look beyond his own selfish desires.
And Ray had an emotional connection to her that was unparalleled. What they’d been through had cemented their relationship to each other in a way he’d never seen before in other people, even between him and Norman. Ray relied on Emma to be strong where he was weak. She understood him, and he was grateful to know her and to be known by her.
Ray couldn’t deny it anymore. He loved Emma.
He loved her so much, it hurt.
Ray didn’t deserve to love someone like Emma. She needed someone strong. Someone who could tend to her soul-wounds and carry her through life. Someone who didn’t rely on her more than she relied on him.
Someone like Norman.
“Right hand green, Ray,” Norman said, shaking Ray out of his thoughts.
Ray frowned. Crap. I’m not going to be able to get that from my current position. He glanced down at Emma, who smiled up at him. But I have to try. For her.
Emma made Ray want to be a better person.
He bent backwards, stretching his arm to rest his hand on the green circle. But he overstretched; his foot slipped out from under him, and he landed entirely on Emma, who collapsed under his weight.
“Emma!” Ray and Norman both shouted, but she’d dissolved into helpless laughter, wriggling out from under Ray and hooting.
“Ray, you lose!” Emma sat up and clapped her hands. “Norman, your turn!”
Ray rolled over onto his belly to better face her, propping himself up on his elbows. Norman crossed to him and offered him the spinner, so Ray reluctantly sat up and took it.
Norman chuckled at him. “Enjoy. I know I will.”
Ray gritted his teeth. The thought of Norman being twisted up with Emma--touching Emma--was enough to drive Ray to distraction. He stood from the mat and watched as Norman took up his position on the mat kitty-corner from Emma.
“Norman, left foot blue.” If Ray’s voice was a little rougher than usual, the other two didn’t appear to notice. At the very least, they could have commented, but they didn’t.
Norman obeyed the barked command with a small, indulgent smile on his stupid face.
“Emma,” Ray said. “Right hand yellow.”
As Emma placed her right hand on yellow, she looked overjoyed to be playing again. That didn’t mean anything, Ray told himself. Emma would be happy to play any game with anyone.
She was super happy to play Twister with Norman, it seemed.
But she’d been happy playing Twister with Ray, too.
Ray sighed. “Right foot green, Norman.”
Norman set his foot down on the circle right next to Emma’s hand. Ray bristled.
“Emma,” he said, tempted to sabotage the game and give her circles far away from Norman. Ray didn’t though, as the point of the game was for her to knock Norman over. Ray flicked the spinner. “Left hand green.”
Emma slapped her hand down on the green circle next to Norman’s foot. Ray noted with relief--and no small amount of pleasure--that Emma did not, in fact, trail her fingers over Norman’s foot like she’d done to Ray.
Indeed, Emma was cheerfully playing Twister, but unlike with Ray, she seemed to refrain from touching Norman more than necessary. Her restraint lit a fire of hope that Ray dared not name in his heart, which pounded in his palate.
Norman, on the other hand, had stuck to Emma like glue, covering her with his body and shielding her face from Ray’s view. Ray glared at the other boy, biting his own tongue to keep from yelling at him.
“Norman,” Ray just about hissed, his teeth clenched. “Left hand red.”
Before he put his hand on the circle, Norman walked his fingers up Emma’s back from the base of her spine to where her head met her neck, sending her into a fit of laughter. She squirmed, nearly going to her knees. “Hey, that’s cheating! I’m ticklish!”
Ray’s breath caught in his throat. Rage filled him; he’d never before experienced the saying “seeing red,” but now he understood what it meant.
Norman winked at Ray specifically. “I know, you are, Emma,” Norman said, his deep voice rolling over her name in a way that could only be described as obscene. “And I want to win.”
Ray growled at him. “If you can cheat, so can she.” Ray tipped his chin up. “Break his arm, Emma.”
Emma grunted. “Bit busy at the moment, Ray.” She craned her neck up to peer at him, which looked terribly uncomfortable. “Do you think you could assist?”
Norman whistled low. “You really want him to break my arm, Emma?”
“Nah,” Emma said before Ray could reply. Her tone was entirely too mischievous when she added, “I want him to tickle you.”
Norman inhaled sharply, and Ray grinned wickedly. “Oh, really?” Ray said, putting the spinner down. “Tickle him, you say.”
“Now Ray, let’s not be hasty.” Norman was too tangled up with Emma to make a clean getaway; he tried to skitter backwards, but his leg caught on hers and he fell over. “Oh, looks like I lose, no need to--”
Ray pounced. His fingers seized Norman’s sides, dancing up and down his ribs and sneaking into his armpits. Norman shrieked with laughter, batting away Ray’s hand and curling into a little ball.
Emma joined in, and by the time she and Ray were done with him, Norman was wheezing for breath, his whole body trembling. “Are you okay?” Emma asked, smoothing his bangs off his forehead, a gesture that irked Ray. “Did we go too far?”
Norman shook his head and smiled. “No, you’re fine. It was… almost entirely unexpected. And I like being surprised.”
Ray had the distinct feeling that Norman was lying through his teeth. But Ray wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth; Emma and Norman were no longer playing Twister.
But Norman had apparently decided to mess with Ray. “Your turn to play the game with Emma, Ray.”
Ray’s stomach flipped. Molding his body to Emma’s, feeling her body heat pass through his clothes, smelling the sweet scent of her shampoo, chrysanthemum today... Ray wouldn’t be able to handle that, he thought.
“Emma,” Ray croaked, rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you want to still play?”
Emma flashed him a thumbs up. “We can if you want to!” Then she blinked at him. “Do you still want to?”
Ray swallowed hard. “I’m up for anything.”
Norman stood, crossing to the spinner and picking it up. The hiss of the spinner made Ray’s hair stand on end. “Left foot red, Ray.”
Here we go again…
Ray placed his left foot on red, staunchly ignoring the way Emma faced him with a smile on Norman’s next call. She bent backwards, and Ray ended up on top of her, his arms caging in her chest and his mouth hovering centimeters from hers.
Ray could taste the hot chocolate on her breath. All he had to do to close the distance was to crane his neck, and oh, how he wanted to. With his heart slamming up against his sternum, Ray began to sweat.
He was horrified. What if I smell bad? What if I fall on her? What if I drip sweat all over her face? Ray sucked a breath over his teeth. She’d never forgive me!
Norman’s drawl sounded more amused than he had any right to be. “Right foot yellow, Ray.”
With the new position, Ray’s right thigh rested between Emma’s legs and his inner elbows pressed against her ribs. They were chest to chest, and Ray could swear she could feel his rapidly-beating heart.
She snickered, wrinkling her nose. “Man,” she said, beaming up at him. “They weren’t kidding when they named this game ‘Twister.’”
“Mm.” Ray didn’t know what to say to that. “Sorry you’re twisted up with me.”
Emma’s cheeks flushed a gorgeous dusky rose color. Her gaze flicked to his lips. “I don’t mind.”
“Go out with me,” Ray blurted, just as surprised as Emma by his saying the words. Before he could even think about retracting the statement, Emma abruptly fell over, seizing Ray by the collar and dragging him down with her.
Lying on top of Emma, Ray noticed absurdly how soft she was. He pressed his hands to the mat below them and pushed up, but Emma’s grip on his collar held fast, pulling him down again. Ray had to apologize. Clearly this was a mistake.
“I’m sorry, I--”
Just as Ray opened his mouth, Emma’s lips crashed into his. She kissed him furiously, biting his lower lip and suckling on it, angling her head to deepen her lock on his mouth.
Stunned, Ray barely had the presence of mind to kiss back. His breaths came thick and fast, and as Emma plunged her tongue into his mouth, he could taste chocolate.
Ray’s eyes fluttered closed. He threaded his fingers through Emma’s hair, his thumbs rubbing her prominent cheekbones. She groaned into his mouth, taking and taking and taking…
Just when Ray couldn’t stand any more, Norman cleared his throat. Ray’s eyes shot open, and he raised his head. “Oh, uh…”
“As fascinating as being a voyeur is,” Norman drawled, sounding more amused than he should, “you might want to get a room.”
“Eep.” Emma flushed from head to toe, her ears as red as her nose. She placed her hands on Ray’s chest and shoved gently. “So. Um.”
Ray didn’t know what to say to either of them. “Yeah, uh…”
Emma swallowed under him. Ray abruptly realized he was still on top of her, pressing her to the floor, and rolled off. “I am so sorry, I--”
“No!” Emma balled her hands into fists. “It’s fine, I, uh…”
Norman laughed. “Oh, my gosh. You two are the most awkward couple I’ve ever seen.”
Ray furrowed his brow at that. “How many couples have you seen?”
Norman’s eyes glittered. “Enough.”
Emma’s fingers alighted on Ray’s hand. “Are we a couple, then?”
Ray’s heart fluttered in his chest. His focus narrowed down to the brush of her hand on his. “That’s up to you, Emma.”
Emma beamed. “Yes. I’ll go out with you.”
Norman, having tucked the spinner under his arm, applauded. “Very good, very good, the first step in the courtship ritual has been completed. Let’s see if the male responds appropriately.”
Ray huffed. “What are you, a nature documentary?”
Norman had the audacity to shoot him the finger guns. “Did you two still want to play Twister?”
“No,” Emma and Ray both said.
Norman grinned. “Great. If it’s all the same to you, I’m starved, so I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone for a while. Hint, hint.”
Ray’s cheeks flared with heat. “Aren’t you upset, Norman?”
“Why would I be?” Norman blinked guilelessly at them. “My ship is sailing.”
Emma squeaked. “You shipped us?”
“I’ve been trying to get you two together for years.” Norman shrugged. “But Ray here is either too dense or too stubborn to pick up on my hints.” He smiled broadly. “Hence my spelling it out: I’m hungry, I’m leaving, talk amongst yourselves.”
With that pronouncement, he dropped the spinner as if it were a microphone and left the room.
Emma was still lying on her back, her cheeks flushed and her lips kiss-swollen, which made looking at her difficult for Ray. “Uh,” he said, licking his lips. “What do you want to talk about?”
“If it’s all the same to you, Ray,” Emma purred, “I’d rather just go back to kissing.”
Ray didn’t have any objections to that.