Page 59 of How to Lose at Love

“I want babies. Lots and lots of babies.”

There she goes again, rubbing that flat belly of hers, round and round.

What a brat.

Drake gets pale. “Is she bein’ serious?”

“No, she’s not being serious.” I swat gently at her. “Ryann, knock it off.”

She begins laughing all over again. “You two are so easy! Gosh, if this works, it’s going to be fun.”

Drake is glancing between the two of us, back and forth, then back again.

“I thought it would be fun comin’ in here and giving you a hard time, but I see she’s doin’ that enough for both of us.” He holds a hand in front of his crotch. “Actually, I think my dick just shriveled up and my balls went back inside my body from all this baby talk.”

He backs out of the room slowly, taking hold of the door handle and pulling it closed.

“No, don’t go!” Ryann whispers softly. “Come back! Jack, come back…”

I can do nothing but stare.

twelve

ryann

“This whole house smells like testosteroneand bad decisions.”

– Winnie, the first time she visited the frat house

“So now what?”

We came down into the kitchen after Dallas declared he was so hungry he could ‘eat the ass out of a dead skunk’ and needed a snack.

Fine. Not a problem.

It’s not like I want to be holed up in his bedroom anyway. A bedroom that’s tidier and cleaner than I imagined it would be—not that I imagined it. It’s just…different than mine. Masculine.

Organized.

Bare, if I’m being specific. The bed was made, only had a few pillows. The bedding matched the bookshelf, the bookshelf matched the desk, the desk matched the bedding, all one shade of dark gray.

Light gray walls. White sheets.

Stark but oddly sophisticated for a dude’s room?

I lean against the counter while he roots through the fridge, and I try to glance around him so I can see what’s inside. Not because I’m hungry, too, but because I’m nosey. What do guys keep in their fridge?

I was never at Diego’s, so I wouldn’t know.

Milk.

Chocolate milk.

Orange juice. Gatorade. Water.

Pasta? A loaf of bread.

Cartons of takeout. Cannot tell what they contain.