Tactical Heart

by S. K. Rose

  On a hunch, I look over, and, sure enough, Scarlett’s eyes are as big as saucers. Her gaze is fixated on the pink and blue swirls of an oversized sucker. This girl has an extreme sweet tooth; I can’t imagine how many cavities she had as a child.

  “Hell yeah, money. That’s what I’m talkin’ bout, Pops,” Max whoops.

  Jack scoffs, “Dream on. I need a new headset and that money is mine. Capiche?” Max reaches over and scruffs up his hair until Jack yells for him to stop.

  To my surprise, it’s Scarlett who speaks up next. “Sorry, boys. That jar is gonna be mine.” She flashes them a challenging smile.

  “Looks like the newbie has some spunk. It will be that much more fun to crush her,” Max gloats as he punches a fist into his palm.

  She leans forward in her chair with a creepy smile. “Bring. It. On.”

  Suddenly, I’m not sure if I should be worried about protecting Scarlett from my family...or protecting my family from her.

  20

  Scarlett

  I’m so giddy I can hardly contain myself. I’ve always wanted a family game night, and I mean always. A night dedicated to silly competitions, playful banter, and good fun. Granted, it’s not my family, but beggars can’t be choosers.

  It’s funny how excited I am, considering how many times I tried to talk myself out of not showing up. In the end, it was my sister who convinced me to give it a chance. That girl could make walking into a burning building seem like my best option; I guess marketing wasn’t the worst direction she could go in. Regardless, if Kane keeps his promise, this will work out in my favor. He’ll back off, and I’ll get back my clear head and focus.

  If I’m honest with myself, I have to appreciate that he’s willing to give me the space I need. Maybe it’s time I stop viewing him as the obnoxious teen who once screwed me over. He really has grown, and his offer alone shows maturity. When the competition is all said and done, maybe…maybe it doesn’t have to be completely over between us.

  Maybe he deserves a real shot like Wren said.

  Watching Annie pull out a game, my blood starts to pump. Adrenaline races through my veins as complicated thoughts are pushed aside. I’ve been told that I can be a little competitive. Nothing obnoxious or uncontrollable.

  I’m just an easy goin’ gal who occasionally becomes consumed with a bloodthirsty need to win in all things, at all times.

  See? Totally chill.

  I clap my hands excitedly as the first game, Clue, is set up. The side of the box looks a little different than the ones I’ve played before. Wait is that—

  Hold the fucking phone. Is this the Harry Potter edition?!

  I elbow Kane in the ribs. “You guys are Harry Potter fans?”

  He looks over at me like I’m insane. “Uh duh? Nerds remember? I’m in house Gryffindor,” he says with a proud smile.

  “I’m Hufflepuff!” Jack chimes in.

  “Slytherin, all the way,” Max says with a smirk.

  Mr. Decker, Zach, looks up from where he’s sorting cards. “The missus and I are both Ravenclaw. The kids got our good looks, but sadly, not our high intelligence.” I snort with laughter, but none of the three boys look very amused.

  “I was sorted into Ravenclaw, too,” I admit.

  Kane’s parents both give him a knowing look that makes him roll his eyes.

  If you can fall in love with a family, I just took a nosedive. Their relationships are all so easy with each other: they laugh and talk openly. There’s no uncomfortable silences or judgements being thrown around like weapons. This is what a family should look like.

  About thirty minutes into the game, things are starting to get a little heated. Jack already guessed wrong and got booted out of the game. Kane keeps glaring at Max like he committed the murder rather than a fictional character. I tick off another box and smile when I have everything finally narrowed down.

  “Shit. Look at the girl’s face—she’s on to something,” Zach warns as he nudges his wife.

  My smile widens, but I say nothing. When it’s finally my turn, I let them know that I will be making my guess. Standing on my chair for theatrical effect, I point down to the middle of the board. “It was Draco Malfoy, with a mandrake, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom!” I bellow, sounding a little more amped up than intended.

  Kane laughs from beside me. “No way is it the Mandrake. Good try, newbie.”

  Sitting back down I reach for the small envelope and slide out the three cards. I scream “HAH!” as I shove them in his face. He grabs the cards from my hands, his smile slipping as he reads over them.

  “Shit. She wins,” he groans.

  I jump up from my seat and twirl in place. “I win!”

  “Well, at least you’re humble about it,” Max scoffs. I stick out my tongue at him, and he rolls his eyes.

  “Okay, Scarlett, winner picks the next game.” Zach holds his hand out to the stack of games. I pick out Trivial Pursuit and help set it up with Annie as the boys put away Clue.

  Two hours later, Zach calls for a break and leaves the noisy room to call for pizza.

  Jutting out my chin, I sit back in my chair like it’s a throne, and I’m looking down upon my lowly peasants. I’m two points in the lead, with Kane in second place. Behind him is Zach and Max at a tie, next Annie, and in last place is Jack with a whopping two points.

  “I don’t understand,” Kane snaps. “How are you so good at like every game? Are you cheating?” He accuses as he points a finger at my face.

  I slap him away and laugh like the queen of games that I am. “You’d like that wouldn’t you, peasant?”

  Max sniggers from across the room. “That growing ego took her somewhere weird, bro.”

  I shrug in agreement, and Kane scrubs his face in frustration. Every time he’s won a game, I’ve been able to keep two points ahead of him. About thirty minutes ago, his leg started bouncing uncontrollably, and now his expression has started to sour.

  Me thinks I’ve found somebody with the same competitive streak as me.

  About damn time I found someone who can keep up. The more I learn about Kane, the more my heart tips dangerously in his favor.

  After we eat pizza, it’s right back to the games. Annie busts out the two player games and tells us to pair up. As soon as I stand up, I’m yanked sideways.

  “Oh, it’s you and me, Freckles.” His face is an inch away from mine as he pulls me onto his lap.

  “Just as it should be, Karnage.” He cringes at the use of his gamer name but recovers quickly. Jumping up I grab the box of Connect Four, and we separate the colorful tokens into two piles. From the sound of it, the others are setting up their own games, but my eyes remain glued to Kane. He drops the first yellow token, and I drop in a red one.

  Yellow.

  Red.

  Yellow.

  Red.

  Over and over, until I slam down a red token with a shriek and connect four in a row. With a roar, he grabs a handful of the remaining tokens and starts chucking them at me one by one. My hands wave back and forth, trying to fend them off; I let out a startled gasp when one plinks off my forehead. I grab it from the floor and fling it back with a laugh.

  Shoving aside the game, red and yellow chips flying everywhere, Kane leans forward with a wild look in his eyes. “Thumb war, baby, let’s go.”

  “You can’t be serious?” I scoff, “How lame.”

  He smirks. “Oh, scared are you?”

  The playful smile is wiped from my face. “Never!” I stick out my hand, and he hooks his fingers with mine. Our thumbs stick straight out, facing off like it’s the battle of the century and not a silly child’s game.

  “One, two, three, four. I declare a thumb war,” we chant simultaneously. As soon as the last word is out of our mouths, our thumbs jerk wildly, trying to pin the other down.

  After what feels like an eternity of our thumbs attacking each other to no avail, I decide to get creative. With my free hand, I reach around to my ba
ck pocket and pull out my emergency Dum Dum lollipop.

  Ooh cherry, my favorite.

  Kane’s eyebrow arches as I rip the packaging off with my teeth and swirl the round sucker in my mouth. His eyes are trained on my mouth as I part my lips and swirl the candy on my tongue. His left eyebrow pops up to join the right as I take out the lollipop and begin slowly licking it. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down, and that’s my cue to go in for the kill.

  My thumb snaps over his and pins it down. As if waking from a dream, he looks down in confusion. His thumb thrashes violently beneath mine, but it’s too late, and my grip is too strong. I count to ten and release him with a satisfied sigh.

  “Seriously?” he snaps.

  I’m the picture of innocence as I spin the sucker in my mouth. “Hmm?”

  His lips pucker as he nods his head. “Oh, it’s like that, Freckles?”

  I shrug. “Are you going to put my point on the board, or should I?”

  “Oh my god, you’re the Devil with tits,” he growls.

  I crunch down on the sucker and finish it off in one bite. “That’s Miss Devil to you.”

  Gripping the sides of my chair, he slides me closer. I giggle as I’m jerked to a front row seat of the vein that’s bulging out of his forehead.

  Before he can respond, Kane’s dad booms out with a question. “Okay, this was the final round. Do I even need to ask who won between you and Scarlett?”

  I smirk, and Kane rolls his eyes.

  Zach makes the final tally and shakes his head. “Okay clan, I say this with a heavy heart, but...we all got our asses kicked by the newbie. I really expected more from my offspring.”

  Max flicks a card at him. “Shut up, you lost to her, too.”

  “Probably cheated,” Zach grunts.

  I laugh. “Heard that old man!”

  Annie swoops in to grab the jar full of candy and holds it out to me. “I can’t remember the last time Kane didn’t win game night.” She beams.

  “Mom, we talked about this. You’re supposed to be Team Kane.”

  She pretends not to hear him. “Would you like to see some baby pictures?”

  “A million times, yes,” I rush out as Kane rockets to his feet.

  “Hell no. Not happening.”

  “I’ll grab the scrapbook!” Jack shouts as he runs down the hall and returns with a leather bound book.

  Everyone but Annie and Kane excuse themselves from the living room after getting the games cleaned up and put away. Annie pats the seat beside her on the couch, and I sit down, shooting Kane an evil grin.

  In the first picture, Kane is a baby; he can’t be more than a year old. He’s sitting up on a blanket with squishy cheeks and big blue eyes.

  “Oh my gosh,” I coo. “Look how chubby you were! Like a wrinkly little pug.” I giggle.

  “Except our puppy learned to potty train faster than he did,” Annie whispers out of the corner of her mouth.

  “Okie-doke.” Kane snatches the book from his mom and sets it on the table. “We’re done here.”

  Annie cackles as she stands up and yanks her son into a hug. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, sweetheart.” Kane gives her a droll look. She raises her hands in defeat. “Okay, okay, maybe a little, but you were really quite the shit growing up, so perhaps this is payback.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  She pinches his cheek with a smile. “You kids have fun; this old woman is going to bed.”

  Kane’s eyes are full of adoration when he looks back at her. “Love you, Mom.”

  What I wouldn’t give to have a relationship like this with my own mother.

  “Love you, too, honey.” She turns back to me, and much to my surprise, wraps her arms around me for a hug as well. “It was wonderful meeting you, Scarlett. I do hope this isn’t the last we see of you.” She winks and disappears down the hallway, humming a happy tune.

  “I should probably get going myself,” I admit.

  Tell me to stay.

  His smile melts away. “Yeah. It is pretty late…”

  Ask me not to go.

  “I’m glad I came. Not just because I whooped your ass either,” I tease.

  His strained expression tells me he holds back the words I want to hear. “Let me walk you out.”

  I nod, turning toward the door quickly, so he doesn’t see the disappointment I can’t hide.

  This is what I wanted, so why does my heart feel like it’s being squeezed in a vice?

  We walk in silence to my car. A silence that fills me with an unknown dread.

  “Scarlett, I…” His breath makes a cloud in the chilly night air. “Good luck with the competition.”

  I swallow hard. “You too.” I smile, trying to ease the sudden tension. “May the best gamer win.”

  In one swift movement, he steps closer, bringing his hand to my cold cheek. I nuzzle into the warmth of his palm and release a sigh.

  Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

  With a conflicted look, he leans forward and presses his lips to mine for a soft kiss. Pulling back, he looks me square in the eye. “I’ll find you when this is over, Freckles. Just give ‘em hell.”

  I replay the look in his eye and the promise on his lips the entire drive home.

  21

  Scarlett

  “What do you think about this one?”

  Julie holds out a sample invitation that looks identical to the one she showed me just before it.

  “Pretty.” I swirl my finger in my new candy jar before plucking out a starburst.

  She drops the invitation on the bed. “That’s the exact word you used to describe the last one.”

  “Well...it was pretty, too,” I say carefully.

  “And the one before that. And the one before that.” She clucks.

  I groan. “I love you so much, but I am terrible at this stuff.”

  To my surprise, she laughs. “I know, I’m honestly impressed you lasted this long. I already texted Sarah, and I’m gonna head over to her place—bitch lives for weddings.”

  “Ooh, Sarah Keeler?” Nessa perks up.

  Julie nods. “Yeah, why?”

  “Nada. Heard she’s a bit of a slut that’s all.”

  My sister raises an eyebrow. “But, Vanessa...you’re a slut.”

  Nessa’s hand flies to her chest. “Cómo te atreves!”

  I shrug at my sister. “Don’t look at me, she speaks Spanish when she’s upset.”

  “Or horny,” Nessa adds with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

  My face scrunches. “Didn’t need to know that.”

  “Ay, Ay, AY PAPI,” she moans as she stretches out on her bed and rolls her hips back and forth.

  “Okaaaay, I’m gonna go.” Julie shakes her head, and I can’t help but laugh. I love my roommate, but that crazy bitch sure knows how to clear a room.

  I bounce my butt on the mattress in excitement, making Julie bob up and down across from me. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “Scarlett,” she says in a solemn tone. “You’re officially released from wedding duties for the day.”

  “YES!” I shout to the ceiling and quickly look back at my sister. “I mean, are you sure?” I bare my teeth in an apologetic smile.

  She shoves my arm playfully. “Go play your game, nerd. Oh and good luck tomorrow! You’re going to kick ass.”

  My stomach clenches as I remember what I had been purposely trying to put out of my head. I can’t believe it’s already been a month, and the competition is here. Between wedding planning, parties with Nessa, and playing Tactical Heart, I’ve kept myself purposefully busy. Time has flown by, and now, the big day is tomorrow.

  Am I ready?

  After Julie leaves, I hop in my chair and tug my headset over my ears. I twirl a strand of hair between my fingers as the game loads up. I smile when I see his username has a little green dot, which means he’s online.

  I touch my lips as I remember the last time I saw Kane a month ago. True to his wo
rd, since that night, we haven’t talked, haven’t seen each other, the only exception being the handful of times our characters passed each other in the game. My pulse quickens as I think about tomorrow when I will finally get to see him in the flesh.

  I shake my head and groan. No, that’s not what I should be thinking about today. He’s not who I should be thinking about.

  My thoughts need to be on game strategies, not his intense blue stare.

  They need to be on how the hell I’m going to take out fifty other players, not the way his smile melts me into putty.

  Or the way he chanted my name as he fucked me from behind…

  There I fucking go again!

  Everything I did to push him away, and he’s still rooted in my mind like a stubborn weed.

  My character comes to life on screen, and I equip my newest gun. My mind goes blissfully blank as I hunt down monsters and blow them to bits. I finish off a mob of twenty goblin creatures when I turn and find a familiar character.

  I bite the inside of my cheek as I stare at his username. KarnageKing13...once a name that ignited a trembling fury in the pit of my stomach. But now? Now, it just confuses the hell out of my head and my heart.

  I swallow as I see the little speech bubble pop over his toon’s head. He’s typing something. I stare hard at the chat log, as though it might disappear if I blink.

  KarnageKing13: So?

  My brows furrow in confusion. So?

  That’s what he says to me after not talking for an entire month?! I must have really romanticized this fucker in my head.

  RedWyrm: SO? So what?

  KarnageKing13: Sorry, I’m usually dead when you’re this close, so I don’t know what to do with myself.