The Tortoise and His Sunrise | ✓

3. Photos

Little colored plastic bowls of different flavored chips and popcorn laid on the floor beside our crossed legs. Each of us, except for Nolan, who chose to have a bottle of water, had a different carton of fruit juice sitting in front of us. Mine was guava, and it was so good.

I rarely drank juice now because of the high sugar content, but on occasions like these nothing could beat them.

With all four of us inside, Ashley's room felt especially cozy tonight. Admittedly, that was probably because there was barely enough space for us and the board game we had squeezed into the middle of the circle we were sitting in.

"I'm bankrupt! Are you happy now, you cold unfeeling tycoon?" I complained, handing the paltry remnants of my properties over to Cody, the guy who was currently swimming in Monopoly money.

At my melodrama, Ashley laughed softly.

Nolan snorted, which caused me to turn my glare to him.

"Ashley I can understand, but you? You're supposed to be on my side!" I snatched up a handful of buttered popcorn and took an ungraceful bite from it.

"I am," he said. "I haven't collected rent from you once, even when I could have."

Oh. I totally thought he just hadn't noticed and missed his chance when I landed on his property. I wasn't going to bring it to his attention in the moment if he really had. I mean, it was his loss, right?

My feigned pout had already melted away, and now I was grinning at him. "Really? You did that for me?"

"He totally went easy on you," Cody said, arranging his new properties. "He hasn't forgotten to collect from me or Ashley even once."

"Oh, well, fine," I said, feeling myself smile despite all attempts at suppressing it. "I suppose I can forgive you."

A familiar groan sounded in the room, but I ignored Ashley in favor of prolonged eye contact with Nolan. She hadn't been lenient with collecting rent from me, so now she just had to live with the consequences of her actions.

"Excuse me," he said, but his lips were already spreading into a lazy smile. "You accused me of betrayal where there was none. I think you need to make it up to me."

"Sorry! Don't worry, I'll make it up to you by cheering for you." I scooted nearer to him so that our knees were touching. "I'm gonna be your personal cheerleader!"

"I'm pretty sure that was what you were going to do anyway after losing, but yeah, sure."

Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me even closer until our thighs were pressed up against each other. I ruffled his black hair, the softness of it making me never want to retract my fingers. I wouldn't mind petting Nolan's hair for the rest of my life.

Ever so slightly, I felt him lean his head into my touch.

"Suddenly, I feel like a third wheel," Cody said, throwing the dice.

"Imagine how I felt every day back in high school." Ashley shook her head. "They somehow managed to make Melissa and Derek feel like third wheels, too."

"When they were already a couple? Wow."

"Yeah, their flirting game was—and still is­­, obviously—strong."

He looked impressed as he moved his token, and I rolled my eyes at them both.

With some reluctance, I withdrew my hand from Nolan's head. "We are not flirting. How many times do I have to say this?"

"You don't have to say it, actually," Ashley said in a kind voice, flipping her golden-blonde hair over her shoulder. "It doesn't change anything even if you do."