THE GAME SHE'S LOSING

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, painting soft golden streaks across Christine's face. She stirred, blinking against the light, but the second her mind fully woke up, there he was — Peter. His words, his presence — and more than anything, his sudden absence.

It was stupid, the way his absence felt just as suffocating as his presence. And Jessie's last words from last night kept replaying in her head:

"If you're not careful, you'll lose this game you think you're playing."

Christine flopped back onto the bed with a groan. She hated how right Jessie sounded.

Jessie, of course, noticed. "You look like someone who's losing the game," she teased from across the room, already brushing her hair in front of the mirror.

"I am not losing," Christine grumbled, sitting up. "I'm just… thinking."

Jessie turned with a knowing smirk. "Thinking about him."

Christine threw a pillow at her. "Not everything is about Peter!"

Jessie dodged it easily. "Except it totally is. And if you keep pretending you don't care, you're going to drive yourself crazy. So what's the plan?"

Christine sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. "The plan is to not give him what he wants — my attention. I told him I had a lot of schoolwork, so I made plans with Marvin to study today. And I'm sticking to it. I'm not his toy, Jess. He doesn't get to mess with my head."

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Mmm-hmm. And how's that working out for you?"

Christine's phone buzzed on the nightstand. She didn't even have to look. She knew who it was.

Jessie grinned. "You were saying?"

Christine snatched the phone up and held it out dramatically. "See? He won't go away!"

"You like it," Jessie sing-songed.

"I don't," Christine insisted, typing a quick text to Marvin instead.

Still good for the library at noon?

The response came almost instantly. Of course. See you there.

Christine let out a breath of relief. "See? Plans. Distraction. Power back in my hands."

Jessie watched her with a smile that said she wasn't buying it at all. "If you say so."

*_*

The library was the perfect escape. Quiet, cool, and filled with the scent of old books — a place where Christine could clear her head and focus on something that had nothing to do with Peter Hayes.

Marvin was already there when she arrived, his warm smile immediately putting her at ease. "Hey, Chris!" he greeted, sliding a chair out for her. "Ready to actually get some work done?"

"More than ready," she said, settling in.

For a while, the quiet was peaceful. They worked side by side, occasionally exchanging notes and study tips. Marvin was easy to be around — funny, patient, and most importantly, safe.

"So," Marvin said after a while, his tone light. "Are we going to talk about the whole Peter thing, or are we pretending he doesn't exist?"

Christine groaned. "Not you too!"

"Hey, I'm just saying — the guy's everywhere. And if you're trying to avoid him, you're doing a pretty terrible job."

"I'm not—" she started, but the words died in her throat.

Because the universe clearly had a twisted sense of humor.

"Well, well," Peter's voice drawled from behind them. "This looks cozy."

Christine closed her eyes for a second before forcing them open, schooling her face into indifference as she turned.

Peter stood there, arms crossed, his signature cocky smirk firmly in place — but his eyes were sharper than usual, his entire presence radiating something darker, something… dangerous.

"Didn't know you had study dates now, baby girl," he said lightly.

"It's not a date," she snapped, more defensive than she wanted to be. "And I'm busy, Peter."

"Yeah?" He tilted his head, dragging a chair out and settling into it like he had every right to be there. "Don't let me stop you. Go ahead. Study."

But how could she study when his presence burned so fiercely next to her? He didn't even do anything — just sat there, fingers tapping lazily on the table, his gaze fixed on her like a predator waiting for his prey to slip up.

Marvin shot her a questioning look, but before she could answer, Peter spoke again. "You've been avoiding me." His voice was soft, almost playful, but there was something dangerous beneath it.

Christine's heart skipped. "I told you — I had work."

"Right," he drawled. "A lot of work, huh? Funny thing is, I don't remember you mentioning Marvin in that little speech."

Her cheeks heated. "It's none of your business."

Peter's eyes darkened. "See, that's where you're wrong, baby girl. When you disappear on me? When you pull this whole cold-shoulder thing after I spent weeks being good to you? That is my business."

"Good to me?" she scoffed. "It's a contract, Peter. Or did you forget?"

He leaned in closer, his voice a low murmur meant only for her. "You keep calling it a contract, but you and I both know it's a little more than that now, don't we?"

Her throat went dry. "It's not."

He smiled, slow and dangerous. "Liar."

Marvin stood abruptly. "Uh… I just remembered I have to meet someone. Catch you later, Christine."

And then she was alone with him.

Peter watched her, his silence louder than words. Finally, he spoke. "Why are you running from me?"

"I'm not."

He arched a brow. "Then tell me the truth. Why'd you back out last night?"

Christine hesitated, her fingers curling against the edge of her book. "Because you… you mess with my head. You show up, and it's chaos, and when you leave, it's worse. And I don't like it, Peter."

For once, he didn't smirk. He just watched her — really watched her — until she felt stripped bare under his gaze. "You're scared of me."

"I'm not—"

"You are," he cut her off softly. "But not because you think I'll hurt you. You're scared because you like the chaos. You like the way I get under your skin. And that scares you more than anything else."

Her breath caught. "You're wrong."

"Am I?" He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering just a second too long. "Then why are you still sitting here?"

Christine couldn't answer.

And Peter — the manipulative, maddening, impossible Peter — smiled like he knew he'd just won another round.

"Looks like the new Mr. Peter isn't so easy to avoid after all."