He nodded, then leaned back as if waiting for me to deal him another hand.
“I do. I like everything about it. I like capturing a moment in time forever. I like seeing things from a different perspective. I like taking a section out of a whole, deciding which section that is going to be. I like the predictability of a camera, that it does exactly what I tell it to do. I like capturing emotion and stories and memories.”
He raised his eyebrows a bit, like that answer surprised him, but when he still didn’t say anything I added, “I’m not hiding from anything.”
“It’s good to know what you like,” he said.
“It is.” How did he do that? How did he get me to say so much with so little effort? I took a deep breath, calmed my mind, and dealt another hand.
My hand was good. I only had to trade in one. When I drew the new card it gave me a full house. I kept my face as passive as possible.
He traded three and my foot tapped nervously while I waited for him to study his hand. He placed two pairs faceup on the table.
“Ha!” I said, laying my cards down. “Finally.”
He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.
There were so many questions I wanted answered that it was hard to narrow it down to one. My eyes went to his wrist. I really wanted to know what the tattoo meant, but since he’d already not answered it once, I had a strong feeling that he wouldn’t answer this time either, regardless of the fact that I had just won.
Maybe he’d answer this one. “Why were you in juvie last year?”
“I thought everyone knew that story.”
“I know the rumors, but I want the truth.”
“You shouldn’t have wasted your question. The rumors are true.”
“You beat someone up?”
“Yes.”
“Who? Why?” I asked.
“Foster father number three. Because he deserved it.”
“What did he do?”
“He was a jerk.”
“How?”
“He liked to beat on his wife. I wanted him to know how it felt. When the cops came, his wife defended him and threw me under the bus. They pressed charges.”
“That sucks.”
He shrugged and tossed me his cards. Then he stood abruptly. “I’m hungry.” With that he left the table and headed for the doors.
I guess I was lucky he answered one question. I should’ve known this bet would end the game.
CHAPTER 10
Dax was in front of the television eating the rest of his candy bar when I arrived. The sleeping bag was sitting where I’d left it on the couch. I sat down on my end and pulled it over my lap.
I lifted a corner. “Do you want to share?”
“I’m good.”
My candy bar was still on the coffee table, and even though my stomach wasn’t protesting too much, I picked it up anyway and began eating. It was stupid to eat as a distraction here. I couldn’t afford that, but I did anyway.
“I can count on one hand how many Paydays I’ve eaten in my life, but right now this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you eat Paydays a lot?”
“No.”
“What’s your favorite candy bar?”
“Do you think because we played one card game together that we’re friends now?”
That took the air right out of me as a jolt of anger surged through my body. “Nope. Just trying to pass the time.” He probably wanted me to leave, but because he was being a jerk, I was going to stay. I laid my head on the armrest and turned my attention to the television. Some basketball game was on. I hadn’t pegged him as a basketball fan. I really hadn’t labeled him as anything but a troublemaker before this weekend. And he was only proving my label so far. I pulled the sleeping bag up around my shoulder.
If Lisa had been there, we’d be snuggling together, talking about our latest crushes. Just the Saturday before, we had sat on her couch, where a movie played in the background as we talked.
“When are you going to tell Jeff you like him?” she asked.
She was the only one of our friends that I’d told about Jeff. It wasn’t because I didn’t trust the other girls; I just spent more time with Lisa outside of school, so we talked more. “I don’t know. I have a hard time opening up to him. Every time I start to, I get nervous.”
“There’s nothing to get nervous about. He likes you.”
“He seems to like everyone.”
“But he likes you the most. We’ve all seen it.”
“Then why hasn’t he asked me out?”
She squeezed my hand. “I think guys can be just as insecure as girls. You’re sending him mixed signals.”
“I am?”
“Yes, you’ll flirt, and then when he flirts back, you back off.”
“It’s true. I start to overthink it. I overthink everything.”
“Well, don’t. You two are adorable together. And if you don’t tell him, and everyone, soon, Avi will beat you to him.”
“What? Avi likes him?”
“I don’t know, but sometimes I think she does. Go take what’s yours,” she said, then laughed and laughed.