How Not To Fall For A Dragon
Chapter 62 62- Never Pretend It’s Just A Crush
LEXI
The bet set, Blake deals our cards. The sound of them hitting the table feels louder than it should, sharp against the quiet of the room now that my parents
have gone to bed. I want to win. I really do. But if I’m being honest with myself, he is better at this than me. He’s calmer. More deliberate. Even now, his
movements are steady, precise, like he’s already planned three hands ahead. So… Screw it. I leave my cards face down on the table, not even glancing at the
corners. I don’t let my eyes drift. I don’t let curiosity get the better of me. I rest my hands flat on the table instead, palms down, like that somehow seals
the decision.
“All in.” I announce. Blake blinks. Just a brief flicker, but it’s there.
“But you didn’t even look.” He says, disbelief slipping into his voice.
“Yup.” I reply easily, a grin tugging at my mouth. My heart is already racing, but I keep my tone light.
“You can either fold, or call it, and then we see how it goes.” I inform him. He studies me closely now, eyes narrowing as he searches my face for something,
a tell, a crack, any sign that I’m bluffing. I meet his gaze evenly, doing my best to look far more confident than I feel. Then the tension breaks. He relaxes
back in his chair and bursts out laughing, shaking his head like he can’t quite believe me.
“Sure. Let’s see what you’ve got.” He says as he pushes his chips forward.
“I’ll go all in too. All or nothing round, right?” He smirks, pleased with himself, like this is exactly the kind of chaos he enjoys. Then we basically just… Flip over all our cards. And that’s when it really hits me how ridiculous this is. Neither of us has any idea what we’re holding. There’s no strategy anymore, no clever reading of expressions, no subtle manipulation. No poker face. Just dumb luck. A pure gamble. My stomach twists as the rest of the cards are revealed one by one, the tension oddly intense for something this stupid. I hold my breath without realising it. The last card turns. And I have no idea who won. I stare down at the spread, trying to make sense of it. My brow furrows. Blake is doing the same, leaning forward slightly, clearly as lost as I am. No pairs. No straight. No flush. Nothing that jumps out. So… The highest card wins? My eyes flick over the cards again. And then I see it. The highest card is mine. It’s a
nine. A NINE.
“Did… Did I just win with a high card, and my highest card is a nine?” I ask slowly, incredulously. Blake squints at the table again, then leans back with a
short, disbelieving breath.
“Is that even allowed?” He asks, clearly doubtful.
“Well…” I hesitate, still staring at the cards.
“Yeah. Technically.” I conclude. The realisation settles into something warm and fizzy in my chest.
“So, I won!” I say, the cheer finally bubbling out of me. Blake nods, lips pressed into a thin line as he processes the loss, He looks genuinely put out, and the sight of it is so satisfying that I can’t help but giggle.
“I guess you’ll be watching a sappy movie with me.” I crow, unable to keep the triumph out of my voice. He exhales slowly and nods again.
“Sure.” He agrees. I don’t think he actually is bothered by the idea of watching a suppy movie. He just doesn’t like losing all that much. Still, I start thinking about what movie we might watch, mentally scrolling through options, already narrowing it down, but my thoughts keep snagging on something else entirely. Something I heard once. Something about flipping a coin when you don’t know what you want. Because regardless of how it lands, your reaction tells you everything. If you’re happy with what you got then great, if not… Well then you know that you wanted the other option. And right now? I realise I feel… Conflicted. Sure, I wanted to win. Mostly because winning is fun. But with the bet, well, somehow I’m a little disappointed. There’s a faint sense of loss sitting alongside the victory, and I don’t like how clearly I can feel it. Technically, there’s nothing stopping me from just… Climbing into Blake’s lap during the movie anyway. The thought alone makes my stomach flutter. But that would mean choosing it. Owning it. No excuse. No safety net. And I’m not
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Chapter 62 62- Never Pretend It’s Just A Crush
sure I’m brave enough to do that without the excuse of losing a bet.
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We decide to leave the movie for tomorrow night, once we’re back at the Academy. It’s kind of late, and the house has settled into that quiet, half–asleep
stillness that makes everything feel softer and more deliberate. I think Blake is still on his best behaviour, even though my parents are already asleep. I
can’t quite tell why though. I don’t know if he’s being friendly to them because he wants them to like him, or if the fact that they do like him is making him
want to be nice to them in return. Either way, I’m really glad that they all seem to get along. That knot of tension I didn’t even realise I’d been carrying all day has loosened, just a little. I’m still kind of suspicious about what he and Dad talked about earlier. Blake somehow seemed a lot more comfortable after
that conversation. Not cockier. Not smug. Just… Steadier. Like something had settled into place. Did my dad say something encouraging somehow? I want to
think that he did. I really do. But everything I know about my dad tells me there had to have been some kind of warning in there too. Then again, Blake
isn’t exactly the type to be bothered by threats or warnings. I walk with him down the hallway toward the guest room, our footsteps quiet against the floor.
“So… My parents‘ room is the one across from yours. Mine is to the right.” I say softly, breaking the silence.
“Good to know.” He answers just as quietly, clearly mindful of the sleeping house. I hesitate for a second, lingering in the hallway instead of immediately
wishing him good night.
“Do you need anything before bed?” I check.
“Yes.” He answers. The word lands heavier than I expect.
“Oh. Sure. What did you need?” I say quickly. He doesn’t answer right away. He just looks at me, expression unreadable in the dim light. My nerves spike.
“Like… Water? Or a snack or something?” I add, feeling oddly self–conscious all of a sudden. He shakes his head.
“Then… What is it?” I ask, my voice lower now, more careful.
“I won a lot of games today. Maybe not that last one, but overall, I won more than anyone else.” He says calmly. His gaze doesn’t leave mine.
“I think I deserve a prize.” He tells me.
“You want a prize?” I repeat, raising an eyebrow, trying for teasing even though my pulse has started to thrum.
“Yes.” He answers. Then he steps closer. I instinctively glance sideways at my parents‘ door, the closed wood suddenly feeling very present. But before I can think too much about it, Blake’s attention pulls me back to him completely. He wraps his arms around my waist and tips me gently back against his chest, solid and warm and entirely too distracting. He kisses me until I’m breathless, slow and sure, like he knows exactly how far to go and exactly when to stop. When he pulls back, my head is spinning just enough that I have to remind myself where I am.
“Much better.” He murmurs.
“Good night, precious.” He adds softly. Then he turns and walks into his room, closing the door behind him and leaving me standing alone in the dark
hallway, heart racing, cheeks warm, trying to remember how to breathe properly again.
I shuffle into my room, closing the door quietly behind me, still a little dazed. The familiar space feels slightly unreal, like I’ve stepped into it before my
thoughts have fully caught up. I lean back against the door for a second, pressing my forehead lightly to the wood and letting out a slow breath. Okay. Wow.
I should probably have a discussion with Blake about… Whatever our relationship is right now. Because this kissing, this thing, is starting to become a regular occurrence. It isn’t accidental anymore. It isn’t a one–off moment that can be explained away by adrenaline or circumstance. And I’m okay with that.
More than okay, if I’m being honest. But there’s a restless edge to the warmth it leaves behind. A kind of low–level uncertainty that keeps circling back no
matter how much I replay the good parts. I think I would feel a lot more… Secure if I had some kind of label for it. Not something dramatic. Not a declaration or a promise carved into stone. I’m not looking for him to tell me he loves me or anything like that. It’s been a week I’m not delusional But still. Are we dating? It sort of feels like we are. We spend nearly all our time together. We hold hands. We kiss. We go places together. That all has to mean something, right? I push away from the door and move further into the room, absently setting things down, going through the motions while my thoughts keep looping back to the same place. I don’t want to overthink this until it becomes something fragile and weird. I don’t want to scare him off by making it
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Chapter 62 62 Never Pretend It’s Just A Crush
heavier than it needs to be. But I also don’t want to keep floating in this in–between space forever. Okay. I straighten slightly, resolve settling in my chest. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’m going to talk to him. Not to demand anything. Not to push. Just to ask. To name whatever this is, even if the answer is simple.
Even if it’s tentative. Tomorrow,
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
