Free Earning Edie (Espinoza Boys #1) by D.J. Jamison

routine. In the mornings, I got up first and got ready. After that first day, Edie had never rolled out of bed before 9 a.m. In the evenings, I ordered in and we played video games until Edie retreated to do more research and I grabbed some clothes from the bedroom before she went to bed.
    She used the computer a lot. I’d looked at the browser history, so I knew most of her research related to a hunt for college scholarships or grant money. The girl didn’t hide her stress well, either. I could see it in the tension that sat in her shoulders, the sad look in her eyes. Her smiles were too weak and too rare.
    None of that was my fault, I told myself. Too bad I didn’t believe it. If I hadn’t messed up her family situation, would she have more help with her college expenses? I didn’t know, mainly because I was too much of a coward to ask. I just didn’t want that guilt on my conscience; suspecting it was true was still better than knowing for sure.
    Tonight wasn’t much different from so many others. I came home, and challenged Edie to another game. To make it interesting, we usually set bets. It was fifty-fifty on who would win. She tended to beat me in racing games — which hurt the part of my male ego that was certain men were better drivers — but I usually kicked her butt at fighter games.
    It was my turn to choose a game, so of course I picked a street fighter one that I’d be sure to win.
    “It’s on Edie-san,” I teased.
    “You’re sure of yourself.”
    “Always,” I said with a grin.
    I plopped onto the couch and pointed to the spot next to me. “Get your ass over here, and let’s see who has to clean the bathroom this weekend.”
     
    EDIE
    “I am so kicking your ass!” I followed my outburst with an upper right hook to his jaw.
    “Ouch. You’re breaking my heart, kid.”
    I laughed. “Your gaming skills are breaking my heart.”
    “You’ve been practicing on the sly,” he complained.
    Nick and I punched the buttons on our remote controls frantically, each trying to best the other. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have trash talked him quite so hard. He’d become even more determined to win.
    I squeaked as his character kicked mine in the chest, sending her flying across the screen. Her purple ponytail flew straight up as she somersaulted. But I wasn’t giving up yet. Once she was on her feet once more, I decided distraction was my best hope.
    “Can you believe how unreal those breasts are?” I commented. “In real life, a girl wouldn’t be able to walk with a rack like that.”
    Nick snorted beside me as I attempted a combination jab-kick-jab. “They fill out her crop top nicely, though. And they totally— HEY!”
    I cackled as she took his chauvinistic ass down a notch. Nick’s character went down for the count. He tossed his remote on the floor in disgust.
    “That was a cheap shot.”
    “What?” I glanced over at him, feigning innocence, but couldn’t keep the grin off my face.
    “You used your feminine wiles on me—”
    “Not my feminine wiles,” I retorted.
    Nick was shaping up to be a poor sport. I smirked. “I guess animated feminine wiles work on real boys, huh?”
    “Ha,” he said dryly. “So, what now? Order a pizza?”
    I shrugged. “Sure …”
    I paused, looking at him. Nick was a good-looking guy. A really good-looking guy. He knew it; I knew it. So, I couldn’t figure out why he appeared to have no life.
    “Why don’t you go out?”
    He was preoccupied scanning the pizza coupons that cluttered the mail each week. “You mean for dinner?” he asked without looking up. “I guess we could …”
    “No, I don’t mean for dinner.” He glanced up at me, puzzled. “I mean in general. You never go out. Why? You’re not coming home and hanging out with me for my sake, are you?”
    “Uh.” He rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. “I don’t know the correct answer here.”
    “How about the truth?”
    “It feels like a trap.”
    “It’s not a