Out of Character by Annabeth Albert

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Jasper

“Well? I’m waiting. I’ve got plans after I win.” George’s cockiness was infuriating as always. I rearranged my hand of cards, like it might give me different answers if I sorted them in a different order.

“You and your plans can chill.” I shot a look at his two companions who’d seemed super bored the whole match. The guy had his phone out and the girl had filed her nails, written in a leather day planner, and read over some printed handouts all in the time we’d been playing. At least she was getting shit done. Unlike me. “I’m thinking.”

Really, I was less thinking and more counting. Calculating. I wanted to try Professor Tuttle’s gambit from Saturday night. I had an idea for a twist that was all my own, and it might be my only hope. The episode hadn’t aired yet. I might manage to catch George unprepared for this sort of move, but for it to succeed, I had to precisely weigh my odds of getting the cards I needed. Milo was always marveling about my big brain, but I needed every spare neuron as I built a mathematical model in my head. I also needed to not glance at Milo because his faith in me was more than a little intimidating.

I kept tensing up, wanting to make him proud. This would be so much easier if it were just him and me at the pizza place, me showing off about the game or stochastic processes.

Wait.

I was making this far too complex. I remembered how I’d explained things to Milo, making predicting seemingly random events like which cards were likely to show up in a given card draw easy to understand. I had it. Now to show off.

“Quick change,” I announced as I played the card. I’d added it at 2:00 a.m. I hadn’t been able to sleep after Milo left for another night at the professors’ house, and I had kept fiddling with my deck rather than confront how lonely my bed seemed without him in it. And how nervous I was about this match. But I couldn’t show my nerves. I’d let them get the better of me in round two. I wasn’t going to lose twice.

“What fresh hell is this?” George snatched the card up, as I’d known he would. It wasn’t an expensive card, but it also wasn’t common. Few players wanted to discard their entire hand and take the risk of all new cards. But I’d done the math. This was my best chance.

“Response?” I tried to sound bored, like I didn’t care if he countered the card. But everything hinged on him letting the card through. I also didn’t dare look at anyone. If Kellan or Professor Tuttle caught on to my move, their expression could give me away.

“Whatever.” George waved his hand dismissively. “Do your Hail Mary.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” I discarded the five cards I’d been holding, then drew a fresh five. I didn’t waste time reviewing them. In that moment, I was the Frog Wizard and my ability to deceive and mislead was more important than what I’d actually drawn. “Your turn.”

“This is getting pointless.” George took his turn and shaved another few points off my life total. Another turn and he’d have me.

Showtime.My turn. I slapped down a hasty warrior princess, schooling my expression.

“Tell me you’re not attacking.” George shook his head like he was already deciding what to wear for the launch party.

I considered everything I’d counseled Milo about patience and not attacking too recklessly. And threw that advice out the window. Bring on the balls-to-the-wall heedless attack.

“Attack.” I threw everything I had at George. Well, almost everything.

“All in?”

“Yup.” The part of me who was Milo’s boyfriend was trembling. I needed a certain response from George or else this was going to fall apart. However, my inner Frog Wizard winked. You’ve got this. George wouldn’t shake. He’d revel in the moment. Which was what I did, leaning back in my chair.

“You’ve miscalculated,” he scoffed, exactly as I wanted. “Let me see how I want to block.”

Taking a breath, I waited until he lined up his cards. “Kill them all.”

Snap.I put down Grave Mistake. It had been in the lot of bulk cards Milo and I had sorted. I’d said it needed the right deck, but really it needed the right move and the right player. Me.

“Vicious.” George whistled but didn’t move to remove his cards. “And illegal.”

“Rules?” I’d been anticipating this.

“According to the official guidebook…” Professor Tuttle held up his phone to reveal the Odyssey website, the rules committee page, and quoted the specific provisions that related to what I’d done. “Allowed.”

“Do you have a counter?” I asked George, who still hadn’t moved and also hadn’t offered his hand.

“No. The rules website has it wrong, though. You can’t be that sneaky.”

“Says the king of sneak attacks,” Milo huffed from behind me. Almost. Almost. I still couldn’t look at him.

All I needed was George’s concession, but the moment dragged out, George’s eyes narrowing, his hand glued to his side. His mouth pursed like he was doing internal math. I didn’t care what he calculated as long as he came to the same answer as me, saw his inevitable loss.

“Fine. You win.” George huffed as he stuck out his hand. “But don’t go blaming me when you get a rep.”

“For winning?” Finally, I let myself smile. All the air returned to my lungs in a whoosh, and leftover adrenaline made my hands shaky. A single glance in Milo’s direction was enough to have my eyes burning, the way he looked at me like I’d captured the sun.

“Don’t go getting cocky, Quigley. It doesn’t become you.”

“Sure it does. Cards, please.” I tapped the table.

“Whatever. Here.” He removed two triple-sleeved cards from his deck bag, stopping just short of bending them as he slapped them down. “Don’t think you’ll get me to play you again.”

“Don’t imagine I’ll want to.” I shrugged, remaining sitting even as George packed up his stuff and beat a hasty retreat.

“Oh, my God, that was spectacular.” Kellan launched himself out of his chair as soon as the door shut behind George and his friends.

“You were such a badass.” Milo rubbed my head as he came around the table. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Bold, Jasper, bold.” Professor Tuttle smiled. “That was a professional player move. Championship spirit.”

“Hey, I learned from the best.” I moved so that he could pass with his cane. I went ahead and unfolded myself from my chair. My shirt stuck to my back. I’d started sweating at some point and hadn’t even noticed.

“So, how are we celebrating?” I asked Milo as I handed over the cards. Kellan and the professor were still nearby, so I figured anything racy was off the table, but I couldn’t resist shooting him a sexy look.

“Wanna come for a drive with me?” His look was too shy to mean back-seat action was imminent, but still, this was a guy I’d follow anywhere. Especially in this mood where I felt like…a hero at last. His hero. I’d saved the day.

“Sure.” I beamed at him as we waved goodbye to the professor and Kellan. As we made our way out of the student union, I turned back to Milo. “You know, now that we’ve got the cards, you don’t have to sell.”

“Yeah, I do.” Milo gave a solemn nod, which was pretty much what I’d been expecting.

“I get it.” Maybe I hadn’t saved the day as much as given him options. Which was okay. I didn’t have to do the huge save to still help Milo and to still be a good boyfriend.

“I agreed to terms right before the match. I’m taking it tomorrow morning.”

“So soon.” I couldn’t help the wistful sigh. I understood that he needed to do what he thought was best, but I still felt bad.

“It feels right. Feels like time. This way I can pay Bruno back for some of what he spent after the accident. Clean start. And having a little nest egg for the future… That’s huge. For the first time in forever, I feel like I have choices.”

“You do. Did…did the win help with that?” Maybe I was a praise junkie but I kind of wanted to hear it.

“Absolutely. And that you were willing to risk so much…”

“I’d do it again.”

“I know. So, come with me?” Milo stopped by his car, which was gleaming under a parking lot light. All his boxes were currently stored in my parents’ garage, and he’d washed and cleaned it so carefully I was almost scared to get in. “One last drive.”

“Okay.” I cautiously settled into the front seat. Milo didn’t head for the highway, and I wasn’t at all surprised when his drive took us a few streets over from my parents’ house.

“New family seems settled in.” I gestured at his old house where two kids were riding scooters in the driveway. It was early evening still and the night air had lost almost all of its winter bite. Spring wasn’t far off now.

“Yeah, they do.” He stared for a long moment before driving on. He turned toward our old school. “I’m going to tell Bruno everything. Everything. He deserves the truth and he deserves to hear it from me.”

“He does,” I agreed as he passed the school, heading for a narrow park where we’d learned to ride bikes together. I waited until he’d pulled into the nearly empty parking lot before adding, “I’m proud of you.”

“I’m proud of me too.” His bashful smile made me melt.

“Did you bring me here to seduce me? Because I’m good with that plan.”

“I spent three hours detailing this car. You’re tempting, though.” He gave me a fast kiss that was all too light.

“No butt prints, got it.” I grinned at him.

“Goof.”

I didn’t tell him that he loved that about me because the emotion was already there in his eyes, waiting for me to say it back. And even now the words felt too big for my mouth. Bigger than maybe my brain and my heart could hold. I felt them, but speaking them was scary, an admission of how very much I was trusting Milo, how much I stood to lose, and how much I wanted that forever with him. Instead, I kissed him again, this time getting the lingering kiss I craved, and hoped he knew what I couldn’t yet say.

“I never taught you to drive a stick,” he said mournfully as we broke apart. “And now I can’t risk the clutch—”

“It’s okay.” I silenced him with another kiss. “There will be other cars.”

“Yeah. There will.” He met my gaze, eyes glowing in the evening light. We’d get more chances. More adventures. “I’m ready now. Ready for whatever happens with Bruno.”

“You are. You’re inspiring.” I stroked his prickly jaw. I was super into his scruff, and the fact that he’d been too busy cleaning the car to shave was a nice bonus.

“Me? An inspiration? Nah.” Grinning sheepishly, he shook his head.

“You are. I didn’t think I was ready to move on after college. Didn’t think I wanted what came next. But now I do. And a lot of it is because of you. Especially this last week or so, watching you be brave.”

“If I’m brave, it’s because you’ve shown me the way. And you believed in me, even when I didn’t entirely believe in me.”

“I’m never going to stop believing in you.” The words rose in my throat again, the scary ones that wanted to come out, but then he claimed my mouth in another soft, sweet kiss and the words fled. I’d get there. Eventually.

And I was starting to believe that we’d get a future filled with chances. But first, Milo had one more mountain to conquer and I was going to be right there, cheering him on. Whatever happened with Bruno, he’d have me, but I really hoped his big brother didn’t break his heart.