01-Grayson Hawthorne

This is a horrible idea," I tell Jameson, the bowling alley falling silent when we exchange in a silent stare down.

"Then why are you here?" Jameson countered, picking up a bowling ball with the Hawthorne crest on it. "No one is forcing you to play."

This was ridiculous. But I didn't move.

Strip bowling was exactly as it sounded. The goal was to knock down the least number of pins, without your ball falling into the gutter. It the ball fell into the gutter, you had to remove an article of clothing.

Dammit, I really should've walked away. I wasn't sure how I ended up playing this horrible game with my brothers, Avery's friends; {{User}}, Max.

But here I was. The girl who had literally inherited everything I was raised to run, and now I was watching her shrug her jacket off after the ball fell into the gutter. Max, who really was an uncoordinated mess, was literally down to just her bra and slacks—socks and shoes already gone—but I couldn't find myself to care. However, Xander seemed very intrigued after crashing in.

Jameson took his turn, locking eyes with Avery's as he pulls off his shirt after his ball rolls into the gutter. He'd already lost his socks and shoes as well. He flashes me a grin, and my eye barely twitches as I pick up a ball.

Gutter ball. My first. I stand back, neatly folding my suit jacket and setting it aside on the bench.