The things we don't say

The Bet

Wilko hated losing.

There were probably people who would argue that he hated a lot of things.

Being told what to do.

Being stuck inside when he wanted to go somewhere.

People underestimating him.

People touching his stuff without asking.

People telling him to calm down when he was already perfectly calm.

But losing?

Losing was different.

Losing meant somebody else had been better.

And Wilko could handle a lot of things.

That wasn't one of them.

Especially when the person winning was Vlad.

Again.

Wilko stared at the cards in his hands as if they had personally betrayed him.

Across the table, Vlad calmly placed his final card down.

"Done."

Silence.

Wilko looked at the card.

Then at Vlad.

Then back at the card.

"No."

Vlad raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"You did something."

"I played the game."

"You did something."

Keelin, sitting on the other side of the room with a book balanced against her knees, didn't even bother looking up.

"He won."

Wilko turned toward her.

"You weren't even watching."

"I don't have to watch. I can hear you complaining from across the room."

"I am not complaining."

Keelin finally looked up.

"You have been complaining for the last forty minutes."

"Because he's cheating."

Vlad leaned back in his chair.

"I've been accused of cheating three times tonight."

"Because you are."

"And yet you've never been able to explain how."

Wilko opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

Vlad's expression became just slightly more amused.

"That is what I thought."

Wilko narrowed his eyes.

He hated that expression.

It wasn't even an obvious smirk.

Vlad wasn't arrogant enough to grin when he won.

No.

He just sat there looking completely unbothered, as if beating Wilko at something wasn't worth celebrating.

That somehow made it worse.