Page 93 of Habits

I lift my chin in the air in defiance but don’t bother with a response.

“You’re acting like a spoiled brat, Jeanette. Even Lia noticed there is something going on between you and Hill, and she’s as clueless as they come.”

Lia elbows her best friend. “I’m still here, you know.”

“I’m telling the truth and you know it. Since you and Derek became official, you’ve been in a rose-colored world where everybody is happy and in love.”

“Maybe that’s why Ididnotice the thing between Jeanette and Andrew.”

“We’re not in love!” I protest in a hurry, sitting straighter.

Well, shit. There goes my immunity. No way will I be able to convince them they’re wrong now that I hastily blurt out something like that. I should have ignored it. Why didn’t I ignore it?

Both girls exchange a knowing look.

“She didn’t deny there is something going on between them,” Brook says, and then they walk to either side of my bed and sit down.

“We’re not. In love, I mean.”

“What are you then?”

“We’re nothing.” I try to act as nonchalant as possible. Salvage the situation any way I can.

“Try again.” Brook gives me a condescending look, while Amelia puts her hand on my knee.

“Anybody with two eyes can see something is going on between you two.” There is so much sympathy in Lia’s voice I want to barf. “The way you look at each other when nobody is looking.”

“Like we want to murder one another?” I suggest, but the two of them ignore me.

“They’re looking at each other like they want to jump each other’s bones, Lia. No need to sigh dreamily about it.” Brook, always the voice of reason. “Besides, didn’t you notice how they disappear conveniently one after the other? What do you think they’re doing, huh? I’m not sure Hill has the patience of a saint like some guy we all know.”

Lia’s cheeks burn instantly and so brightly, you’d think we caught her reading one of her kinky books.

“W-well, i-it’s n-not a-always about s-sex,” Lia stutters nervously.

“Don’t judge it till you try it.”

Brook gives me a knowing look, and we share a quiet laugh.

“It’s always the quiet ones,” I agree.

Lia looks between the two of us, completely confused. “W-what?”

This time we don’t try to cover our laughter. “Forget it.”

Irritated with the two of us, she puffs her cheeks. “Well, if it’s just about s—” She gulps down hard. “S-sex, why are you hiding in your bedroom and he’s angry at everybody who dares glance his way?”

Sighing, I rub my forehead. I can feel the headache looming behind my temporal bone.

“If you must know, he was being a dick, and I don’t want to be around to listen to his bitching.”

“I can’t still wrap my head around it.” Brook shakes her head, stupefied. “Andrew Hill and Jeanette Sanders. Presumptuous Asshole and Ice Queen. Together.”

I give her a sour smile. “It’s so good to know you think so highly of us.”

Brook shakes her head, completely ignoring my sarcasm, her green eyes sparkling with a special kind of glow I’m not sure I even want to decipher.

“Just think about it. If you two actually did end up together, it would be like an earthquake. You’d never know how fast or how hard it would hit and how much destruction would be left in its wake.”

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