Page 42 of Hearts of Fairlake

"I don't think that's going to happen," I muttered as she got up to leave the room.

Oh hell, what had I just done?

CHASE

"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?" I snapped as I watched the four-legged fiend fuck up my curtains...mynewcurtains. "I swear to fucking God if you don't?—"

"Stop cursing at the cats," Devin chided from the other room. "You know that just eggs them on and increases your blood pressure."

"My blood pressure isfine," I snapped.

Devin leaned around the corner, raising a brow. "Prehypertension."

I scowled as he leaned back out of sight and moved to grab the offending cat from the curtain as carefully as I could. Not necessarily because I didn't want to hurt the dumb beast, but because I didn't want him tearing up my curtains any further. "Why, Cole, why are you like this?"

The white fluffball had the audacity to start purring as I held him, making me scowl even harder. People swore up and down that when the cats grew older, they would calm down, but I had yet to see that happen. Sure, they didn't cause the mischief they used to, but that wasn't what I'd call calm.

"Here," I said, tossing Cole onto the couch next to his brother, who was serenely blinking up at the ceiling. "Go bother your brother and leave my curtains alone."

I heard a snort but decided to let the unspoken comment stay that way. We both knew Devin had all but taken over my house after he'd finally come back from his soul-searching journey. It started with little things, like plants that he carefully hung near windows or on shelves, making sure to get ones the cats wouldn't die from eating. Then, it had been new rugs, pillows for the couches, sheets, and so many other things I’d lost track.

"You were just above bachelor chic," he’d informed me with a smile as he made me help him put on the new bed set.

"You're going to make it look like a goddamn magazine cover in here."

He'd chuckled, tucking in the last corner of the fitted sheet. “But it will be a nice magazine cover, one I'm not going to fret about if someone gets dust on the table or dirt on the furniture. We're allowed to have nice things, Chase."

"Sure," I said, raising a brow as he sprawled on the bed, on his back, grinning up at me.

"Why don't we see how comfortable these sheets are and how long they hold on," he'd said, unbuttoning his pants.

I was being played, but that didn't stop me from swooping onto the bed to give him precisely what we both wanted. People could joke about how much I was wrapped around his little finger, but they were completely and utterly right. Not that I'd give the bastards the pleasure of knowing that, but still.

So, in reality, they weren't my curtains. They were the curtains of the snarky little shit doing something in the hallway leading to the back bedroom and the bathroom. It probably involved whatever he'd bought yesterday. Sometimes, he could be sneaky about the stuff he bought, like he'dbeen yesterday, stowing the bag in the back closet where I normally didn't look. That he'd tried to be slick told me whatever he'd bought had been expensive, or he knew I wouldn't like it.

"Quit ruininghiscurtains," I muttered to the cat as quietly as possible. That was followed by a hum of agreement from the hallway, making me roll my eyes. "You're being awfully well-behaved. I expected at least three comments by now."

"You seem to be managing the conversation on your own just fine," Devin said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I wouldn't want to interrupt the best conversation you'll have all day."

"With the cats?"

"With yourself."

"Hilarious, Devin."

"Aren't you the one who said the only way you were getting good conversation was with yourself?"

"Yeah, because Bennett wouldn't shut the fuck up," I growled. "You'd think I'd be used to it after years of dealing with his ass, but no, it's still as annoying as ever. He never shuts up."

Devin appeared, the familiar devious smile on his face as he crumpled up what looked like a bag and some paper. "I know. It's a shame you can't shut him up like you used to."

"Like I…Devin," I groaned, rubbing my forehead in exasperation. "Why are you like this?"

"Because you love it," he said with a laugh, stuffing what was in his hands into the trash can.

"Love is a very strong word."

"Your history with Bennett will never stop being funny. You'rethe one who gets uncomfortable, even after all this time."

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