Page 7 of Craving Francesca

“Well, yeah,” I hissed, shoving at him. “When you compare me toLou. Everybody is worse than Lou. Get off of me!”

“Aw, am I messing up your hair?” Rumi laughed, giving me a noogie.

“Are you twelve?” I yelled, trying to tangle my legs with his to trip him.

“You look like shit, Gray,” Rumi announced. “Did you sleep?”

My stomach sank. Of course he was outside. Everyone was outside.

“No.” Gray’s voice was flat, and I froze, glancing up at him through my tangled hair.

“Why the hell not?” Rumi asked, his arm still holding my head hostage.

“Christ, Rumi,” I grumbled. “Let go!”

Gray ignored the question. He looked between us, gave a nod, and walked away.

My heart pounded. For fuck’s sake. If I’d planned on looking cool and collected the next time I saw Gray, that had just gone out the window. I looked like a little kid wrestling with my older and stronger brother. My hair was tangled up in my mouth.

“Rumi, if you don’t let me go, I’m going to pinch your balls so hard you’ll be walking funny for a goddamn month!”

“Such a whiner,” Rumi joked as he let me go and gave me a little shove.

“You’re so obnoxious,” I complained, swiping the hair out of my face.

“Obnoxious? You’re the one who woke everyone—” Rumi looked at me closely. His eyes widened, and his head shot to the side, his gaze following Gray across the grass. “No fuckin’ way.”

“Shut up,” I blurted.

“You’re red as a tomato,” he said slowly, almost gleefully.

“Shut up, Rumi,” I ordered, glancing around us.

“Neither of you slept,” he practically sang.

“I will hurt you,” I ground out.

“You fucked Gray.” His eyes were wide.

“It was fun, and now it’s over,” I replied casually, cursing the blush I knew was covering my neck and crawling up my jaw. “And no one needs to know about it.”

“It’s a secret?” he asked with a huge grin.

“It’s nobody’s business.”

“If you say so.”

“I do say so.”

“Okay.” He drew out the word, still looking far too amused for comfort.

“We were drinking—”

“You’re not drunk.”

“I didn’t say I was drunk.”

“You implied—”

---