Page 34 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions

But I couldn’t stop myself from responding.

Couldn’t stop the fissure from growing as my wrath burned hotter.

Goddammit, I really should’ve walked away—but now I couldn’t. Not when Alex wassmirking. Smirking like he thought creeping beneath my skin and outright lying to me was funny. It wasn’t funny. None of this was.

“Definitely fun, yes.” Alex’s smile grew brighter. He leaned in to mock whisper across the horrible Christmas bauble-themed tablecloth at me. “You’re averyfun man, Georgie.”

Aware we had an audience, but unable to stop myself, I retorted. “Well,you’rea fucking dick.”

Roddy gasped.

Juniper gasped.

The crowd gasped.

Everyone else stopped talking. What’d been a small group paying attention became the whole fucking party. Roderick’s family. My family. Alex and Juniper’s. Adults and children alike. Most notably, my mother—apple fritter halfway to her mouth as her attention moved from the woman she’d been chatting with over to us.

The weight of their perception made me feel small and miserable.

Instead of backing off, Alex pushed again.

“A fucking dick?” Alex mused. “Huh. I’ll defer to you. Seeing as you’re more familiar with those than I am.”

There was no way anyone else would understand the innuendo.

But I did.

I snapped.

Suddenly, the table between us became amassiveproblem. It was the only reason I wasn’t currently strangling him. Fuck it. The thing was older than I was anyway.

I’d buy Mom a new one if it broke.

Exploding out of my seat, I launched across the table at Alex. Roderick was too shocked to try and stop me. By the time I was on solid ground again—the table miraculously still standing—my chest was heaving.

Crack, crack,my “golden boy persona” splintered even more. The crowd was eerily silent, making the sound of each great, angry gulp of air that whooshed into my lungs impossibly loud. Alex was a few inches taller than me, but thatdidn’t prevent me from glaring down my nose at him as I stepped into his personal space. I could taste the mint on his breath.

The smug bastard leaned closer, entirely unfazed by my fury. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was egging me on. That’s certainly what itfeltlike he was doing. Like he was inciting my wrath on purpose—offended by my feigned disinterest, even thoughhewas the one that was blowing hot and cold for no fucking reason.

“Is thatVersace?” Alex’s voice was husky.

“W-what?” The question was so out of pocket it nearly shocked me out of my rage.

“Your cologne, Georgie. Keep up. Is thatVersace?”

“No,” I snapped. Of course it wasVersace.

“Liar,” Alex’s minty breath fanned hot against my lips in an annoyingly sultry way. He shifted imperceptibly till his toes bumped mine, making himself at home in my personal bubble—like he had every right to do so.

Alex’s eyes were prettier up close, and that thought only made me more bitter. How dare he be so…sosmug—and so attractive, at the same time. I wanted to wipe the smile off his face.

When he looked at me like that, his dark lashes fluttering with each blink—his lips curled up, dimples flashing—it felt like the rest of the world disappeared entirely. Our audience was gone. There was only him, and me, and the electricity between us.

His eyes said,pay attention to me.

They said,I need it.

Hands moving before I could stop them, my fists clenched in the front of Alex’s t-shirt. Soft, slightly sweaty fabric brushed against my palms as I yanked Alex an inch closer—close enough our noses bumped. His pupils dilated, nearly swallowing the icy blue.

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