Page 95 of Fighting Spirit

“I guess that makes sense.”

“Can we not be discussing Ruth’s murder?” I cut in.

“Aw, he’s getting all protective,.” Trevor clutches a hand to his chest and I have to stop myself from launching across the island to pull the knife out of his hand. The way he’s waving it around makes me worry that he’s going to slice someone’s ear off.

“I am not,” I huff.

“You’re not?” She looks up at me with wounded eyes and I kind of want to punch myself in the balls.

“I, uh-” I look around frantically as if someone’s going to pop out and save me from my own idiocy.

“Dude, I think she’s fucking with you,” Trevor stage whispers. I whip my head around to catch Ruth trying to hide a grin.

“God damn,” I sigh, scrubbing a hand down my face. “Don’t do that.”

“Sorry.” She doesn’t look sorry at all.

“I thought I upset you.” I grab the edge of her stool and yank it closer until the lengths of our thighs are pressed together. From here, it’s easy to grip her chin and drop a hard kiss against her mouth. “That’s not funny.”

She doesn’t reply, just stares up at me, her lips flushed. I have to look away so I don’t do something that neither of us wants my roommate to see.

“You guys are gross,” Trevor whines. “When I agreed to this, I specifically said that I didn’t want to see all this kind of fuckery.”

“Agreed to it?” Ruth frowns.

Trevor grins. “When Rowan came to me saying he had a ginormous crush on a girl-”

“Not what happened,” I grumble.

“When he said he had an apocalypse level crush,” he continues, “I said I would get on board as long as I didn’t have to see it, and I never had to get involved with all your drama.”

“Nobody’s asking you to get involved,” I point out before adding, “and there’s no drama!”

“Not. Yet.” He’s brandishing his cleaver again, pointing the blade between us with each word. I don’t know what the fuck he’s playing at. He thinks he’s being funny, but he’s kind of pissing me off.

“This is why she didn’t want to meet you.” I shoot him a look.

“I never said that!” Ruth smacks me in the chest before turning to Trevor. “I never said that.”

“You wound me!” He cries.

“I just said I was nervous.”

“Because I’m such a terrifying beast.”

“Yes,” I deadpan.

“No!” Ruth exclaims. “You are not making this better,” she hisses at me.

“You don’t need to worry, Homewrecker.” He smirks. “This is how we show each other love.”

“Stop calling her that.”

“But she’s breaking up our marriage!”

“You’re not my husband.”

“I mean, obviously we don’t have the paperwork, but…” He waggles his eyebrows, getting a kick out of messing with me. I’m ready to tear my hair out. This is not what I meant when I said, ‘best behavior.’ Though given Trev’s track record, maybe thisishis best.

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