Page 39 of City of Love

“I’m safe,” Lydia says. “One hundred percent, I’m safe.”

I have to admit, I’m a little surprised by the certainty in her voice and her lack of hesitation. She didn’t miss a beat before answering. It causes a strange sort of warmth and pride to rise within me.

“If you’re sure?” Jade says.

“I’m sure.”

“Great. In that case, let’s get to the important questions. Is he hot?”

Lydia snorts, but I notice a faint flush rising in her cheeks, and her nervous fingers drum ever faster on her leg. “I’m not answering that,” she says.

“Crap, are you with him?” Jade says.

“Put him on,” Ian demands.

Lydia glances over at me, and I sigh, nodding. I’m not looking forward to this, but I deserve this inquisition.

With a shrug, she hands the phone to me. I can’t make out where Ian might be, but he seems to be pacing or walking around now, and Jade is nowhere in sight anymore.

“What are you playing at? Explain,” he says as soon as I come into view. His voice is just a few notches short of overtly hostile.

“No problem,” I say, though I raise a brow at Lydia. She grins, and I shake my head with amusement. “I’m Noel. Nice to meet you. Heard a lot about you.”

“I can’t say the same,” Ian says.

I nod. “That’s fair. Well, I’ll save you the interrogation.” I like that Lydia has people looking out for her, but I don’t particularly care to be at the end of the firing squad, so I’m going to make this quick. “I’m twenty-one years old. I’m mentally and emotionally stable. I currently have no romantic designs toward your sister”—I don’t let myself think about that fluke earlier when my gaze somehow got stuck on her lips—“and I’m not going to hurt her. I won’t let anything happen to her. She’ll be safe with me.”

“I—” Ian begins, but he’s cut off by some sort of tussle and the sound of Jade’s voice.

“Ian, give me that! I want to see,” she says. Then her face comes into view again, and she looks at me. “Ooh, you’repretty,” she coos with a grin.

I give a snort of laughter, and I’m saved the trouble of responding when Lydia pulls the phone out of my hand.

“All right,” she says, her face flushed again. “I’m hanging up now,” she says—loudly, because Ian and Jade are bickering back and forth. “They’re not listening,” she adds under her breath. Without saying anything else, she ends the call.

“So,” I say into the silence that follows. “I like them.” And it’s true; I do. Ian behaves exactly like I would behave if I were a big brother.

Lydia snorts, looking over at me. “They don’t like you. Well,” she amends, “Jade probably does, but only because you’re hot.”

Silence.

Lydia’s eyes go wide not a second later as she realizes what she’s said. “Not—not like—” she falters, breaking off. “I didn’t mean—ugh. Crap,” she says, and when I begin to smirk, she grabs a pillow and whacks me with it.

I laugh softly, tugging the pillow away from her so she can’t hit me again.

“Whatever,” she says, her cheeks red, but she’s smiling. “You know you’re hot. It’s not—I’m not—it’s just a fact.”

I grin at her. “You’re stuttering.”

“Well, you’re being awkward!” she says, her smile widening.

I just shrug, still grinning. “Sorry. I haven’t been called ‘hot’ in a long time.”

She rolls her eyes. “Maybe not verbally. But women check you out. Or they did this morning, anyway.”

I raise one brow at her.

“What?” she says, sounding defensive. “I’m just saying. They do.”

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