Page 27 of Fall Hard

“You did not just say that.”

“I mean, he had a nice personality, but so do a lot of guys whose heads aren’t quite so… phallic.”

“Oh my god.” Bryn wheezed as she tried to control her laughter, her face bright red and her eyes wet. “The crap that comes out of your mouth.”

I grinned and shrugged. “I can’t believe I forgot Alaric is in it.”

“Al-a-whoo?”

I went very still. “Bryn.”

“Yeah?”

“This is an important question.”

She suddenly looked nervous, worrying her lip between her teeth as she nodded.

“Have you not seenThe Vampire Diaries?”

She slapped my arm. “Seriously? That’s what you wanted to ask me?”

“I’m going to need you to answer right now.”

She snorted. “No.”

“No, as in, you haven’t not seen it? Or no, as in, you’ve not-not seen it?”

Bryn’s eyes went distant. “I think you just broke my brain.”

“I thought you were studying the law? Shouldn’t you be used to over-complicated language describing things that could easily be simplified?” I laughed when she mimicked her mind exploding. “Well, I’m about to make you feel things.”

“Oh, do tell.” Her smile was wolfish and I snorted.

“Yeah, joke all you like. You just wait until you’re hooked on this show and then you get to the end of season two.”

“What happens at the end of season two?”

“Emotional damage.”

I hit play on episode one and we giggled at the clothes and clunky cell phones as I tried to reassure her that all pilot episodes are crappy and that the show was worth sticking with.

Before I knew it, it was nine in the evening and we were mid-way through season two.

“Okay, we should stop here.”

“What? Why?” Bryn whined and I couldn’t help the smugness that swelled. I’dtoldher she’d like it.

“We need fortification before we watch the last few episodes.”

“Okay…?”

“You order some food. I’ll go and grab some tissues.”

“Oh damn,” she said and I nodded slowly. Shit was about to get real. “I wanted to ask you something actually, it’s fine if you say no.” Now it was my turn to be anxious again and she laughed when she saw my face. “Relax. It’s not serious. I got an email yesterday afternoon that I can go and check out my place, see if anything else is salvageable. I was wondering if you’d come with me?”

“Sure,” I said easily. “Do we need Kit or anyone in case there’s stuff to carry?”

“I don't think there’s going to be much, but we can always call him when we get there if there is.”

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