Page 139 of Loved

I tried not to eavesdrop on Penny saying goodbye to Tyler. But their hug lasted a beat too long for my liking. He kissed the side of her forehead and I turned away. I wanted to pull Penny over my shoulder, throw her in the tub, and scrub off any remnant of Tyler from her skin.

We waved goodbye and climbed into my car. Ian pulled away from the curb. Ellen would be meeting us in New York. She was just making sure everything was “packed right” by the service we hired. I had no idea what she meant by that. Weren’t the guys we hired the experts? But she’d insisted.

“I’m going to miss everyone,” Penny said.

“Melissa can visit whenever she wants.”

“I know. And at least Tyler will be coming to New York after graduating,” Penny said and rested her head on my shoulder.

Right. Oh joy.The little prick was not going to be hanging out one-on-one with Penny in NYC. Over my dead body.Breathe.

Rob turned around from the front seat. “It’s weird that you’re friends with a guy, Penny. Haven’t you ever heard that guys and girls can’t be just friends?”

Penny laughed. “You and I are just friends, Rob.”

“Are we though?”

“Yes,” she said firmly.

I tried not to laugh.

“Well, it’s only because of bros before hoes,” Rob said.

“Dude, stop saying that,” Ian said as he hit his turn signal. “It’s disrespectful.”

“You know what’s disrespectful? You hitting on our sister.”

“I haven’t been hitting on your sister.”

“Mhm.” Rob cleared his throat. “Oh, hey, Jen,” Rob said in a very good impersonation of Ian. “Yeah, we’re coming back to New York. So when you’re in the city I can drive you around again. Or pick you up from the airport. Or anything else youneed.”

“How is that hitting on your sister? I always used to drive Jen around. I’m being helpful.”

“Car sex is a thing,” Rob said. “We’ve all done it. And you’re car sexing our sister, Ian.”

“I am not.”

“I’m pretty sure you are.” Rob cleared his throat again to impersonate Ian. “Jen, let me show you how to drive my stick.”

“You’re the disrespectful one,” Ian said. “Talking about your sister like that. I’m sure Jen already knows how to drive stickrealwell.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Rob said.

Ian laughed. “I was just kidding.”

Rob turned around to look at us. “Can you believe this guy? I think we should hire Brendan as your driver instead, James. Brendan gets me. And he only hits on Penny, not our sister.”

“It’s a pass from me,” I said. I did not need RobandBrendan around hitting on Penny all the time. “And if Ian says nothing is going on between him and Jen, I believe him.”

“It’s not,” Ian said.

Rob shook his head. “Lies. I’m calling it. They’re shagging.”

I cleared my throat, trying to think of something to change the subject.

“Want to play a game?” Penny asked, helping me out.

I smiled down at her.

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