Page 42 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
“It was good,” Piper answers for them both.
“It’ll be nice to have your condo to stay at every time you’re in town,” I say.
“Absolutely. I’m so glad we’ve decided to keep it,” Jack adds.
“And now we can continue to see our Piper Moon anytime we want.” I smile, grabbing her hand.
She blows me a kiss.
“Yeah, I would never want to keep her away from her best friends,” Jack kindly reassures me, even though he doesn’t need to. Jack is perfect for her, and I couldn’t be happier for them.
Just then, Bailey and Mason approach us while holding hands.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I greet her enthusiastically. “Oh, and Mason.”
“It’s always so nice to see you, Lina,” he clips before turning to chat with Jack. Like Avery, I always have one eye on Mason.I do need to give him a break. He is obsessed with Bailey and knows he hit the jackpot with her.
“Isn’t Carter coming tonight?” Bailey asks me, failing to disguise her giddy demeanor. I’m not the only one who hears her question because six other eyes look at me.
I pull my bottom lip through my teeth. “I think so.”
“Yourrunningpartner?” Mason arches an eyebrow in my direction.
I roll my eyes. “Seriously? Can you be more immature?”
Mason lowers his eyes. “I can. Thank you for asking.”
The four of them share a friendly laugh before Bailey and Piper wrap their arms around me.
“Fill me in,” Jack says.
Piper smiles at him. “Lina has the hots for an older man.”
Jack’s eyebrows raise. “Oh shit.”
“It’s nothing.” I throw my palms into the air.
“We see the way you two interact around each other. There is so much sexual tension that it’s obvious to everyone,” Bailey teases.
“You guys need lives,” I joke, crossing my arms at my chest. “Now that you both are in love, all the attention is on me. I don’t like it.” I pout.
“If we don’t give you a hard time about this, who will?” Piper chuckles.
I crack a smile. “I don’t have to like it.”
“Have you and Carter logged any hours yet?” Bailey presses, searching for more information.
I pause for a minute, wondering how much detail I should give them. Do I tell everyone about our argument in New York?About how Carter lost his shit when he found out about Finn? Or about how he demanded that I not see Finn that night. Even better—how Iactuallylistened to him? No. I’m not telling them any of that. I can’t even wrap myownmind around me and Carter’s palpable chemistry. Or that I listened to a guy tell me what to do. I’m not prepared for their over-the-top reactions.
“We have, a few times,” I slip, tight-lipped.
Piper cocks her head to the side. “You’re not going to tell us, are you?”
“There is nothing to tell.” My voice is firm, but then a smile breaks. “If there were, I would tell you. I promise.”
Bailey’s eyes widen. “Good girl.”
“I am a good girl, aren’t I?” I giggle.
