Page 88 of Sweet Hate
I can’t help but look at the chair where Haven and I shared that earth-shattering kiss the other night. Excitement fills my veins at the memory. I can picture her eyes blazing with fire as her nails scraped my scalp. It felt so different from anything I’ve ever had before.
“Verona!” Beckett’s shout distracts me from my thoughts, and I look up to find them playing a game of darts in the corner.
Walking up to them, his eyebrows shoot to his hairline as he examines me.
“What’s your problem, bro?” I laugh as I nudge him.
His incredulous look has me laughing even harder, drawing Max’s attention away from the dartboard and the dark-haired girl gripping the muscle of his throwing arm.
“Well, shit. LT’s back! Hell yeah!” he hollers, fist pumping the air like a jock.
“What the hell are you talking about, Maximilian? I haven’t gone anywhere.”
The guy practically skips over like a puppy, no easy feat for a six-foot-something dude, and promptly slings his arm around my neck.
“We missed you bro.”
Has everyone been sniffing glue? Am I in the twilight zone?
“You saw me a couple of days ago at work. If you miss me already, you need to get laid or something.”
Max roars with laughter. Jesus, it wasn’t that funny.
Beckett has opted to take a rare vow of silence, sitting back on his stool just watching us, a small smile playing on his face.
“OK then. I’m gonna grab a drink, want another round?”
Max agrees, his attention now back on the pretty girl he’d been talking to when I walked in, and Beckett rises to his feet. “I’ll give you a hand.”
“It’s three drinks, I think I got it.”
Only Beckett grips my shoulder, shoving me toward the bar much like a parent would a naughty kid.
“Fox, what gives, man?” I shake his hand off my shoulder and shoot him a quizzical look as we lean on the bar and wait for the bartender.
“I take it my apology went down well?”
His apology? What?
Then, I remember him grabbing my phone and texting Haven. Shit. It seems like so long ago, but it was just last shift.
His eyes are still locked on my face, waiting for an answer. I need to keep it low-key. Technically, she hasn’t agreed to shit yet, and I don’t want to tempt fate by running my mouth off to the guys. It’s bad enough that the rest of our friends on the group chat just won’t quit.
The only saving grace is that whatever went on with Swayze and Mia has gotten us half a day’s peace.
“Oh yeah. She accepted it, but nothing’s going on, man. She texted back, saying she was sorry too, and not to worry about it,” I answer with a shrug, hoping like hell it’s giving off casual,don’t sweat itvibes, notI practically drilled her into the wall after making her come on the phonevibes.
The look of disbelief on his face tells me I failed. Crap.
He only breaks eye contact to turn and order before switching his piercing green eyes back on me.
“You’re lying to me. You’reactuallylying to me.”
“I am not lying bro. There’s nothing going on.”Yet.
“Bullshit. You walked in here tonight with a grin from ear to ear. You either already screwed her, or you’re close enough to doing it that you can taste it.”
I can still taste her on my lips.Deny. Deny. Deny.
