Page 40 of Tolerated By the Sigma (Mate Hunt 7)

Good.

Fine.

I was fine.

I skimmed the most recent bit of the conversation, where they talked about where and when they were going. They’d been planning to go to some kind of graffiti art gallery, after a wine tasting. Char said in the message that she loved wine, but…

I dropped the computer and strode into the kitchen, finding her liquor cabinet above the fridge.

She had a bit of everything—clearly, my girl had enjoyed getting buzzed. Or maybe just the taste of alcohol? But there was no wine, as far as I’d seen.

So she’d probably lied to the bastard.

I went back to her room, grabbing her laptop with one hand as I pulled my phone from my pocket with the other, and sent Lizzy a quick text. I’d have texted Sabrina, but she was a gossip and I knew Lizzy could keep her mouth shut.

Me: Does Charly like wine?

She answered almost immediately.

Lizzy: Hates it in every form. Why?

I didn’t answer her, dropping my phone and going back to the computer, then navigating out of the conversation with the bastard.

She had no problem lying to him, so anything I read in their messages was just as likely fictional.

And if she had no problem lying to him, she probably had no problem lying to the others she had dated through the app—and likely to me, too.

Was she telling the truth when she said we were good?

Why the hell were women so complicated?

My phone buzzed a few times next to me. Lizzy’s name was on the screen, so I lifted it to my ear.

“Hello?” I growled.

“Tell me you asked for a good reason, and I didn’t just break some kind of girl code I should know about,” Lizzy growled back.

I didn’t answer immediately, and she groaned. “Dammit, Ryder!”

“I’m trying to get to know my mate.”

“Why didn’t you just ask her?” Lizzy demanded.

“I’ll talk to you later.”

“You’ll talk to me now, or I’ll call her and tell her what you asked,” Lizzy shot back.

Damn her.

“Fine.” I fought a snarl, the wolf rising in my chest again.

I gave Lizzy a quick rundown of my desire to figure out what kinds of things Char liked to do on dates.

She sighed. “Online dating sucks, okay? If Char lied to him, it’s because she wanted to go out with him and was worried he’d cancel if she shot down his idea. You’ll make her much happier by figuring out what she likes to do, and then doing those things with her.”

I knew she liked hiking—I could definitely take her to do that.

“This is a weird situation to be in,” Lizzy admitted. “Usually, one of you would’ve had time to learn things about the other before you got to this phase of your relationship. Add in Lisa, and it’s just plain difficult.”

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