Page 138 of Till The Sun Dies (Checkmate 2)

Me:And we didn’t want to break Jess and Kane up, so Ang is bunking with me. But it’s not how you think it is.

Kari:I don’t know what you’re trying to sell to us, Baby, but the guys aren’t gonna buy it. Luc went over to Kane’s place last night to hang out with his sisters. That Eric dude answered the door and told him Kane took Jessie out of state. He said you and Ang went, too, because you can’t have an orgy with only two people.

Oh my God.

Jess:Hahahaha. You can’t have an orgy with only two people! I love Eric so much.

Me:Yes, we’re road tripping. No, no one is having an orgy. Though Jess and Kane screw more often than any regular people should. It’s concerning that her vagina hasn’t fallen out yet.

Jess:Stop throwing me under the bus and tell the girls about the date you and Ang went on last night!

Britt:You went on a date?!

Kari:Ahhhhhhhhhh! I always thought you and Ang would be cute together.

Me:No date! We had dinner. A dinner that Jess and Kane were supposed to come to! They ditched!

Me:You thought we’d be cute together? What?

Kari:Sure! When you’re dating someone you’re not supposed to be, I guess you become attuned to other people that are looking at someone they shouldn’t. You think I missed his ‘I like them blonde’ comments? Or when you brought Graham to Meg’s baby shower. Pretty sure Ang had no enamel left on his teeth that night. I’ve always thought it was cute the way Ang would watch you.

Me:You’re lying.

Kari:I’m actually not. You think he didn’t watch you at 188? You think he didn’t go on a rampage when he found out you were dating Graham? Or after. He ran through a freakin’ fire to get you, Baby!

Me:He’s my friend. Those are all friend things. Marcus would do the same.

Kari:Okay… If you say so.

Me:Don’t ‘okay’ me!

Britt:Shut up and tell us about the date!

Me:It wasn’t a date! We’re vacationing together, we needed to eat, and Jess and Kane said they’d meet us at the restaurant at seven. By nine, we’d already finished eating, and they never turned up.

Jess:Right. Because it’s not like Kane and I didn’t peek through the glass doors and find you flirting. Both of you! No way were we coming in to interrupt the ‘oops, you’ve got ketchup on your chin. Lemme lick it up for you.’

Me:That’s not at all what we were doing!

Jess: …

Me:It was gravy!

Kari:Ahhhhhh! You like him! I knew it.

Britt:So, it’s like a double date vacation. Twins and hot dudes.

Jess:No orgies!

Me:No.

Britt:Okay, you’re not together. But do you like him?

I take a deep breath and risk another glance outside the sheets. Ang hasn’t moved. His back continues to lift and fall rhythmically, and his chain, the one that mentions acting with your heart, sits on his shoulder.

Case closed.

Me:Yes… Yes, I like him a lot.

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