Page 70 of Scandalous Little Obsession

I wait, but my angel doesn't appear. My attention is focused on where Julian and Piper are now embracing, blocking the entrance from the hall. No matter how hard I stare, she doesn't appear.

"Looking for someone?"

The hair on the back of my neck rises when I register how close his voice is. How angry he sounds, even though he's attempting to mask it.

"No." It's a lie, and we both know it. "Why?"

"Because you've been staring at the hall all day. When the door closed, your head whipped in that direction, your breathing picked up, eyes filled with hope."

"And the reason you're watching me is..."

"You and I both know exactly why I've been watching you."

I don't reply.

Mainly because I'm sick of lying to him. To everyone. To myself.

At this point, I can either tell him the truth and accept my punishment for not heeding his warning, or I can remain silent. Lying is off the table. I'm done.

Turning to face Max, I take in the set of his jaw, the way his eyes bore into me, and the twitch in his hands that are fisted at his sides. He's itching for a fight. To hit me.

The front door slams again, but I never take my eyes off Max. We're staring each other down, challenging the other person to make the first move, when Max's eyes suddenly divert and his body stiffens, his eyes softening.

Who the hell has this kind of an effect on him?

Glancing over my shoulder, I'm surprised to find five of the Zeta sisters standing in the entrance to the living room. The only two I recognize are Mya and Cleo. Mainly because Max has had run-ins with both of them recently, and it's always entertaining to see Max have his shit handed to him by a girl.

"Kora!" Kendall bounces over to the group of girls, pulling the girl standing in the back into a hug. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Declan invited us," she says, her eyes surveying the room.

"Awe, my boyfriend is so sweet," Kendall coos, dragging Kora by the arm over to where Lo and Alexis are sitting.

The other girls filter into the room, taking any empty seat they can find. When I turn around to check on Max, he's gone. Scanning the room, he's nowhere to be found.

I realize there's bad blood between him and a few of the Zetas—especially after the Halloween fiasco—but his reaction wasn't one of irritation. He was excited. Shocked. Dare I say, happy?

"Where did Max go?" Julian asks, walking past me as the timer on the stove rings.

"He was just here, then he was gone."

"Shit. When did he learn how to pull a Brady?"

"A Brady?" What the hell is he talking about? I swear, the more I hang out with these guys, the stranger I realize they are.

I thought Kane and his sunglasses were the worst of it. Or maybe Colt and his shaggy appearance.

"My roommate, Brady," he starts as he bastes the turkey, the aroma from the herbs causing my mouth to water. "He has a habit of disappearing without anyone noticing. One second you're having a conversation with him, and the next he's gone."

"Sounds like a magic trick."

"Something like that. It's more annoying than anything to be honest. I swear he's up to something, but he refuses to tell us where he goes."

"Because it's none of your business," Brady says from behind me before moving to lean against the counter where I've been working.

Julian drops the baster on the floor, clearly startled by Brady's presence. Bending to pick it up, he looks over his shoulder, his glare directed at Brady, as he adds, "Did I also mention he shows up out of the blue a lot too."

"I was invited."

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