Page 84 of Too Safe

Uncle. Ducky.

When I tear my attention from her and home in on Decker, he’s already glaring. “Don’t,” he bites out, pointing his fork at me.

Uncle. Ducky!

I bite my tongue and stow the nickname away for future use, curious as to who’ll answer the question and how they’ll explain my presence. Especially since there’s a no-girls-allowed rule that I wasn’t privy to. Satisfaction sparks inside me at the idea that Decker broke his own rules for me. I guess even almond daddies have to make exceptions from time to time.

“That’s Josephine,” Decker says. “She’s a friend of Kylian’s. And Locke’s.”

He cocks one eyebrow at me, hinting at the nature of my relationship with each of the guys. I return the look head-on. I won’t engage him. Not like this.

I haven’t talked to Kylian about Locke, or vice versa. Until I figure out where things stand with Locke, it’s unnecessary. I also refuse to participate in any sort of manipulation when it comes to sex. I’m not in a committed relationship with either of them, nor do I have anything to be ashamed of. Decker has no right implying otherwise.

Emilia accepts Decker’s response, then turns to her brother.

“Why isn’t sheyourfriend, K?” She’s laser-focused on him, with one elbow on the table and her chin propped up on her fist. This girl’s too smart for her own good.

I fight back a grin, but as silent seconds tick by, I’m more and more compelled to speak up and answer the question Kendrick is ignoring.

“We’re all friends here,” I offer, smiling across the table in a way that I hope smooths things over. “And you can call me Joey,” I add.

Jade beams back at me, but Emilia’s assessment is less friendly. Her lips are pursed, and she’s squinting as she takes me in.

“You can’tallbe friends,” she counters. “Uncle Ducky only has five friends.”

Locke snorts.

Kendrick mutters “just eat” under his breath.

But Emilia’s not backing down.

“What?” she snaps at her brother. “That’s what he always says! You, Nicky, Kylian, me, and Jade. Uncle Ducky’s fab five.”

I can’t hold back my laughter. This is really not Decker’s day.

An awkward silence falls over the table, once again encouraging me to speak up. Maybe I’m trying to overcompensate for the face-off with Decker in the lake, or maybe I’m anxious to make nice with Kendrick. Either way, I push past the trepidation and go for it.

“I guess I’ve always thought of friends like sprinkles.”

“Sprinkles?” Kendrick challenges. His eyes meet mine, then he quickly looks away. Almost as if he let the question slip. Like he’s embarrassed to have spoken to me at all.

“Yep.” I pop thePand don a bright smile, silently daring him to shut me down in front of his sisters. “Have you ever had a cupcake or an ice cream sundae and thought ‘oh, that’s just too many sprinkles’?”

“Never,” Jade replies emphatically.

“Exactly.”

“I love sprinkles,” Locke adds, side-eyeing me as he runs the tines of his fork against his bottom lip.

“You never order sprinkles,” Kylian argues.

I press my lips together to stifle a smirk, but Locke reaches behind me and smacks his friend in the head.

“Trust me, bro. Me and sprinkles get along just fine.”

“Oh.Oh. You’re not talking about sugar confections, are you?”

“Anyway,” I interject before Kylian can connect the dots in front of Kendrick’s sisters, “what’s everyone up to tonight?”

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