Page 64 of Grand Love

He mumbles something I don’t catch, and it irks me. “What was that?” I snap.

“Nothing.”

“You two!” Charlie tsks. “Just don’t speak to each other. It’s like watching a pair of children.”

“He’s the child,” I say, thumbing over my shoulder as I move to sit with Charlie on the wingback chair.

“You okay?” he asks, grinning at me.

Using my straw, I stir the ice in my glass far more aggressively than necessary. “He pisses me off.”

“He didn’t mean what he said before.” He sobers as his words come out with complete sincerity.

“I’m getting fed up with hearing that. He called me a whore the other day.”

“Do you think he’d be acting the way he is if he didn’t care, or if he thought you were a whore?”

“This is him showing me he cares. Is that what you’re saying?” I sit square and sip my drink. “How did we ever work before? It’s like I can see all the bad bits now that I never saw before.”

“Rose-tinted glasses are a wonderful thing,” he murmurs, and I turn to look at him. Charlie is the quietest of the group, and I know that’s more to do with the things in his past than his personality. But I can’t help but think he has a lot more to say sometimes.

“Well, I definitely don’t have them on now.” I snicker out a laugh but end up snorting through my nose.

Charlie shakes his head, smiling over at Mason who is watching us both. “You wanna know what I think?” he asks with a smirk.

“Hit me with it, Charles.”

“I think… not if, but when you and Mason get back together, you’ll have gotten through so much hurt and overcome all the bullshit that it will make you untouchable, you’ll be extraordinary.”

My brows lift in surprise, not expecting that to come out of his mouth. “You have high hopes.”

“I normally know my shit, Nina. You should listen to me.” He winks, leading me to conclude that he must be drunk too.

“Hmm, I don’t know, maybe. I am a sucker for a sale and those rose-tinted glasses go pretty cheap these days.”

“What?” he asks, throwing his head back, laughing.

“You know what I mean.” I wave him off.

Shaking his head, he leans forwards and goes to stand. “One day, you’ll find your peace. You just have to go through the shit first.”

“Philosopher Aldridge.” I salute him.

He stands and goes to the bar, and I make myself comfortable in the large chair. My eyes go to Lucy and Elliot, cozied up on the seat opposite me. I often wonder if they’ll ever end up together. Lucy is adamant they won’t, and I get it. On paper, it wouldn’t work. She’s all about the happy ever after and running off into the sunset—she isn’t into the playboys. But the way she fits with Elliot is different. The bond they have as friends is special. Maybe that’s what’s more important to them. Maybe they work because they are friends. Who am I to judge them?

My gaze drifts to Mason, and I catch him watching me, although I knew that already. I can always feel when his eyes are on me.

If only we could be friends. We definitely couldn’t work like Elliot and Luce do. I’d be too friendly. I mean, if I was sitting on Mase’s lap right now and he was whispering in my ear, I’d have no doubt in my mind he’d be hard, and if he wasn’t it would be my mission to make him.

His eyes narrow, as if he knows what I’m thinking.

Yeah, he would definitely be hard. The man’s a sex fiend.

Taking my straw into my mouth, I sip my drink, moving my lips to draw over the tip. Mason does a little two-step, taking a gulp of whiskey as he watches me over the rim of his glass.

I smile, feeling my dimple pop on my cheek. Peeking my tongue out, I flick it across the tip, then glide it into my mouth, sucking up my drink before sliding it out slowly. I repeat the process, keeping my eyes locked on his intense dark ones.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Megan snaps, grabbing the straw from my mouth and throwing it to the floor. Her face is screwed up in question. “Filthy whore.”

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