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Adrien kept his hard glare pinned to my face as Jamie reluctantly stepped into the living room. His fingers never stopped moving, though, and Toebeans never stopped purring.
I hated it so much I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“Hey,” Jamie said awkwardly, slipping her hands into her back pockets. She shot me a questioning look, likely having heard the whole conversation from her room.
I nudged my head toward her cat. It was all the explanation she’d need.
Sure enough, her eyes flared when the realization hit her, her jaw falling completely slack as she watched Toebeans—or should I sayHoebeans—rub his stupid, fat, adorable head against Adrien’s jaw. He and I were officially in a fight. I’d never felt so thoroughly betrayed in my life.
“Hello,” Adrien said to Jamie, offering her a friendly smile.
I didn’t know he could do that. The friendly smile thing.
“Hey,” she said again, her brows pulling and pushing and twitching with a mixture of confusion and panic. “I’m, um, sorry if this is an intrusion. I was just… a little concerned about Ria’s safety and...”
But Adrien was already shrugging. “It’s all right. There’s no need for you to apologize. It wasn’t your job to let me know.”
The heat in my cheeks spread, crawling down to my neck, my chest.
Jamie offered him a warm smile of her own before gesturing at her cat. “He really likes you. He’s never like this with strangers.”
“He’s yours?” Adrien asked, his broad form turning to fully face her. She nodded, which seemed to please him. “And the name was your idea, then?”
Another nod and he shot her a charming, dimpled grin. “It suits him.”
I couldn’t tell if she actually was blushing or if I was just seeing red all around. “Yeah. He used to climb everything when he was a kitten, including walls and stuff, so it seemed appropriate.”
He held out his hand. “I’m Adrien, by the way.”
She took it. “Jamie.”
Dimples. “It’s lovely to meet you, Jamie.”
Another smile. “Likewise. And you’re welcome to come play with Toebeans anytime you want,” she offered, whichnope. “I’m honestly shocked… I’ve never seen him like this with anyone but me and Ria. He really loves you.”
Nope.
Nope nope nope.
“I might actually take you up on that. He’s very sweet,” Adrien murmured before placing a few quick kisses right behind the cat’s stupid, fat, adorable left ear.
Jamie melted, her eyes turning all googly.
The whirling in my chest exploded as the next two years of my life flashed before my eyes, twisting in my stomach like a corkscrew. Jamie and Adrien’s first date. Their second. Their one-year anniversary. The surprise proposal in the Bahamas.
Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.
This wasn’t happening. I wasn’t going to be the maid of honor at their wedding and watch Toebeans trot down the aisle in a bowtie, wedding rings attached to his stupid, fat, adorable tail.
Nope.
“What do you want?” The words practically hurled out of my mouth, way too quick andwaytoo loud. I had to physically stop myself from shoving my body right between them.
Adrien shot me another glare. “Pardon?” he snapped, challenging my tone.
Jamie bit down on her cheek, trying not to laugh. Though I didn’t know which part of this she found funny.
“Adrien, would you like something to drink?” she asked him sweetly. “We haven’t had a chance to go out for groceries yet, but I can make tea if you’d like.”
