“Goulash.”
I lift an unimpressed eyebrow. “Goulash? What the fuck?”
He smiles. “It’s good. Basically like a beef mac. My mom used to make it on rainy days. It’s comfort food.”
“Who needs comforting?” I ask as I peek at the gooplash or whatever he called it.
“Uh, your girl,” he says, laughs stiffly like it’s obvious.
My gaze comes to his. “I don’t have a girl.”
Shane rolls his eyes. “Whatever. YourLocked Inpartner, yeah?”
I shrug. “Don’t waste your time on her, man. You got a better deal with the little goth babe.”
Shane makes a disgusted face. “I’m not wasting time by checking on a friend who got fucked over tough in front of everyone while it was being filmed for all of America to see. If you pull your head out of your ass and stop being such a tool, you’ll see she’s worth a hell of a lot more time than you’re clearly gonna put into her.”
He finishes dishing up a couple of bowls before walking outside to where Luna is sitting at a table. I scan the back area, but I don’t see Courtney anywhere. I don’t know what makes me dish up a few bowls of Shane’s goop stuff. Before I know it,though, I’m walking back down the hall to the only place I know she could be.
I push open our bedroom door, and sure enough I find Courtney lying on the couch, her back turned to the room beneath a sheet as thin as tissue paper. I clear my throat beside her, but she doesn’t turn around. I do it again, but still nothing, so I kick out one of my feet and scoot the couch over a few feet, and she startles awake, blinking up at me blearily.
“Don’t pretend like you were sleeping. The light is on for Christ’s sake,” I say, handing her a bowl.
“What’s this?” she asks.
“Goop,” I respond, sitting on the edge of the bed and taking a bite.
Damn. Better than I thought it would be.
“You made this?” she asks with a disbelieving tone.
“Do I look like I fucking cook?”
“You look like you don’t do much but jerk off and tell yourself how awesome you are in the mirror,” she spits back.
I don’t know why but that pulls an amused snort out of me. I shake my head and take another bite.
After a moment, she copies me, humming her approval under her breath. “Is this what Shane was cooking?”
“Yup.”
“And you were just going to take credit for it? Is that supposed to make me think you’re a nice guy or something?” she scoffs.
“Never claimed either,” I say flatly.
Her narrowed eyes soften, as if she can’t dispute that, and we sit there eating our gooplash in silence.
Look at us, getting along and shit.
Chapter Eighteen
Courtney
Islept like shit. For as luxury as this place is, you’d think they’d have a decent couch in the rooms. Everything from my neck to my toes aches, and as soon as my eyes are open, I’m stumbling towards the shower. Or at least trying to.
When I make it to the bathroom door, I find it’s locked. I don’t know why I think jiggling the handle over and over will do anything though, maybe it’ll send a message to the asshole hogging the bathroom that other people have to live here.
“Occupied!” Landon calls out like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
