Page 92 of Pretty Little Scars

Her blue eyes are wide and pinned to my best friend, who immediately slips into charming-movie-star mode.

“Guilty,” he says, his grin the exact same one that’s made him a gazillionaire.

“Tuck, why is my hall pass standing in your kitchen?” Darby asks, not taking her eyes off Zack, who just busts up laughing, and I scowl at him. “Am I hallucinating? What was in those brussels sprouts we just had?”

“So, I’m your hall pass?” Zack asks, and Darby goes bright red.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“I will fucking kill you,” I say calmly, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Which one?” Zack asks.

“Both of you.”Jesus.But Darby gets herself together and clears her throat.

“Sorry, wasn’t expecting this. I had—anyway. Are you hungry? We have plenty.”

“Starving,” Zack confirms and then turns to look at me. “Don’t worry, I won’t?—”

“Not fucking funny,” I reply before he can finish his thought. “This is Darby,myDarby, and you’re welcome to stay for dinner and tell me what the fuck is going on.”

He blinks at me, looks back at my girl, who’s busy getting the last of dinner finished, and then back at me. “It’s like that.”

“Yeah. It’s like that. Duchess, this is Zack. He used to be my best friend, until I found out you’d like to fuck him.”

“Tucker!” She spins and then starts to laugh. “I donot. Well, not anymore.”

“Hey, that hurts the ego,” Zack says, pressing his hand to his chest as if she just shot an arrow through his heart.

“Sorry, if you’re my man’s best friend, you’re off limits.” Darby shrugs. “It is what it is. When you’re a man that I’ll never in a million yearsactuallymeet, you can be a hall pass.”

“Do you have others?” he asks her.

“Nope. You were it. Guess I’ll just have to be content with the monster dick over there.” She smirks, her eyes full of mirth as she tosses a cucumber in her mouth. “Come on, let’s eat.”

“I like her,” Zack murmurs as we follow her to the dining room. “She’s good for you.”

“You have no idea.”

I grilled steaks and made extra with the idea of having beef stir-fry tomorrow, but this works perfectly.

“So, how do you guys know each other?” Darby asks as she cuts into her steak.

“Known each other since kindergarten,” I inform her with a smile. “Zack grew up here.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that. Of course, I don’t really pay attention to media, I just watch movies. You’ve made some good ones.”

“Thanks.” Zack grins at her.

“You’ve made some bad ones too.”

The smile widens, and I want to kiss the hell out of her.

“Can’t deny it,” Zack replies. “You can’t win them all. So yeah, grew up here, went to LA right out of high school. The rest is history. But I come home pretty often?—”

I snort.

“—and check in with this one.” He nods his chin at me. “My mom’s in assisted living in Bitterroot Valley, so I check on her too.”