I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning.And apologizing.Honestly, I’m on the precipice of both.Seriously.He is such a good guy.“Okay, Bryan,” I murmur.“If I ever get my head out of my butt, I’ll definitely give you a call.”
Glancing over at me, he leans over the center console and kisses my cheek.“I look forward to it.”
24
FORD
Ibarely slept.I needed to.It’s going to be a long-ass night, what with the massive cleanup I know will be needed after the event, but I tossed and turned all night.I keep telling myself it’s because anytime I move onto my stomach, I can feel my heartbeat in my cheek, but the truth is a hell of a lot more pathetic.
It was one fucking kiss.
Annoyed, I check the time on my phone and pad downstairs to the kitchen.It’s almost seven in the morning.Might as well find a solid distraction to occupy my time until tonight.Still not sure whether or not it’s a good idea to host a Harden Event when Hawke is yet to track down the damn footage of Jagger helping Violet during the haunted house, but we can’t wait around forever.It isn’t an option.
And neither is tracking down June and kissing the shit out of her until she forgets her boyfriend’s fucking name.
“Come on, Romeo.Please, please, please?”a soft, feminine voice begs.
Rubbing at my tired eyes, I enter the kitchen, convinced I misheard something.No one calls RomanRomeo.Not if they want to see the light of day.Unless the person behind the nickname is my baby sister, anyway.Yeah, for some reason, she gets away with murder.
Aaaand, there she is.
With her hands pressed together in a prayer motion, an oblivious Cobie, in a pair of leggings and a baggy sweatshirt, twists on one of the barstools while Roman’s jaw twitches from the opposite side of the island.
The hardwood floor creaks as I step inside the kitchen.Roman’s attention snaps to me, and he leans back, putting more distance between him and my baby sister while Cobie continues begging and batting her lashes like she has him wrapped around her little finger.Then again, she kind of does.
She has all of us wrapped around her little finger.So much so, we’re out twenty-two grand because of it.
“Did I…miss something?”I ask.
Roman shakes his head and pushes the rest of the way from the island.“Don’t ask me.Ask him,” he tells Cobie.
“Rome,” she seethes under her breath, like he just betrayed the shit out of her.
Interesting.
Folding my arms, I lean against the doorjamb leading into the kitchen as if I have all the time in the world.“Ask me what?”I interject.
Her eyes narrow on my best friend.“Coward.”Then, she turns to me.“So, I heard there’s going to be a Harden event tonight, and?—”
“No.”
“Come on,” she begs.She turns up the puppy dog eyes she’s already sporting into the orange cat fromShrek.“I promise I’ll be good.Please, please, please?”
I give Roman the side-eye before addressing Cobie directly.“How’d you even know about it?”
She grimaces and drops her praying hands to her lap.“I may or may not have overheard Jagger talking to Violet about it.”
“So you were eavesdropping.”
Her grimace deepens.“Not on purpose.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” I tisk, clicking my tongue against the roof of my mouth.
“Okay, so I kind of meant to hear, all right?”she caves.“But you would’ve, too, if you found out something fun and exciting was on the agenda for tonight.”
Maybe.Probably.Yeah, no, I definitely would’ve shamelessly eavesdropped for all the details.What’s that saying, though?Do as I say, not as I do?Yup.That’s the one.And Cobie, we’ve yet to expose to Harden Nights.My gaze narrows.“What’s your point, Cobes?”I prod.
“My point is, I really want to go.Please?”
