Page 168 of Rising Heat

“Please stop talking…”

“I needed context,” she says, completely unapologetic. “And the photos did not disappoint.”

She’s not wrong. The photos somehow managed to undersell how unfairly attractive all of them are in person and still made me put my phone face down afterward like I’d accidentally opened something NSFW.

“We’re not discussing this.”

“Fine,” Bex says easily. “Then we can discuss the text you got while I was in the bathroom.”

My stomach drops instantly.

She’s already leaning across the couch reading my screen by the time I reach for my phone. She stopped respecting my privacy somewhere around middle school and honestly never looked back.

Tyler

Bex make it to Boston?

Darcy

Made it? She’s practically moved in already.

Tyler

Boston does that to you ;)

Darcy

Don’t get her started. She has strong opinions about New England sports.

Mack

Bring her to the Bell tonight.

Darcy

Who said we’re going to the Bell?

Mack

You are now.

Tyler

Yeah, let’s hear these opinions in person.

Tyler

Plus, it’s Ladies’ Night.

Bex’s eyebrows climb higher with each line as she reads the message out loud, while I sit there feeling weirdly defensive despite having done nothing wrong.

“They insisted,” I say immediately. “To be clear, I did not arrange this.”

“Ahh.” She grins. “So that’s the dynamic.”

“There is no dynamic.”

“Darcy.” She taps the screen lightly. “One of them invited us out, and the other one told you that you’re going.”