Page 119 of Jinxes and Drumsticks

“Right, sorry,” he groans, rubbing his forehead with his index and middle fingers. “Let me go put a shirt on. Sorry, Lillith, I wasn’t expecting more company today.”

More company? I open my mouth to ask about it, but get an answer before I can. The door at the top of the stairs—the door to Satoshi’s room—bursts open and a flushed, giggling Wren tumbles out of it, wearing nothing but one of his tank tops that barely falls past her hips.

Satoshi is only a few steps behind her when he grasps her wrist and stretches her arm above her head before smoothing his hand down her abdomen.

“Come on, I said I’d show you how I play an upright bass,” Satoshi says into Wren’s neck as her shoulder hitches up and she giggles.

His fingers slide toward Wren’s now-visible panties, but they stop when Lillith lets out a loud, outraged gasp.

To Satoshi’s credit, he immediately lets go and puts about three feet of space between himself and Lillith’s best friend. Wren looks downright offended as she glares at him. Then she looks down at Lillith and blanches.

“Wren. You little slut.”

ㅤ

“Ipromise I was going to tell you, Lillipad,” Wren says as I stare up at her from my perch on... yep. A yoga ball. Damien went upstairs to change and Satoshi chickened out and fled with Oren into the music studio, citing the need to work on something.

“When?” I ask.

“Like, tonight,” she says, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

“No, Wren. When did you start fucking Satoshi?” I ask.

Wren cringes. “Uhm... What would you consider fucking?”

“Oh my fucking gods,” I gasp. “Wren! YOU WERE KEEPING SECRETS FROM ME, YOU HYPOCRITE.”

“I WASN’T KEEPING SECRETS. YOU WERE DISTRACTED. ON AN EXISTENTIAL LEVEL. It felt selfish to gush about all the amazing sex I was having while you were catatonic in your bed.”

“He was about to FLICK YOUR BEAN LIKE IT WAS A BASS STRING.”

“OKAY?! AND YOU WERE CATATONIC IN BED.”

We reach an impasse, both of us quieting down. Wren stands in front of me half naked, I’m sitting on my yoga ball with my arms crossed. Another few long moments pass and Wren chews on her lower lip, before she replaces it with her thumbnail.

She drops her hand and heaves out a put-upon breath. “You look smokin’ hot, Lilipad,” she says begrudgingly.

“Thank you,” I say just as begrudgingly. “So do you.”

“It’s Satoshi’s shirt,” she says.

“I figured.”

“I think I’m going to steal it.”

“You should,” I say.

“He’s afraid of you, by the way.”

“He should be.”

“Why? You don’t like him?” Her voice hikes up, worried.

“No! Because if he hurts you, I’m going to kill him!”

“Well, if your boyfriend hurts you I’m gonna kill him!”

“Fine!” I say.