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“Don’t get me wrong, nothing against Monopoly, but London got me into playing more complicated games too.” She sighed, looking wistful. “I’m going to miss the game nights.” Turning away, she headed for the hallway and the rooms it led to.
Well, fuck. Orlando could learn how to play whatever games it was she wanted.
When she turned away, he surreptitiously took a picture of the boxes on the game shelf. He’d do some research later. If Juliet wanted a game night, he’d make sure she got a game night.
Game box tucked under his arm, he straightened up and saw Brooke watching him with a measuring look. She gave him a little nod of approval. He got the oddest feeling that she was taking notes in her head, maybe keeping track of his positives and negatives on a little mental scorecard. The idea was a bit intimidating.
“Anything else in here?” he asked her, figuring she would know. Before she could reply, there was a little shriek from the bedroom where Juliet had gone.
Both of them went running. Brooke was closer, so she got there first, bursting into the room. Orlando paused in the doorway, game still tucked under his arm.
Juliet was standing alone, next to the bed, an outraged expression on her face.
“There’s anopencondom wrapper under the bed! He left an open condom wrapper there for me to find!” She looked like she wanted to murder someone.
An uneasy feeling stuttered through Orlando’s chest. Not that he expected her to stop caring about the other man immediately, he knew that was unreasonable… but that was his logical head. What his emotions felt, despite the logic, wasn’t something he could control.
“Uh, not to be ‘that person,’ but you’re not the only one who went out and had rebound sex,” Brooke said with a little cough, sounding almost apologetic.
Planting her fists on her hips, Juliet rolled her eyes.
“I don’t care that he had sex with someone else, I care that he deliberately left the condom wrapped under the bed when heknewI was coming over to get my stuff and that there were things I’d need to get out from under the bed! Hewantedme to find that! Hewantedto hurt me! He wastryingto hurt me! Thatasshole!”
“Okay, yeah, that’s tacky as fuck,” Brooke immediately agreed.
Orlando decided his wisest course of action was to stay silent, but he nodded his agreement. Not that either woman was paying attention to him. He watched as Juliet took in a few deep breaths like she was trying to calm down.
She didn’t seem hurt, she seemed angrier at London’s pettiness and the fact that her ex had definitely tried to hurt her more than anything else. That was good. She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. Determination and justified rage filled her gaze.
“Fuck it. We’re taking the coffee pot. We’re takingeverythingthat’s mine.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JULIET
“So, uh… you know we didn’t need ice trays right?” Brooke said as she took the three ice trays in question out of the box. They’d left the ice. Juliet had filled a large plastic bag with it before boxing up the trays.
“It’s the principle of the matter,” Juliet said firmly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Orlando watching her. He’d not only finagled his way into helping her move out today, but into taking the things back to Brooke’s house to unload. Originally, she’d planned on firmly keeping him at a distance, but since they’d ended up taking so much stuff, they’d had to put some of it in his car.
Thankfully one of her now-former neighbors had been willing to lend her some more boxes since she’d quickly filled the ones she’d brought with things she’d bought but didn’t actually need. Like the coffee maker and ice trays. The things she’d been planning on leaving there for London before she’d seen that open condom wrapper under the bed, right next to her memory box where she wouldn’t be able to miss it.
What an asshole.
So yeah, she’d gone full on petty potato and taken everything she’d ever bought, from the ice trays to the shower curtain to the coffee pot. He could suck it. And wake up uncaffeinated.
Once she’d gathered up all the stuff she’d bought, but hadn’t intended to actually take, the apartment had been a lot barer than before. She’d debated what to do about the condom wrapper and eventually left it right where she’d found it. Part of her wanted to leave it in the middle of the bed like “yeah, I saw it, dickhead” but she’d ultimately decided not to.
He could pick up his own trash.
Not that he had a trash can to put it in anymore, at least not in the bedroom or the bathroom. He’d have to walk all the way to the kitchen to throw it away. For some reason that gave her a sense of satisfaction.
“I was thinking I might order us some dinner,” Orlando said casually, interrupting the conversation and also inviting himself to stay even longer. Brooke and Juliet exchanged a glance, and then she shrugged and nodded.
If he wanted to pay for their dinner, that was fine with her. She was exhausted between moving more stuff than she’d intended and also realizing what a dickweed London really was. Having someone else take care of dinner for her sounded great, even if it did mean spending more time with Orlando.
You mean especially if it means spending more time with Orlando.
“That sounds good,” Juliet replied, just as casually as he had, leaning her hip against the kitchen table. She saw the smile that lit up his expression when he got his way so easily.
