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“Shake, we’ll have our usual please and it’s on Nora tonight.” I push her, jolting her forwards.
Liam exhales deep, wheezing breaths next to us.
“Jeez, you need to do more cardio.” I snipe at him.
“Is this hangry Jess talking or regular Jess? Because I think I can see a glimmer of hangry Jess in there.” He waves his finger around my face, and I pretend to bite it. Pretty sure I growl a little too.Maybe hangry Jess is here.
Liam chuckles lightly and removes his finger. “Now, now, biting is saved for boyfriends, remember?”
My face flames at his words, heat creeping up my neck and settling right behind my ears. Thank God he’s turned to talk to Nora, and he doesn’t see me light up like a tomato.
Liam and I have this flirty banter that is new. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s happening more and more lately. It’s like we both want to push boundaries with our friendship to see who cracks first. Nora noticed it and has bets on me giving in first, but she’s so wrong—I’m far too stubborn.
I won’t lie and say I don’t like him; I do. I probably like him more than I'll admit to myself. He’s cute with his messy brown hair and sparkly hazel eyes, and he has the body of a rugby player, which, as it happens, is his sport of choice and my personal favourite to watch. Boys with thick thighs, tackling each other on a field in,oof, those short shorts.
Off the pitch, Liam wears his school clothes so well, too. There’s something about the white shirt, blazer and trousers that just screams Nate fromGossip Girl, you know? It’s completely unfair he looks this good. Even now, with his crumpled shirt and undone top buttons that are framed by the tie that hangs loose around his neck. My head tilts, watching the sliver of his exposed chest as he speaks…yeah, not fair.
“Three shakes for my three favourite kids. Jess yours has extra whipped cream, and Liam yours has none. Nora, I’ve not forgotten your extra sprinkles.”
I make my biggest heart eyes at him. “You’re the best Shake. I love you.” I lift the straw to my mouth and slurp the sugary goodness, groaning at the way it melts on my tongue.
Liam scoffs next to me. “He gets all your good moods and I get snarky Jess?”
I slurp my milkshake and crunch down on the sweet, delicious brownie chunks hidden inside. “He makes me amazing shakes and you just, well, you’re…”
I can’t think, not when there’s this much sugar rushing to my head and a hot boy standing in front of me.
“I’m what?” Liam raises an eyebrow, wearing a smirk on his face that I’d quite like to knock off with a punch.
Reserving my anger, I decide to focus on the sweet treat in my hand. “Nothing,” I huff. “I was going to be mean, but you’re lucky that my blood sugar levels are back to normal, so hangry Jess has disappeared. You can thank Shake for that.” I wink at Liam before turning to walk away.
As I turn, I manage to crash straight into a wall of boy. Specifically, the boys from Liam’s rugby team. All of them stand, grinning at me, but Dan, who plays second row, leans down, and grabs my hip before I topple over.
“Woah, Jessie girl I’ve got you.” His fingers dig into my hip, while his eyes stare straight at my chest instead of my face.So charming.
Liam is next to me before I can splutter a word, growling at his teammate. “Hands off, Dan.”
My gaze flicks between the two boys as I take them in. Liam has dark hair and light eyes, while Dan is the opposite with light hair and dark eyes. The school’s most notorious playboy, with a back catalogue of half the girls in our school, and I have no interest in him at all.
“Oh look, it’s your bodyguard, Jessie.”
My skin prickles at the nickname. I hate being called Jessie.
“Actually,” I say, stepping out of his hold. “It’s Jess or Jessica. Jessie is not my name, and you’d know that if you were actually one of my friends.”
The boys behind him whoop and make wolf noises at my response, making my nostrils flare, and my jaw clench. “Something you need, Dan?” Liam barks, his fists curling by his sides.
“Maybe I want to ask Jess out. How would you feel about that, huh Taylor?” he says, moving two steps forward, so he’s inches from his face.
Oh, good, there’s a cock show tonight.
I’m not usually the centre of all this male attention so, I’m less than thrilled that these two idiots have decided now is the time to fight over me. Liam’s vein in his neck pops, his lip curling into a warning snarl.
“I’m pretty sure she’s busy,” he sneers.
Oh, is she now?
I sidestep Liam, glaring daggers at the back of his head. My hip pops out as my arms cross in front of my chest, irritation prickling at my skin. I have very little interest in doing anything with Dan, but I also don’t need Liam coming to my rescue. I am completely capable of using my own voice. “Huh… interesting. I said that without moving my mouth, didn’t I?”
