AllFreeNovel
Share Us
What was worse, still thinking about her now—a week later—made my blood sing with awareness.
She’d just been so sassy and bold, standing up to a complete stranger she thought was breaking into her apartment and taking him on, toe-to-toe.
I mean, that was probably only because she’d beenexpectingthe owner—aka, me—to show up, and she’d practiced her innocent, oh-I-already-paid-my-rent speech to precision.
Unless she hadn’t.
Because her shock and confusion had seemed pretty damn genuine.
But more than likely, it wasn’t. And she was a complete, fucking liar.
A gorgeous liar, but a liar regardless.
Everyone listened to every detail I fed them until I finished with, “And so… I let her stay.”
“Holy shit,” Keene breathed in utter awe.
While Alec asked, “Do you think she was actually telling the truth?”
Parker snorted. “Come on. Of course, she wasn’t. Thalia’sdead.”
A heavy silence filled the table after his blunt words, and Parker almost immediately winced in regret. “Shit…” he breathed as he sliced a concerned glance my way. “Arch, I’m…”
“No.” He wasn’t so good with apologies, and I could see the regret on his face without it, so I lifted a hand in forgiveness as I paused him there. “It’s fine.”
“Regardless of her breathing status,” Hudson spoke up with a shrug. “No one can dispute the fact that she’s still hanging around. We’ve all experienced some kind of encounter with her. Why can’t this Oaklynn chick be legit?”
“To be honest,” I cut in abruptly. “It doesn’t matter if she’s lying or not.” Though secretly, I didn’t want her to be a liar. I wanted all this to be true. “Her money’s good and sitting in my account right now. Plus, I don’t have to try to find anyone else to rent the place to, so it makes no difference at all how she got there.”
Except that obviously wasn’t the truth, and all my friends knew it.
Wincing, Foster said, “But you shouldn’t be played like that.”
“Unless she’stelling the truth,” Alec argued.
“Really?” Thane frowned at him, clearly on the side of the disbelievers. Rolling his eyes, he muttered, “You’ve watched one too many ghost movies, Younger.”
“What?” Alec lifted his hands in defense. “I’m just saying, if shehasinteracted with Thalia, then maybe she can help Damien get in contact with his sister again and finally get some answers.”
“Likewhokilled her,” Keene added.
“Stop,” Parker growled, sending both Alec and Keene a severe glance. “Just stop putting those ideas in his head. This…Oaklynnis a fucking liar.”
But I didn’t like hearing him say that, so I said, “Hey, no one’s saying anything I haven’t already thought to myself. I even gave her my number in the hopes that she’ll call the next time she…interactswith Thalia.”
“Dude…” Keene gave a low, impressed whistle. “You gave her yournumber? Wait. Wait…” He lifted his hands to gain everyone’s attention. “Is she hot? Young? Single? Please say yes.”
“She’s definitely got a hot name,” Hudson spoke up with a lazy drawl. “I mean,Oaklynn…” With a pleasant shudder from where he was sprawled back in his chair, he nodded. “Oh, yeah, I’d give her my number too.”
“She’s a potential psycho who lies and breaks into rentals that are notoriously haunted, and you’re automaticallyattractedto her?” Parker asked with lifted brows. “Yeah, that tracks.”
“Hell yes, it does,” Hudson purred with a smile. Then he snapped his fingers at me. “Yo, Arch, could you give hermynumber too?”
Sending him a hard glance, I growled, “I don’t fucking think so.”
“Oh ho…” Foster screeched, slapping the table in excitement before pointing accusingly at me. “Sheishot!”
Alec nodded in agreement. “No way would Archer turnthatterritorial if she wasn’t”
