Page 91 of All's Fair in Love and Blackmail
Crap.
I swallow my retort and answer him honestly. “I wouldn’t say I fell in love. I fell in like, maybe.” When he just stares at me, I add, “Fine. Yes. I like him. But I don’t think I’m in love.”
Cyrus exhales a slow, hissing breath. He pulls his glasses off and pinches the bridge of his nose, his eyes fluttering closed. “Of all the men in the world, India, Iswear?—”
“Hey,” I cut him off with a frown. I’m not interested in arguing, but at the same time…“There’s nothing wrong with Felix. Nothing much,” I amend. “Nothing glaring. Nothing weird or abnormal. He’s just…” I shrug. “He’s a normal guy.”
“And didn’t I tell you if you guys got tangled up I wouldn’t want any part of it?”
My eyes pop wide in outrage. “You’rethe one who calledmeover here!”
“He’s a complete flirt,” Cy says, his voice frustrated. “A total ladies’ man.”
“You’re emotionally unavailable to ninety percent of the population,” I snap. “That doesn’t make you a bad person. And it wouldn’t make you a bad partner to the right woman.” My eyes jump to Poppy, and I swear—I’mpositive—her cheeks turn pink.
Ha.
“He’s an idiot,” Cyrus goes on, conveniently ignoring my excellent logic. “He’s a slob?—”
“He’s not a slob at all,” I say, rolling my eyes now. “His place is totally clean.”
“I—what?” Cyrus says, his head snapping up. Over on the couch, Poppy leans forward too, her expression suddenly intent.
“His apartment,” I say. “It’s not messy. It’s clean.” I glance around. “About like this, honestly.”
I know I’m not imagining the look Cyrus and Poppy exchange, full of meaning that I don’t understand. Then Poppy clears her throat.
“So…you’ve been over there?” she says casually. “To his place, I mean?”
I shrug and throw myself down on the couch next to her. “Just once.” Why are they being weird? “My point is, it’s not messy. And I know I said I wasn’t going to fall for him, but I was wrong. I’m sorry, okay?” I guess I’m apologizing after all. “But nothing has happened between us, and it probably won’t. He doesn’t—” I break off, my voice faltering. “I don’t think he feels the same way. So let’s just drop it, okay?”
Cyrus sighs again. “If you wouldn’t have told him you like him, he wouldn’t have made you sad. Did you think of that?”
Poppy turns her gaze on Cyrus, scoffing. “Of course she thought of that.” She shakes her head, muttering something abouthopelessandidiot.
“I knew I would regret it,” I say. My voice breaks, so I clear my throat, keeping my gaze firmly on my hands in my lap. “If I didn’t say anything to him. If I didn’t tell him.” I shrug. “I would have regretted it. Even if he doesn’t like me.”
He didn’t actually say he doesn’t like you,that traitorous little voice in my brain whispers.He said he doesn’t know how he feels.
But Cyrus doesn’t need to know the particulars.
He broods for a second, like the world’s toughest problem has just been dropped on his doorstep. I have no intention of sticking around to hear more, though.
“You’re being ridiculous,” I tell him, standing up. “Poppy…” I gesture to Cyrus, and Poppy sighs.
“Yeah,” she says, waving me toward the door while she frowns disapprovingly at Cyrus. “I’ve got it. I’ll talk to you later, Chickadee.”
“Thanks,” I say with relief.
I’m out the front door five seconds later, and I don’t look back.
Sometimesmoving forwardtakesthe form ofnot moving backward.So I make a stop by the dollar store on the way home from Cyrus’s house, and then I round up Jules and Aurora.
“Pleasedon’t make me do this,” Juliet says, a complaint that I staunchly ignore.
“Sorry,” I say, straightening up in my chair. I hit pause on the video playing on my laptop. “I don’t make the rules. I require sisterly backup, which means you’re on duty.”
“Indy.” Juliet slumps forward, her head thunking against our kitchen table. “This isso boring. Do I really have to be present for this?”
