“That’s nice for you, but I don’t know a James Smith,” I lie through my teeth, my hands shaking.
Rule number one about mean girls? Act dumb. They get bored and move on quickly when they don’t get a rise out of you.
“You’re living in his house, are you not?” she asks with a raised eyebrow, and I know I’ve been caught. The batshit crazy bitch comes to stand in front of me, looking me up and down. “He’ll come running back to me, just you wait.” With that, she flicks her hair and flounces off, leaving me in a state of shock and the lingering smell of her bad perfume.
“Raven,” Mia calls. “You okay?”
I stare after the woman that I still have no clue who is, but is one hundred percent trying to stir shit, mumbling, “Yeah, I’m coming.”
Chapter Forty-Five
JAMES
Fucking hell, I love Theo but spending any longer than an hour with him tries my patience. Exasperation washes over me with his childish behavior, and I pinch the bridge of my nose to stave off the building frustration.
“Come on, something’s up. The way you were acting this morning. Not to mention how close you got to her just before she left. Fess up, man.”
Thankfully, Drew left to make us some coffee, so he’s not about to become an accessory to murder.
“Shut the fuck up,” I whisper-yell, looking toward the open office door. “Keep your voice down.”
Theo crosses his arms as he leans back in his chair, a smirk on his face. “You fucking Drew’s daughter?”
I peer up at my best friend, my brother, the man who would die for me, given half the chance. “Yeah.”
He nods his head once. “Nice.”
“Fucker.”
“Dickhead.”
I laugh before sobering up. “It just happened. It wasn’t meant to happen, I was mad at Drew and?—”
“You thought you’d get back at him by sleeping with the one person, other than his wife, that would destroy him.” Theo raises an eyebrow at me.
There’s no judgment in his gaze, just quiet understanding. ButI’mjudging me. I’m sleeping with the daughter of someone who’s supposed to be a friend. I’d ask myself if I could be any more of an asshole, but the answer will probably be yes. Maybe?
I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face. “Basically, yeah. Now it’s too complicated and I’m not sure what’s gonna happen.”
Theo looks at me. “You like her, don’t you?”
“Of course I like her, she’s a nice person.” I shrug.
“I mean, you like her, like her.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me, a smile on his face.
“What? No!” I exclaim, scoffing. “I don’t like her, like her.”
“I do believe the man doth protest too much.”
“I hate you,” I grumble.
“No, you don’t,” he sing songs before sitting forward in his chair, a serious look on his face. “Just be careful.”
“I know what I’m doing,” I snap, even though I’m not sure if I do. “She’s a means to an end.”
“Keep telling yourself that, bro.”
Luckily for me, Drew walks back into the room with our coffees, saving me from having to reply.
