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She doesn’t hesitate, nodding in agreement.

“Do you like steak?”

“I love steak.”

“Good. Now go inside and take care of your friend. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She grazes her lips across mine again and steps back, not hiding her disappointment.

“Hey.” I tug her back into me. “Tomorrow night, my place. I can guaran-fucking-tee that no one will interrupt us there. If they do, I will shoot them.”

She giggles, her smile returning.

I watch her go inside and wait until the lock turns before walking away. Hopefully, tomorrow night, there will be no walking away.

Chapter 6

Emi

I fall back against the door and close my eyes, the scent of Walker lingering on me. Being pressed so close had many advantages, and his smell on my dress is only one of them.

“You’ve got it bad.” My eyes pop open to see Maren strolling from my kitchen with two glasses of wine.

“I’m going to kill you. What the fuck is so damn important you had to disrupt the best night of my life?”

“The best night of your life is about to get better.” She sits on the sofa, offering a glass to me.

I contempla

te pouring the wine over her head but think twice. “I highly doubt you can top making out with Walker Scott. Nice play, by the way; the tears at the end nailed it.”

“I had to do something. Didn’t want him to get suspicious.”

“No, after I explained you were still wretched about the break-up, he told me you were pretty and that Carlton is the loser. So, of course, I melted inside because he was being so awesome about my best friend—even though I was lying to him.”

“You told him I was wretched about my break-up?” She crinkles her nose. “That’s repulsing.”

“Hell yes! What was I supposed to say with your fake tears and sniffles? I couldn’t exactly say you were here to discuss our secret moonlighting business.”

“You couldn’t come up with something else?”

“No, Mare! You started it.”

“Ugh! Next time you see him, tell him something different. I do not want people to think that dick-douche is even a factor in my life.”

“Well, until we find another cover for you peeping in his window at ten on a Sunday night, we’re using the Carlton ruse.”

“That’s going on the top of my to-do list tomorrow.”

“Great, now, can you tell me why the hell you’re here?” I take a sip and look at her expectantly.

“Jean Wills is why I’m here.”

“Oh shit.” My stomach drops with the possibilities of how this could be very bad.

“Oh shit is right, but in a good way. I uploaded all the information to her this morning, and she wasted no time. Once she saw the video and pictures, she went ballistic. She also became chatty. There are four separate messages on my TA phone from her.” Maren grabs her phone from her back pocket. “Want to hear?”

“No, I want the Cliff’s notes.”