Page 40 of Devious Love

“Oh my God!” She throws an arm out. “It was one time, okay? And I don’t regret it.”

For a fleeting second, I catch her eyes on me. I frown. What am I missing here?

“What I did was reckless, yeah, but I’m fine, and I don’t have plans to do it again.” She clenches her jaw. “I appreciate your concern, but if you ever call me a slut, it will be the last time I speak to you.”

“I wasn’t going to?—”

“If not for Dom, I think you would have.” Chiara stands and holds out her hand to Mia. “I want to go to bed.”

With a nod, Mia slips her hand into Chiara’s and lets her lead her out of the living room.

I stand and start collecting the empty bottles. Matt has dropped back onto the couch, his head in his hands, stewing. I don’t interrupt or try to cheer him up. I learned long ago that the best thing to do when he’s like this is to give him a moment.

As I’m about to go upstairs, he calls out to me. “Thanks, man. Thank you for stopping me.”

I shuffle closer, hands in the pockets of my sweats. “You’re welcome. I knew you’d regret saying it. But really, I did it for her. She didn’t deserve it.”

“I know.” He drags his hand down his face. “I hooked up with random girls all the time in college… What the hell gives me the right to lecture her?”

I give him a sympathetic smile. “You care about her.”

He drops his head, mumbling something I don’t hear.

“She’s eighteen, man. And she’s about to start college. Better get a handle on yourself now. Freaking out over the mistakes she’s bound to make will cost you your goddamn mind and your relationship with her.”

“Yeah,” he sighs. “Little one isn’t so little anymore.”

“I never thought the nickname suited her,” I comment.

He stands, straightening his shirt. “No?”

“No. She’s chaos. ‘Little Mayhem’ suits her better.”

He stops, as if weighing my words. Then, he grins. “Yeah, that’s accurate.”

After tossingand turning for a solid couple of hours, I make my way out to the sunbed in the backyard. I stare at the pool, a cigarette between my lips.

The nap was a terrible idea. I have to be up for work in three hours.

Fuck.

When the back door creaks, I look over my shoulder, expecting Matt, but it’s Mia. She’s in a black hoodie and the cotton shorts she had on this morning, her hair in a messy bun on top of her head.

She hesitates when she sees me but eventually approaches. As she sits on the other side of the sunbed, her leg brushes mine again. I don’t try to move away. Maybe I’m an idiot, but I actually like her closeness.

“Couldn’t sleep?” I ask.

She shakes her head.

“Me neither.”

She clears her throat. “I thought you didn’t smoke anymore.”

“I quit before football season my freshman year of college, but I started again senior year. I don’t smoke weed anymore, though.”

She grunts. “How reassuring.”

Chuckling, I take a drag of my cigarette. “We all have bad habits. This one is mine.”