Page 70 of Fireworks

Propping herself up on her elbow, she traced her fingers along my torso.

“And the glass jar? How did you break something and play it off? Because honestly, you are terrible at acting like you aren’t ready to rip my clothes off when you look at me. You seriously need to work on that if you don’t want anyone knowing.”

Straightening my posture, I took offense to her statement. I had been doing well playing it off that she was just like my little sister still.

“I do not.”

She pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side. There was no way I was going to admit she might be right.

“You won’t let it go until I tell you, will you?”

She looked back at me, and I knew I wasn’t leaving this room without telling her the full story.

Glancing at the clock, I probably should get going, especially since I needed to slip out without her parents seeing me too. While Asher would buy the story that the girl was staying at this hotel, there was no way I was looking Evie in the eye and telling her I was sleeping with some girl while we were here.

“When you texted me, I kind of lost it. Your brother reached for my phone to see what pissed me off so much I threw a jar of sauce on the floor, pulling away from him. I told him that the dick you had been seeing cheated on you and he just showed up and invited himself to dinner.”

“He didn’t ask how you knew?”

“Oh no. He did. That’s how we got kicked out of the store. I told him I just knew and don’t worry about it, which turned into a full-on screaming match and him shoving me into someone’s cart that then knocked over.”

I laughed, thinking about how ridiculous we probably looked.

Katie playfully pushed at my chest, her smile finally returning.

“This isn’t funny!”

“It’s kind of funny. I told him you were being a bitch the whole car ride and that you finally told me you broke up with the guy and to leave you the fuck alone. Which he obviously bought.”

She laid her head down on my chest, her fingers drawing across my abs.

“I should get going. I’m hoping to be back before Asher gets there. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

It was torture having to get dressed and leave her again. I kissed her one last time before heading out of the room and calling for a car to pick me up.

When Asher walked back into his apartment, he had the same look on his face that he always did when he had a good night. Little did he know I had only just gotten back five minutes before he did. I had started a pot of coffee as he went to shower and change into some fresh clothing. After my night, I was going to need all the caffeine I could get. Looking in his fridge, it was practically bare. There was no way he planned to feed everyone a home-cooked breakfast. Yelling toward the bathroom, I wasn’t sure if he could hear me.

“You think your mom would make breakfast if we got the stuff for it?”

I closed the cabinet, knowing there wasn’t anything here I could even try to whip up besides oatmeal or cereal. Hearing the drawers in his bedroom opening and closing, he finally emerged in a fresh set of clothing that didn’t reek of sex and beer.

“What did you say?”

“If we go buy stuff for breakfast, you think your mom would make something? I feel like it’s been forever since I had her cooking.”

Crossing the room, he grabbed his car keys off the table by the door.

“We will find out. Oh, and this time can you try not to cause a scene? There are only so many stores around here I can shop at.”

He laughed, but I knew there was a level of seriousness in his voice. Yesterday was awkward. I was glad to see he was just as upset as me over how his sister was being treated. It still created a little tension that she shared it with me and not him. He didn’t come right out and say it, but he had an undertone of agitation and pain that she felt like she could talk to me and not him.

“I can drive. I don’t feel like stuffing myself into your tiny ass car right now.”

At over six-foot, fitting into a sedan wasn’t ideal for me.

“Fine.”

As we drove out of the complex, I couldn’t help but ask him how the night went with Bridget. I had known she wanted to come down here, but she always changed the conversation when I brought it up.