Page 40 of Five

I miss HELL.

That’s bonkers. It must be a post-drug effect. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Trying to distract myself, I ask, “Wasn’t the barista’s name Luke?”

“You told us it was Luke, but it’s actually Noah, and he’s yummy.” Ollie eyes the barista. Luke because he looks like Luke Perry.

“And he seemed very interested in you when we got our orders from him earlier. And didn’t you tell me he was well endowed?”

I did? “Mm. He may look like a unicorn, but is just a slutty horse.” I dismiss him with a wave of my hand.

Ollie snorts. “Ookay. How about Gabe’s stunts, then?”

“Stunts?” I repeat slowly, adding a tone of ridicule to the word. “Is that appropriate college lingo, mate? How about coitus preferences? Copulating tastes? Mating proclivities?”

He flips me off with a stifled smile. “Carnal inclinations.”

I open my mouth to keep joking around, but he continues, “You didn’t tell me anything, dude, which is not like you. I knowyou have memories of what happened. Are they too painful? I shouldn’t push, sorry.”

“The pain was unbearable.” A light shiver runs down my spine at the memory. “And the pleasure out of this world,” I confess.

“Gabe has been sending me a text every day since the club,” Ollie lets me know, talking so fast I can hardly understand him.

The idea of Ollie receiving messages from Gabe every sodding day irritates me grandly since I haven’t heard a pip from him. After what we went through together, I’d expected a bit of consideration from him. I got nothing.

“Look at you getting all chummy with him,” I hiss.

“The texts were about you,” my bestie continues, leaving me speechless. “He asks every day if you’re okay.”

His last word makes me jerk back like a slap to the face. Gabe cares about my well-being? Why did he contact Ollie and not me?

“What happened between you two? I thought he onlyhelpedyou in a difficult moment, you know, a one-time thing.” He looks confused. I am as well.

“It was a one-time thing. But it was also…different,” I say lamely, not knowing how to explain what I’m bloody going through.

“Different because of the situation or because of Gabe?”

“Definitely both.” I sigh. “He stirred up something in me. My sexual appetite.” I wince at my word choice.

“You want to smash Gabe…again?” His eyes widen with surprise.

Do I? “If I get more stirred up, I’ll turn into a frozen yogurt, the one with sprinkles and chocolate chips.”

Ollie suddenly slaps the small table. “I always thought there was something there between you two! Your dislike was too strong.”

“Please!” I shake my head at him. “I disliked him because he acts like a superior jerk to me.”

“Disliked…past tense?” He smirks smugly. Idiot. But do I still dislike Gabe after what happened?

A disgusting sight distracts me from my scary thoughts. “Bloody hell, stop slopping mayo on your sandwich!” I scold him. My bestie retaliates by adding even more heart-attack sauce on his food and then proceeds to take a bite and chew it with his mouth open, knowing very well that’s one of my biggest pet peeves.

“In My Head” by the Queens of the Stonage start playing in the café, and I hum with it.Love this band.

“How do you feel?” Ollie suddenly asks, thankfully after swallowing.

“Oh, so this is why you wanted to meet me before the others.” I narrow my eyes at him.

“Your sassy replies don't work on me, Lor. Answer the question.”