Page 59 of Vicious Little Snakes

I open my mouth but take a moment, changing course. “Sorry, I meant it was my plan too.”

She lifts a brow as her eyes roll.

“Good man. Maybe some of your good sense will rub off,” Evan snarks, pointing a fork at Grey.

They begin sparring again, but I’m more interested in what’s happening in front of me.

Vivienne, so I’ve learned, pushes Caroline’s plate away from her as she’s midbite. Caroline stares down at her mostly uneaten food, placing the fork and knife crossed on her plate, all the while keeping her smile.

“Boys,” stepmommy says, quieting the discord. “You should show Caroline a good workout plan since you’re so active. I fear she will never be fit. Teenage girls are so lazy. Not like you boys, with all your stamina.”

Jesus Christ. She’s a delight.

I look at Grey, and he shakes his head, obviously grossed out, but Caroline’s face never changes, and it pisses me off.

“I think she looks great.” My voice shatters the silence.

Caroline’s eyes dart to mine, and I smile. “Sorry, I thinkyoulook great—but are you looking to put on weight? Because I have a great weight gainer. Grey used it. He used to be so scrawny.”

She laughs but stops quickly, clamping her mouth shut. Her witch of a mother just gives me a look before returning back to Evan. I wink at Caroline, looking back at my food, noticing that she’s pulled her plate back her way.

We finish dinner, much the same way we started—tense. Evan stands, beckoning his new wife.

“Stay out of trouble,” is all he offers before leaving.

A collective sigh sounds, followed by quiet laughter as we look at each other.

Caroline leans over, nabbing her mother’s wine, and downs the rest as we watch.

“Great. So you’re an alcoholic.” Grey grunts.

Such a dick.

“Great. So you’re a dick,” she tosses back.

I laugh and don’t even stop when he glares at me. “What? It was funny. And she’s right.”

Tossing my napkin on the table, I look at Grey and move my head toward her, but he shakes his, so I do it again.

“No,” he mouths.

I clear my throat, looking at Caroline. “So a bunch of us are doing a bonfire down by the river. Wanna come?”

Grey crosses his arms and continues glaring at me.

She looks at Grey intently and then shakes her head. “No. I have better things to do.”

“Killing puppies?” Grey throws out.

Her hand shoots to her chest as she gasps. “No. That’s terrible. I keep my murder to people, where it belongs.”

This time he laughs too. We push away from the table, standing as she does, watching Caroline leave. As soon as she’s gone, I smack his arm. “Dude, why can’t you be a decent person?”

“That’s your job.”

“Mark my words. You two are going to love each other one day.”

He waves me off. “Unlikely. I’m going to go change, and then we’ll go by your place to pick up clothes—since my clothes are too big for you now because of the weight gainer. What the fuck was that about?”