Page 70 of Savage Lover

Just thinking about him makes my heart race.

I want to see him again. I just do. It’s stupid, and I hate admitting it, but I can’t help the way I feel.

I call Patricia to see if Levi’s throwing any more parties in the near future.

“Not that I know of,” she says. “But everybody’s going to some bonfire on the beach tonight.”

“Are you going?” I ask her.

“Yes. But not with Mason. I had a perfectly good job interview lined up for him at my cousin’s restaurant, and he tells me he ‘has something else in the works.’ And I’m like, are you kidding me dude? It better not be anything illegal, because you told me you were done with all that shit, and now you’re suddenly too busy for a serving job that makes a hundred and fifty in tips a night? That doesn’t make sense . . .”

I’m listening to Patricia, but my ears perk up at the first part of her rant. Mason has something in the works? So does Nero, as far as I can tell. Something at the Alliance Bank. It doesn’t take a genius to guess what that might be.

“He wanted your number, by the way,” Patricia says.

“Mason?” I say in confusion.

“No. Nero. Mason asked me for it, and I know it was to give it to him.”

Nero asked for my phone number?

He didn’t call it. Didn’t send a text, either.

But maybe he wanted to . . .

“Did something happen after the race?” Patricia asks me.

“No!” I say, a little too quickly.

“Are you sure?” I can hear the disbelief in her voice, and the teasing tone that means she’s smirking on the other end of the line. “The way he dragged you out of there like a caveman . . . kinda hot, wasn’t it?”

“He was just keeping me from getting arrested,” I say, glad that Patricia can’t see me blushing.

“But why, though? He’s not exactly the chivalrous type . . .”

“I dunno. I guess we’re friends. In a way.”

“Friends that have each other’s babies . . .?”

“No!”

Patricia is laughing, enjoying having something to tease me about. Usually, she’s the only one with a dramatic romantic life. This might be her only chance to stick it to me.

“My god, girl,” she says, “if you end up fucking him, you have to tell me what it’s like.”

A little shiver runs down my spine.

“I’m not doing that,” I say quietly.

“Why not? It’s like climbing Everest, or skydiving. My friend Jess did it and she said—”

“I don’t want to hear about it!” I say sharply. I can’t stand hearing about Jessica or any other girl that Nero’s been with. I’m burning with jealousy, and he doesn’t even belong to me. Not even a little bit.

This is why I could never date him, even if I wanted to. It would eat me alive.

“Sorry,” Patricia says, chastened.

“No, I’m sorry,” I say. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just wound up. You know my dad—”

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