Page 30 of Offside Devil

She seems excited. I, on the other hand, am mortified. Why is he here?

“I didn’t ask him to come help me.”

Her eyelashes flutter as she swoons. “That makes it even better. He came because he wanted to! Oh, God, somebody call Hallmark!”

“Mira?” he yells again.

It’s just my name. There’s no reason to have chills. There’s definitely no reason for my stomach to flip-flop around, aside from the fact that Taylor is shaking me by my shoulders like a rattle.

“Get off,” I hiss. For someone so small, she has a freakishly strong grip. I angle around her and shout into the living room, “Hi! We’re back here.”

I don’t even have a second to process the fact that Zane Whitaker is about to be in my bedroom before he’s there, filling the doorway.

I should say something, but I’m struck dumb by the fact that he’s the first man who has been in this bedroom. Ever. Suddenly, my full-size bed looks ridiculously small. We’d never both fit and ohmygod, we’ll never need to fit in the same bed so it doesn’t matter.

My cheeks flame and my mouth is sealed shut to keep all of my intrusive thoughts from leaking out. Thankfully, Taylor still has the power of speech.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you.” She loops her arm through mine and pulls me close, bumping our hips together. “Both of us are, actually. We were just arguing about who was going to carry all of these boxes downstairs.”

I shake my head. “You don’t need to help me move.”

“That's why I’m here.” He opens his arms wide. “Use me.”

Taylor swallows down a giddy shriek. Her nails dig into my forearm and I have to step on her toes to get her to release the claws.

“We’ve got it,” I continue. “Most everything is already packed and Taylor and I can get the rest of it. You don’t need to?—”

“I know I don’t need to. But this is the kind of thing good boyfriends do. And I intend to be a very good boyfriend.”

He’s trying to kill me.

I don’t even think he’s trying to flirt with me. This is just how men like Zane Whitaker move through the world. They wear worn jeans and tight gray t-shirts and charm the panties off every woman they meet without even breaking a sweat.

“Thank goodness you’re a good boyfriend, because I have to be a bad friend.” Taylor turns her back on Zane to face me. “Gotta go, Mimi. Sorry!”

“No, you don’t.”

Her eyes widen. She’s trying to communicate with me, send me some covert message, as if I don’t know exactly what she’s doing. “Actually, I do. Something came up and I have to leave. Immediately. Right now. It’s urgent.”

This bitch. She’s lying right to my face and she isn’t being convincing about it at all. There’s no way Zane can’t see through it, but I’m too panicked by my supposed best friend’s actions to look at him.

“You said you’d help me pack,” I grit out. It’s my turn to dig my nails into her arms.

He likes you, Taylor mouths. Her eyebrows dance and I’d laugh if this wasn’t such a betrayal. He wants to kiss you. He wants to make sweet, sweet love to you all night long and in many unusual positions.

At least, I think that’s what she’s saying. It’s hard to tell when her lips are all puckered and she’s miming making out with the air.

“I’ll fill in for Taylor. It’s fine,” Zane interrupts.

Taylor twists out of my hold and squeezes past him into the hallway. She pats his arm. “You’re the best fake boyfriend my best friend could ever have. You two have fun!”

He hitches a thumb over his shoulder. “You told her about our deal?”

“Is that okay?” I wince. “I didn’t really have a choice. She has no sense of boundaries. She would’ve figured it out.”

“As long as she doesn’t talk to CPS or the media, I don’t care.” He bends down and, using one arm, scoops up the box of books that I could barely scoot across the floor. “Where are you putting the boxes? I didn’t see a moving truck outside.”

“I don’t have a truck. The big stuff is staying here. Also, most of my kitchen stuff, assuming I can borrow your plates and glasses…?”

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