Page 29 of The Villain

“Eat that one,” I tell her. If she waits too long it will get cold. With how slowly I have to eat, cold food isn’t abnormal to me.

All in all it’s quiet. Tera is enjoying her food. Maybe the pregnancy is helping her with eating.

“So, how was your date with Shade?” Max gives me an innocent look that seems wrong on his face.

“There wasn’t any food,” I deadpan.

Tera giggles while he flounders, unsure if I’m joking or not because of my flat tone. I wonder if Tera would mind if I played a little game with this one. He seems sassy enough to like a good game. Maybe that’s what the intimidation was about. If so, I won.

“Really, how was it?” Tera looks hopeful. I frown over it. She stopped being invested in finding me friends a long time ago. She said they just weren’t enough, whatever that means. Why is she back into it now? I don’t think he meets her mysterious high criteria.

“He doesn’t like me,” I tell her honestly. It’s not a surprise, I just expected better from him based on my obsession.

“Really?” She looks so shocked my fork pauses on its way to my lips. “Why?”

“I destroyed their shit. He didn’t laugh about it. They’re blaming him. Why wouldn’t he be fucking pissed?”

She gapes at me as Trevor chokes on a bite. Max starts to smile. It’s slow to cross his face but it gets so wide he starts to look demented.

“Why does she get to cuss but I don’t?” Max asks Tera sweetly.

“Southie can cuss as much as she wants because it’s her way of expressing herself. She can’t yell or scream like we can. What else happened?” She sounds confused, her main attention on Shade’s reaction to me instead of Max’s complaint.

“He asked a lot of questions like I was applying for a job. Is that normal?”

They all stare at me in surprise. The unified expression makes me tilt my head in confusion.

“It isn’t normal.” I say based on their looks of disbelief.

“What did he ask about?” Max leans closer to me to ask.

“I thought you said he was quiet,” I raise a brow to Tera who gapes at me.

“He is. But then he starts talking and he’s a complete jerk.”

“I’m lucky to get three words out of him,” Max looks like he’s pouting over it.

“Serves you right,” Tera grins and does a little shimmy in Asher’s lap that he grins at.

“What did he ask you?” Trevor speaks up for the first time. His tone is mildly concerned and it makes my eyes narrow on him.

“What I do for work. How did Tera meet me. What I would say if I wasn’t behaving. He didn’t like that I don’t carry my phone.”

Tera sucks in a sharp breath and begins shaking her head vehemently. “Never let him see or touch your phone. He’ll clone it.”

I sit back as my eyes narrow. “Your big bro does it too? It must be hereditary.”

Her mouth works and she starts to blush before she wads up her napkin and throws it at me. I swat it away before it hits my forehead. This game never gets old.

“If both of you got the gene your baby should have it too. It’s good odds,” I give her my feral grin, anticipating the corruption of her children’s youth already.

“You stop it,” she points at me and giggles. “I don’t have any more napkins to throw at you.”

I stand and grab her a handful of paper towels to drop them in front of her.

“I will win this game eventually, Southie. I’m going to get you one day,” she warns me. The threat is ruined by her laughter.

I flip her off and go back to my food.

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