Page 42 of Lie for a Lie

She lays her head against Chris’s chest as he rolls his eyes, laughing at her softly.

They are always so affectionate around each other. Even when Kat and I were strong, we never craved each other like that. When we met, we were high on mushrooms. It is the only time I have ever done drugs, besides smoking the occasional joint throughout college and medical school. I was at a music festival with a few guys from my surgical residency program, and things bloomed from there.

I let out a frustrated sigh and tried not to focus on the decision my cock had made when I was an immature idiot. Now I am just a sad, broken, and horny idiot.

“Don’t worry. I plan on talking your sister into going somehow. I already put in for the leave.”

Everyone seemed to have the same shocked reaction, and I let out a small laugh, not at all surprised.

Chris hasn’t stopped talking about the trip for weeks. Bre’s smile is near angelic when she pulls Chris’s face to her and begins to kiss him like we aren’t all in the room.

Clint lingers on it longer than I expect before clearing his throat, forcing Chris to break the kiss. Bre turns six shades of red before fanning herself in embarrassment.

I laugh, and I can’t help but feel happy for them. Happy for Chris. A weird emotion rolls through me, and my jaw muscles dance in response before my phone catches my attention again.

“What about we all go?” Bre says in an open-ended matter, and my head shoots up. I take my plate and head to the poker table, sipping my whiskey before sitting in the empty spot beside Seth. A thick tension fills the space between us just like it always has, and I try not to wrinkle my face in disgust when I sit down.

“I’d be interested in going. It’s been a while since we took a good vacation,” I say, and I can’t help but notice the confusion on Seth’s face. Bre lights up like Christmas morning.

“Oh, a couples trip could be fun!”

Bre’s excitement peaks, but something about a couple’s trip makes my stomach churn. I don’t want to take this trip with Kat. When I say I need a vacation, it is also supposed to be from her, and maybe drown myself in single women who aren’t dating Seth.

“I don’t think I could miss that much work,” Seth said with slight panic.

Chris’s eye darts towards Seth’s immediately. Pity shows before he said, “Love, maybe you should talk to Paige before you plan this all out.”

Ah, Chris is probably paying Seth’s bills again. He only looks pitiful like that when he is.

I take another sip of my whiskey as Bre pulls out her phone and focuses on that instead of Seth.

“Seth, how is business going?” Clint asks, and the question seems loaded with Bre darting her eyes between the men.

“Fine.” Short, sweet, and to the point.

We both know that won’t do.

“I heard you’ve been busy, so business must be good,” I chime in, and he looks over his shoulder, pissed, and I am not entirely sure why. According to Paige, Seth has been working long hours, and with Kat gone in Arizona, I have been taking full advantage.

“Like I said, business is fine,” Seth snaps with a glare before grabbing his phone. I just roll my shoulders before Clint chimes in.

“Who’s ready for some poker?”

I just give Seth a smug grin before reaching for the deck of cards in the middle of the table before starting to shuffle.

Chapter 20

Paige

When I finally get off work around three in the morning, I am grateful for all the leftover food in the fridge from Chris’s poker night.

The condo has been locked up, as if Bre and Chris were in bed, and I opt to cuddle up with a book on the couch with my dinner after a long shower. Unfortunately, my shower is cut short by the cleanliness of both my bedroom and bathroom and the rigging of my now-torn shower curtain.

I smile, knowing there must be some story behind this, and I make a mental note to ask Graham about it. Right now, I want to focus on the several new books I have purchased over the past few months that I haven’t even glanced at. I let out a small sigh before running my fingers along each shelf, noticing a few of my books were out of the order I had them in.

Curious, I pull one of the unread fantasies and open the front cover, noticing a yellow post-it note. The words Graham’s favorite epic fantasy is handwritten on it. I head over to my desk and grab my phone, taking a picture of the post-it before Facetime calling him. When he answers the phone, it’s clear I have woken him up again.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry. Go back to bed,” I say, almost embarrassed, realizing I am wearing nothing but a questionably-sized towel. Even in his sleepy state, I know he notices because his smile always gives him away.

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