Page 66 of Pulled Away

“She said you two have never…”

He sniggers. “Bumped uglies? Done the horizontal tango? The crazy monkey dance?”

“You’re being ridiculous,” I scoff, throwing a piece of popcorn at him, which he catches and throws into his mouth.

“To answer your question, no, we haven’t.”

“She mentioned you helped her out of a tight spot once.”

“She got screwed over and needed help, so I gave it.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal, and maybe to him, it isn’t. But for people in need of help, it means the world.

“Why does Rose hate you so much?”

He ponders my question for a few seconds before sighing. “Seriously? I have no idea. One day we’re cool, and then the next day, bam,” he says, miming an explosion with his hands, “she went nuclear on me. Has she said anything to you?” His question is casual, but his eyes give him away when he pins them on me. Huh.

“No.” Despite my asking her a few times. “You like giving her shit.”

Put them in the same room and they’re always having a go at each other. Granted, it’s usually Rose who starts it, but Carter gives as good as he gets.

He grins. “I like it when she’s all sassy and spicy.”

Silence falls between us again, and I’m watching a woman gushing over a rose when Carter nudges me.

“You know, if we’re playing twenty questions, I also get to ask some.”

“Okay?”

“Do you still love Ryan?”

I level him with a bland stare. “Of course I do, but if the next words out of your mouth are how I should take him back because everyone makes mistakes, I’m going to shove a handful of popcorn in it.”

“Wouldn’t dream,” he mutters.

“So why ask?”

“Because I’m curious to see how this plays out.”

“With Hadley and Ryan riding off into the sunset, while I rescue every single animal out there that needs rescuing,” I say firmly.

Frosty’s is packed. Not the way I saw myself spending my night off, but Carter lay the guilt on thick.

You know Nathan counts on us to be there when a new band is playing.

Don’t do Nathan dirty just because Ryan did you dirty.

I sighed and got up to change, just to shut him up.

“You have the night off?” I say, pleasantly surprised when I slide into the booth next to Maya.

“The schedule got ‘mixed up’ again,” she mutters.

“She’s such a bitch,” Piper says, and I don’t need to ask who she’s referring to. It’s becoming increasingly clear that Cassie, Nathan’s girlfriend, seems to have some kind of grudge against Maya. “Once might be a mistake, but this is becoming a habit.”

“We could get Bailey to talk to him. He listens to her,” Rose suggests, and as if saying her name summoned her, she appears, Kallan in tow. It still feels strange seeing Kallan and not Quinn, but I’m happy for her. And I adore Kallan. He might be a bit grumpy and broody, but somehow, he managed to change the devastation on her face to unfettered joy, and for that, I will always treasure him. He treats her like a queen, and if I was a jealous person, I would burn with it.

“You need to kick Nathan’s ass,” Rose says after our chorus of hellos.

“Why? What has he done?” Bailey asks, dropping a kiss on Kallan’s cheek and snuggling into his side.

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