Page 68 of Before It Was Love

I don’t remember him dating every girl in his class. Granted ‘every girl’ isn’t much on an island with three small towns, but still. He’s not a man whore. Or is he?

“All I remember,” Paisley says. “Is how Sophia got detention.”

“Giving me detention was complete bullshit. I didn’t do any harm.”

“You ruined the girl’s track outfit. You deserved detention. The rest of us, however, did not since we weren’t involved,” Paisley claims.

“We were the lookouts,” Nova says.

“Some lookout you were. You were flirting with Hudson and forgot all about me.”

“Is it flirting when she stares at him with her mouth gaping open?” Chloe asks.

“I did not flirt or stare at Hudson. I wouldn’t. He’s a complete grump.”

“He wasn’t back in high school,” I remind Nova. “He could charm the pants off of any member of the cheerleading squad.”

“Remember when Nova tried out for the cheerleading squad?” Maya asks. “She tripped and took out an entire row of girls. They went down like bowling pins. She wasn’t allowed to finish the audition.”

“It was their loss,” Nova claims. “I would have been an excellent cheerleader.”

“Chloe!” A girl yells from across the restaurant. Chloe waves in response.

“Who is she?” I ask the table.

“It’s her neighbor’s daughter,” Nova says.

My eyes widen. “The neighbor as in the sexy cop next door who won’t give her the time of day?”

Chloe flicks her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t want Lucas to give me the time of day. He’s dead to me.”

“Tell me more.”

Paisley clears her throat. “I can summarize for you. Chloe showed up at Lucas’ house naked.”

“It was an accident,” Chloe interrupts to say.

Paisley ignores her to continue. “Lucas wasn’t interested and his daughter, Natalia, asked why she was wearing a raincoat when it wasn’t raining.”

“If the scenario you’re explaining had happened, and I’m not saying it did, it was because I didn’t know about Natalia.”

I burst into laughter at how indignant Chloe is. “How do you accidentally show up at your neighbor’s house naked?”

“I forgot to put on clothes when I went over to borrow some butter. If it’s a crime, arrest me.”

Maya snorts. “She wants Lucas to arrest her.”

The waitress arrives and sets several bottles without labels and empty beer mugs on the table.

“Have these been chilled to thirty-seven degrees?” Paisley asks.

Chloe scowls. “Do not give my waiting staff a hard time.” She nods to the waitress. “You can go, Addy.”

Addy ignores Chloe. “They’ve been properly chilled the way you instructed me. Do you need anything else?”

Paisley smiles at her. “Thank you, Addison.”

“Is this the beer we’re taste testing?” I ask, although the answer is pretty obvious.

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