Page 20 of Before It Was Love

“Isn’t your neighbor, Lucas, a cop?” I ask.

Nova smiles at me. “You can stay with me.”

“You have a cat and I’m allergic.”

Her shoulders drop. “I forgot.”

“You can stay with me,” Maya offers. “If you don’t mind sleeping on the sofa.”

Chloe snorts. “Your sofa is covered in books.”

Maya shrugs. “I can move them.”

“What about you?” I ask Paisley because knowing Maya there’s nowhere to put her books. The woman is a serious bookworm.

“There’s a cot in my spare room.”

“Excellent. I have a new home.”

“I hate to be a downer,” Nova says. “But the last time we had girls’ night at Paisley’s house, her experiment exploded and the fire department showed up.”

Paisley’s cheeks darken. “It was not an explosion. An explosion is a violent shattering or blowing apart of something.”

Maya shivers. “The way the windows shook felt violent.”

“But where am I going to stay?” I whine. “I am not going back to my parent’s house.”

“Why not? Your parents are awesome!” Nova declares.

“I feel like enough of a failure. Moving back home would make it worse.”

“You are not a failure. Shane’s a lying jerk. We should totally prank him.” Chloe rubs her hands together. Guessing by the sparkle in her eye, she already has a few ideas.

“There’s no need to prank him. Karma will kick his butt.”

Chloe rolls her eyes at Nova. “Do birds and deer come into your house to help you dress in the morning in your world?”

“Why don’t you want to live with Flynn?” Maya asks.

I glare at her. “You know why.”

Paisley pushes her glasses up her nose. “This would be a good experiment.”

I grit my teeth. “My life is not an experiment.”

“You have to admit it would be interesting to observe how long it lasts before Flynn Ryland succumbs to your beauty.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Flynn is not succumbing to my beauty. Did you forget how he rejected me at our high school graduation?”

“His heart rate increases whenever you are near. This indicates—”

I hold up my hand to stop her. I don’t need an explanation of arousal. I have enough problems with arousal whenever Flynn is nearby.

“She’s not worried about Flynn succumbing. She’s worried she’s going to throw herself at him. Naked.”

I give Chloe the finger. “Not happening.”

There’s a knock on the door before it opens and Flynn enters. He must have showered after work since his hair is wet. Did he clean himself up for me?

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