Page 43 of Claimed By my Frenemy

“Sure, the strawberry Frappuccino is fine. And…do you have something sweet?” I crane my neck around to look at the sweet case as Addison rattles off their names.

“Sure, that blueberry muffin sounds good.” It’s not much of a dinner, but I think I deserve a couple of treats after the day I’ve had.

“I’ll call your name when your order is ready,” Addison says, and I slink over to the table where my friends are sitting. As soon as I sit down, Madison raises an eyebrow. “You look different, Mia. What’s going on?”

I bite my lip, wondering where to start. “Well, Theo helped me with the sunroom today.”

Stella nearly chokes on her drink. “Theo? As in Theo-the-annoying-neighbor turned businessman?”

I can’t stop the silly smile spreading across my face at that remark. “Yes, that Theo. He offered to help, and we spent the entire day working on it together.”

“And?” Aurora prompts, leaning in. “What was it like? What washelike?”

I take a deep breath, trying to put my feelings into words. “It was...surprising. He was really helpful, and we actually got a lot done. We talked about a lot of things, and he opened up about his fears and why he started his business. It was different. He was different. He was more…genuine.”

Madison narrows her eyes. “Are you saying you’re starting to like him?”

I shrug, feeling a bit defensive. “I don’t know. Maybe. He’s not as bad as I thought. There’s more to him than I realized.”

Madison exchanges a worried glance with Stella. “Just be careful, Mia. He’s got a lot riding on that resort, and we don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I actually,” Stella raises a finger like a student in class. “If I may…”

We all turn to her, and she flips her green hair–she must have dyed it since the last time I saw her–over her shoulder. “I spoke to Theo.”

“Youwhat?”

“What did you say?”

“Well, we talked aboutyou, of course.”

I lean toward Stella, wanting to know every detail. “And?”

Aurora motions for Stella to continue. Zoey lays a hand on my elbow. I hear my name suddenly called from the counter, and I realize my drink is ready.

I give Stella a look that says she better not say anything until I get back. Once I have my drink in hand, I slip into my chair again, taking a sip from the cool drink.

“And?” I say again.

Stella smiles broadly. “I just told him that he better be careful with you. That he shouldn’t break your trust, and he has to decide if this resort thing is more important or if you’re more important.”

Madison slaps her hands over her mouth, and Aurora rolls her eyes. But she’s smiling. I don’t know how I feel about knowing Stella has my back.

“It’s so hard to tell, but…I think he’s trying. I think he really wants to make things right. I think he’s choosing me over expanding his resort.”

“Just promise us you’ll be cautious. We don’t want you getting hurt,” Zoey says, tapping my elbow again.

“I promise, but I think I need to give this a chance. He deserves that much. I mean, the physical chemistry is there. So…”

“Wait. How do youknowthe physical chemistry is there?” Aurora asks.

“We may have kissed…again without you guys watching.” I’m not willing to admit anything else.

Everyone makes their own hoots or whistles or giggles. I hang my head in embarrassment, sure that everyone else in the coffee shop is looking at us.

Finally, the group moves on from me. Madison is talking about the puppy she just got, showing us as many photos as we can handle. “But he’s literally bored out of his mind. That’s why I think starting a surfing school would be great. He could come to the place with me, and he wouldn’t be trapped inside all day. Right now, he’s already chewed up two shoes–not the same pair of course–and a plastic kitchen spoon.”

“Puppies are supposed to chew things up,” Zoey informs her.

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