Page 3 of Only With You

“I can’t be arsed,” Landon flatly replies in his posh British accent.

She smiles triumphantly, setting the jar on the shelf full of plants next to the TV stand. “Either you say something nice, add a dollar, or say nothing at all.”

I internally recoil at the thought of having to say something nice to him. There’s nothing pleasant about the Devil’s favorite child.

“Okay.” One corner of his mouth tugs just slightly upward.

I narrow my eyes, wondering what he could be up to because there’s no way he’d say something nice to me.

His eyes lock with mine. “I have a confession.”

Jagger stares at him gleefully while the girls smile at each other like they’ve just completed the hardest puzzle.

Folding my arms against my chest, I warily ask, “A confession?”

“Yes, a confession. I thought of you today.”

“Right…I’m sure you did.”

“I’m not a liar,” he gravely states.

Something tells me I’m going to regret this, but I take the bait. “So you thought of me today?”

His lifeless eyes spark with vigor. “I did. I saw a cockroach and thought of you.”

The girls shake their heads, rolling their eyes, but Jagger only laughs harder.

“You’re a fucking piece of shit.” I flip him off, stalk off to my room, and come back out with a dollar bill.

There’s already a dollar in the jar when I drop mine.

“Yes, you stated that earlier.” He yawns, staring at the TV as if he couldn’t be bothered with the conversation anymore.

“Just wanted to remind you in case you forgot.” I resume what I started, placing my mugs in the cabinet.

“I promise I haven’t.”

Let it go. He’s not worth it. Ignore it.

I repeat in my head until I’m done unpacking in the kitchen. Surprisingly, he doesn’t make any more comments, and I’m glad because I was seconds away from really stabbing him.

Now I have to figure out how I’m going to make it a whole year.

Before I moved in, they told me Jagger and the Spawn come over a lot since they’re all so close. They did say they’d make sure I’m okay with it before they show up.

I don’t mind Jagger and he’s not bad to look at. He’s tall, with warm brown skin, to-die-for lashes that I’m envious of, a small indent on his chin, and an earring that dangles on his right lobe. He’s a big flirt and extremely cocky, but I’ve dealt with guys likehim before. His best friend, on the other hand, nothing—and I mean absolutely nothing—will change the way I feel about him.

“Juls, we’re getting takeout from Suki’s. What would you like?” Gabby stands next to me in the kitchen, holding a menu.

The anger I was feeling evaporates and I smile down at her. Despite her questionable choice of friend, Gabby is possibly the nicest person I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of people.

She’s the embodiment of sunshine and also pretty small. I feel like a giant when I’m standing next to her. While I’m five-foot-eleven, I think she said she’s five-foot-three or maybe it’s four?

“Thanks, but I’m okay.” I return the smile and pick up the flattened cardboard boxes.

She shifts closer to me, setting the menu on the counter. “We can kick them out. They don’t need to be here. It’s late, and you’ve been unpacking all day. I’m sure you’re starving.”

She has no idea how much it means to me that she’s being considerate about how I feel. It may not be a big deal, but after my last roommates, meeting Gabby is like a breath of fresh air.

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