Page 47 of Resisted

“I could say you owed me.” I gulped, trying to take in air. “You’ve given me a lot of shit over the years. Do you understand the amount of stress that causes? Talk to my therapist. The bills keep on mounting.”

Of course, I didn’t technically have a therapist, though lord knew with the thoughts flying through my head right now, I could’ve probably used one—one that wouldn’t judge me for the objectifying pictures my head was creating of Bella. Fuck. It was the kiss. Those lips. The damn curve of her hips in my palm as she sat on my lap. The scent. The—

“What are you thinking right now? I swear your eyes are glazing over.” Her little fingers wiggled, still trying to get me to hand her cash, and damn, I might just do it.

I blinked a few times. “Do you need a new dress that badly that you can’t wait to buy one? You’re living here rent free, baby.”

“This is true. However, I’m going out with friends this weekend, and the dress I want to buy is too expensive to use my money on.”

Wait, going out? “So my money is more spendable?”

“Essentially, yes.”

I took out my wallet but held it just out of reach. “I’ll give you cash.”

“But?” Oh, this girl knew me well.

“I’ll give you cash, if you let us go with you.”

“Absolutely not.” She pulled her hand back. “Silas will ruin my game.”

“Silas ruins my game too,” I admitted. “We’ll push him in the corner. Let Boyce and I have some fun.”

“I’d rather just pay for my dress myself.”

It was cute that she thought she would rid herself of us now that I knew her plans. But I would follow her to wherever I needed to in order to keep eyes on her. Stalker mode activated. She was in my line of sight, and even if I was only going to protect her, she most definitely wouldn’t be going alone.

“I’ll dance with Lynette.” God, why did I say those words? My stomach nearly rolled with the thought of the bubbly redhead grinding against my body.

She sucked in a breath, like my offer had caught her off guard. “You mean it?”

“I mean it.” Though I loathed the fact that I did.

“And you’ll buy my dress?” She tilted her head in a way that was so damn adorable and hopeful.

“And I’ll buy your dress.”

I opened up my wallet and took out a wad of cash and offered it to her, but before she grabbed it, I pulled away. “But you’ve got to dance with me.”

She bit her lip, looking from me to the cash in hand, then back to me before jumping up and grabbing the cash. “Deal!”

Chapter 19

BELLA

I had regrets,so many damn regrets. I should have thought more about my wants verses needs. Did I need that dress? No. Did I want it? Yes. Did I want to wear it tonight to make the boys drool? Absolutely. Only now that I’d squeezed my body into it, I could tell the nearly sheer shimmery blue number was most definitely going to cause drama.

I could handle the drama. What I couldn’t handle was Vincent insisting I put more clothes on or Silas brooding. As if Lynette sensed my hesitation, she said, “I think you look marvelous. The boys will love it.”

Wasn’t that half the confusion? I wasn’t a hundred percent certain I wanted them to love it. I wasn’t out to impress them, right? I didn’t need their approval, but there was a secret part of me that craved it, though I tried to bat that craving down, to stop it before it could fully form.

“I don’t care if they like it or not,” I stated with more confidence than I felt, but Lynette had been my best friend for years. She knew me, knew every emotion that played on my face before I got a chance to feel it.

She didn’t call me out on my lie, only adjusted her bust in her strapless dress. “Do these look okay?”

I looked at her breasts, thankful I didn’t tell her Vincent would dance with her. “Perfect.”

“Where were you meeting them again?”

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