Page 37 of My December Darling

These assholes know exactly why, but I refuse to give them the satisfaction of answering.

Catalina looks around when I don’t respond. “What happened?”

“Because he was scammed.” Aiden volunteers the information.

“How?” Catalina asks with a ghost of a smile on her lips.

I huff.

“It’s quite the story,” Aiden, my future ex-best friend, says with a smirk.

“He can tell it over dinner.” Gaby walks over to the round table and takes a seat in her usual spot.

Aiden follows her lead and settles into the seat beside her. Catalina chooses to sit next to her sister, leaving me with the empty chair between her and Aiden.

Despite Aiden reassuring me that he doesn’t care if I’m interested in his ex, I can’t help second-guessing his statement as I drop into my chair beside them. Not because I’m not interested in Catalina, but rather I’m not sure if she will be willing to give me a chance given her history with my best friend.

You’re getting ahead of yourself, I remind myself.

Each of us serves ourselves a generous helping of lasagna and salad while Gaby tells the story of how I’m no longer allowed to help after almost chopping my finger off while cutting an onion.

“It was practically a paper cut,” I say when Catalina cringes.

“Paper cut?” Gaby gawks. “You needed ten stitches.”

“Good thing he knows a doctor,” Aiden adds before shoving a forkful of salad in his mouth.

Catalina turns toward me, and her knee brushes against mine, sparks flying off my skin from the fleeting moment.

“So what’s the story with getting scammed with LEGOs?” she asks.

And here I had hoped she would forget about that particular conversation.

Aiden chuckles while Gaby giggles under her breath.

I sigh as I come to terms with not getting out of this. “I was played.”

“How?”

My teeth grind together at the sight of Aiden’s smile.

Fuck him very much.

When I don’t answer right away, Gaby does. “Someone sold him a fake set.”

Catalina’s eyes widen. “No.”

“Yup.” I clench my jaw.

“When did you realize it wasn’t the real thing?”

“When the pieces said LECO on them.”

She is trying her absolute hardest not to laugh. I can see it in the way her shoulders bunch up and her lips press together so tightly, they begin to turn white.

I desperately want to hear the sound, so I admit something that not even Aiden knows.

“Wanna know the worst part?”

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