Page 77 of Mark

I punch him in the arm. “Fuck you! That’s not how it is at all.”

Or is it?

Am I just a one-night stand to her?

“Seems to me she has some regrets. I’ve not seen her all day.”

“I saw her after breakfast,” Hayden remarks from where she’s sat next to Hope. “She seemed fine to me.”

“You saw her?” I ask, and groan at how eager I sound.

Her lips twitch as she nods. “Maybe you just didn’t hit the right mark and she’s worried she’ll laugh in your face if she sees you.”

“Never had complaints before,” I argue.

Hayden arches her eyebrow. “There’s always a first.”

“Maybe she isn’t looking for a boyfriend,” Faith declares.

I grab Liam’s drink, taking a sip before I answer. “Who said I’m looking for a girlfriend?”

“If you were, Freya wouldn’t be it,” Hayden states with a smirk. “She’s not your type. She has a brain, for starters, a full-time job,andlives in her own home. Pretty sure you aren’t her type either.”

“What? Why? I’m everyone’s type,” I grouch.

“You annoy the hell out of her,” Liam points out.

“Aiden annoys the fuck out of Bailey but they are together,” I remind him.

He pats my arm, his pitying smile grating on my nerves. “Yeah, but that’s Aiden.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that... he has game. Not as much as me, but then again, no one has my charm,” he replies. “You are probably worse than Landon. You glare at Freya a lot. Landon only glares at Paisley’s brothers.”

“I only glare because she’s mean to me,” I reply harshly.

Hayden clucks her tongue. “Are you twelve? Do you need to cry to Mummy and Daddy?”

I grit my teeth. “She put salt in my drink last night, and tried to take my slice of cake,” I snap. “Then she proceeded to argue with me about why the Easter Bunny carries eggs when it doesn’t lay them.”

Hope’s nose scrunches up. “I’ve never thought about that before. What was your argument?”

“It doesn’t matter,” I utter, feeling my cheeks heat. “I just don’t get why she would avoid me. It’s not like I’m declaring marriage.”

“Maybe she’s been hurt one too many times, so before you could give her the ‘it was just a little fun’ speech, she made it easier for you and stayed away,” Faith imparts.

I open my mouth to deny it but Hayden gets there first. “You know for a fact you were going to deliver that speech. I don’t get why. You’ve finally found a girl worthy of going out with.”

“Hate to agree with my sister, but she’s right. You got lucky with Freya. You stole her cat, for fuck’s sake. That’s pretty unforgiveable.”

“I didn’t steal her cat,” I snap.

“If it were me, and Beau left me to marry Lily, I wouldn’t be so quick to trust another man,” Faith adds with a shrug.

“Would never happen with us, babe,” Beau swears.

“I know that, but I’m just giving an example,” she replies.

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