Page 83 of Into the Fire

Enzo’s prick behavior was always sly. I didn’t mind it. It was easier to ignore than Cole’s.

“No worries. I have plenty,” I replied, noting the sour look on his face, but he didn’t bother retorting. That was probably because Rosalie came into the room just then.

I didn’t even need to turn around to know she’d entered. The air shifted. The guys changed. I changed.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Ethan greeted her. I watched as she went to him and let him wrap his arms around her. He pressed a kiss atop her head. When she broke away from him, her eyes found mine, and that pretty smile I adored graced her face.

“Ani. I’m so glad you came tonight.” She moved toward me, but before she could reach me with what I was positive was going to be my hug, Cole intercepted her.

He scooped her into his arms and hauled her far away from me, his lips fused to hers in a pornographic display of his dickishness. I knew he was making a point. One I wanted to punch him in the balls with, but I looked away and caught Fox’s eye.

He glanced to my hand in its tight fist and raised a brow at me.

Fucking hell.

I forced a smile onto my face and let my hand slacken.

It was rough watching Cole manhandle Rosalie across the room. Her sweet laughter and his soft murmurs made it worse.

Well played, dickhead.

“You want to check out what’s streaming?” Fox asked.

“Yeah,” I muttered.

He nodded for me to follow him, but it didn’t slip past me that Enzo had joined Cole and was helping him to make Rosalie laugh harder.

“What are you into?” Fox looked at me as we went to the couch. We settled onto it, and he grabbed the remote before he turned on the TV. “I know it’s probably not all those rom-coms Rosie has you watching when you’re here.”

“I don’t mind them,” I said before taking a sip. “They’re not realistic, but the writing isn’t always terrible.”

“I like the one where she’s the lawyer fighting against him, but then he hires her to work for him. I don’t recall the name of it. Pretty funny.” Fox surfed the channels.

“I’m not familiar with that one,” I said, casting a glance in the direction of the kitchen as I heard a crash followed by a laugh.

“Hang around here with Rosie long enough and you’ll quickly become familiar with it.” Fox paused on a sci-fi movie I didn’t recognize. “You into space and shit?”

“Not really.”

“E is. He loves spouting sonnets about stars and the moon.” Fox continued his perusing. “He’s big into any sci-fi or fantasy movie.”

“I like action flicks.” I took another sip.

“Me too.”

“War movies?” Fox glanced at me.

“Yeah. They’re OK.”

He nodded. “Rosalie likes action movies if there’s a romance element.”

“She hates scary movies,” I said.

“And loves documentaries,” we both said at the same time.

He let out a soft laugh. “I don’t know why I didn’t think you knew that. You get to spend more time with her than we do lately. Almost deserves. . . a hug.”

I ground my teeth. I knew what he was digging at.

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