Page 115 of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Tripod

“So you went home with a guy because you never got an emergency call?” I ask, finally standing up to find pants.

“Well, no, but,” she grunts. “I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking, ok?”

“Thinking with your dick is more like.”

“Iwillslap you.”

“Not if I rescue you from Prince Charming.”

“Prince Lying Thundercunt is more like it. Just… just come get me, ok?” Her voice is so soft now I can’t tease her.

“I’m on my way.”

Luckily she’s only down near Koreatown, an area I know fairly well. Isla is waiting for me on the curb, her brown hair disheveled and her green eyes look on the verge of tears. I pull up and put my jeep in park, allowing her to hoist herself inside. Even for Sophie, who’s a couple of inches taller, it’s difficult to climb in and out of this thing. For Isla, it’s next to impossible without vaulting herself up.

“What do you need?” I’m not about to ask what happened.

Isla takes a shaky breath and blows it out slowly, the way Brody did last night when trying to think what to say to me after our little game. I hide my smirk at the thought. This isn’t the time to be smiling.

“I need a fucking juice cleanse.”

I snort.

“Ok, that’s not what I expected. A shot, maybe. Eight coffees, sure. But not juice.”

“Just,” she sighs and looks out the window, “take me to Kreation, ok? I’ll buy.”

“The fuck you will.” I put the jeep in drive and pull away from the curb, into traffic.

“He didn’t hurt me or anything,” says Isla after several minutes of silence, filled only by the sounds of honking and yelling that accompany rush hour in Los Angeles.

“If he had, I’d break his fucking arms,” I mutter without looking. My hands tighten on the steering wheel and I know she hears the low squeak of the leather in my grip.

“I know.” She blows out a quick laugh through her nose.

“Isla, I gotta know what happened, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kiddo,” Isla grumbles, but then deflates. “He was nice. I swear I didn’t see any red flags while we were at dinner.”

“So you probably wouldn’t have answered an emergency call even if Brodyhadremembered?” I offer.

“I don’t know. But when I got up this morning, I saw stuff in his place that-” Her voice breaks and she clears her throat. “I think he’s married.” I can’t see the tears that are clearly welling in her eyes, but I can hear them in her voice. “At the very least, he’s not fucking single.”

“Fucking dick wagon.” I glance in my rearview mirror. “Want me to turn around and give him a piece of my mind?” How about my fist?

“No, he’s not worth it.”

“Jesus, Isla. Where did you meet the fucker?”

“Online.” She shrugs, still looking out the window. “Brody seems to be doing just fine with the girl he’s dating, so I thought I’d give it a try. I can tell you now, I won’t be trying that again any time soon.”

I snort. One, because online dating sucks for women. I’d have warned her against it. Two, because yeah, it’s going well with Brody and Sophie.And me. But Isla doesn’t need that information about her older brother.

“So glad you find amusement in my pain.”

“I’m not laughing at you, just-” My eyes flick to her and then back to the road. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she’s staring at me with one eyebrow raised. “I’ll let Brody tell you about Sophie.”

“So you’ve met her too?” Isla’s voice rises in pitch and volume and then she groans in frustration. “I swear, I’m gonna kill him.”

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