Page 45 of Good Pucking Luck

Still, I find his annoying name and press it.

“Hey. How did it go with your…friends? I’m not sure what to call them. I’ve been thinking about it all evening. I wanted to message but didn’t want to bother you.”

My pulse does this weird thing where it suddenly picks up really fast. I tell myself it’s like a jump scare and nothing more. Look at me feeling all strange because a hot guy is nice to me, and that is a little frightening and confusing.

“Actually, wait. Don’t answer that. Come over, and we can talk about it here.”

Yes. Okay. Sure. Wanna remind me I’m not bad at sex?“I shouldn’t…”

“I think you should. Plus, Puck misses you.”

“Puck is a cat who probably hates everyone and doesn’t even know me.”

“He wouldn’t be fond of you if he heard you say that. We’ll pretend it didn’t happen. Come over.”

I search for another excuse. “It’s late.”

“You’ll be home by midnight, Cinderella. Especially considering it’s eight fifteen. Is it past your bedtime?”

My pulse is still running a marathon, and my dumb lips pull into a smile. Why does he have this effect on me? “You’re not funny.”

“Then stop smiling.”

My hand flies up and slaps my mouth as though I need to cover my grin because Rylan can see me. How does he know? “I wasn’t smiling.”

“Sure you weren’t, cutie.”

“Are you going to keep calling me that?”

“Unless you tell me to stop.”

I should, but I don’t. “Fine. I’m on my way.”

“I’ll be here.”

“I sure hope so.”

“Are you going to hang up and drive now?” The smirk in his voice is clear through the line.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

No, I actually don’t, but all I say is, “See you soon.”

I end the call, then hurry and drive to Rylan’s, much more excited than I should be.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Rylan

I’ve been thinkingabout Hayes going to see the Jilted Exes all evening. Should I call them that? I’m not sure what else to call them, and it’s the name Hayes uses. But anyway, it’s been killing me not to message and check in on him, see how it’s going because even though I haven’t known Hayes long, it would be impossible not to see that sometimes he gets into his own way. He expects everything to go badly, so it’s almost like he sets himself up for that to happen. Or at least doesn’t try because he already has it in his mind how the situation will go.

I really do think the three of them connecting is a good thing. No one wants to feel alone, especially in a situation like theirs, and Hayes really needs more people in his life. Now he has me—friend me and sex-partner me. I want to keep this friendship going with him when we stop hooking up. Hayes could really use his life being shaken up a bit, and I’m just the guy to do it.

I walk over to where Puck is lying on the chair and pet his head. “You’re lazy, do you know that?” He looks up at me with one eye closed and the other open, telling me I fucked up his nap. “Our friend is coming over. Be nice.”

He does give me a quick rub on the hand with his head before lying down again, just as my doorbell rings and a stupid smile pulls at my lips. Hayes is so fucking fun. I can’t wait to talk to him tonight.

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