Page 15 of The Perfect Love

This one does nothing for me, other than make me look at Rae because it’s obviousthisis her man.

Rae’s all swoony-eyed as she strolls over to him. “Hi, Ace.”

I don’t think Ace was his name either, but did it start with an A? Aiden? No. Aaron. Or Ace, apparently. I’m sure there’s a story there.

Despite how enamored I am with Trevor, I can’t tear my gaze from Rae… until the two of them start kissing.Reallykissing.

Next to me, Sarah stifles a laugh.

“Are they always—”

“This nauseating?” she cuts in. “Yep.”

“But it’s better than them being whiny, emotional messes.”

I glance over my shoulder at the guy across the table, whose name I still don’t know.

Rae sticks her middle finger up at him as she pulls her face from Aaron’s and turns around.

“Oh, yeah. Chelsea, this is Joel,” Sarah says. “He’s—” Then her cheeks go pink and she sputters for the right words about who he is. Which makes me think there’s something going on there.

Rae steps in to save her. “His family owns the house.”

Joel feigns offense. “That’s all I am to you?”

Rae rolls her eyes. “He’s also like my very annoying brother and was my first best friend. We’re where this little group began. The OGs.” She holds out her fist across the table.

“The OGs.” Joel bumps her fist in return, and I stifle a laugh.

I’m definitely getting the family vibes here, and if I hadn’t been introduced to Sarah already, I’d have assumed Joel was Rae’s brother.

“And they never let us forget it.” Aaron takes Rae’s hand and leads her around the table. He drops into a chair next to Joel, and instead of pulling out a chair for Rae, he drags her down onto his lap. Which makes the hearts in her eyes get bigger.

“Absolutely nauseating,” I whisper to Sarah. Even if the clear love between them makes something burn inside me.

I love romance stories for a reason.

“Chelsea.” That silky voice draws my attention away from everyone else.

And speaking of romance… Trevor pulls out a chair for me, then offers me his hand to help me sit down.

What the freaking what?

My first boyfriend was a sweet and adorably nerdy guy. He lived next door. He was thoughtful, but he never did anything like that. He opened my car door, even pulled out my chair, but the way Trevor waits until I’m sitting and pushes the chair in gently is just different.

Another warning bell goes off in my gut.

It could be an act.

Smooth, charming boys can also be liars.

But Rae wouldn’t be friends with that type of person, would she?

I take a deep breath and try to channel the old me. The one who didn’t inherently not trust people. I can take this as it comes and see what happens.

Then he says my name again, and my brain goes haywire for a second.

“Chelsea, can I get you something to drink? We have beer, wine—”

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