Page 37 of Count On Me

To meet. Can you?

Angie

Ten minutes. The café by yours. You’re paying. And I will be getting dessert.

Me

Deal. See you soon.

Angie

Edie owes me all the things for putting up with this shite.

Me

You love us Bradys, really.

Angie

If you believe that then you’re stupider than I thought. Ten minutes.

As I stare out of the café window, leg bouncing excessively, I let my mind whir with thoughts. Is this the right thing to do? Will Edie be annoyed I’ve reached out to her friend instead of her? Will Angie help me? Shit. I wish I’d thought about this more instead of just texting her randomly.

Angie has never been my biggest fan, and became even less pleased to be around me a while back. I don’t know what I did wrong, probably something to annoy Edie, but she's been distant with me ever since. I’m debating whether I should get up and leave, but the decision is taken out of my hands when a blonde bombshell stalks through the door.

Angie has a confidence like no other and commands a room when she enters. She’s beautiful, no doubt about it, but is nowhere near as stunning as Edie. Her blue eyes narrow as they take me in, and I offer a small smile and a wave in greeting. She looks like she’s either going to rip my head off or annihilate me with her quick wit and intelligence. Either way, I’ll probably be walking out of here with a shitload of pain and questions.

“Why do you look guilty? I swear if you’ve done anything to piss her off, I won’t be held responsible for my actions. And I don’t care if I’m in a crowded place or not.” She glares at me and I gulp. A grin snakes its way onto her lips and she sits opposite me. “Talk, Brady.” My last name is muttered through her teeth with a grimace, and I slump down further in my chair.

“I haven’t done anything to upset her. I promise. Not this time anyway. I just wanted your help with the couple’s costume. I can’t think of a good couple, that's all.”

The waitress comes over and takes our orders. “Strange that I’m ordering tea and you’re ordering coffee, huh?” I try to breakthe ice a little, but Angie just stares at me, slowly blinking, trying to figure me out. A strangled laugh gurgles from my throat. “I mean, because Americans are supposed to be coffee lovers, and British people and tea… Never mind.” Once our orders are placed and the waitress has gone, Angie smirks at me.

“Why are you so nervous around me?”

“Um maybe because you just threatened physical violence on me in public, and I know you hate me so it wouldn't be hard for you to actually do it.” I sink a little lower in my chair and avoid her gaze.

“I don’t hate you.” She sighs. “Actually, when you upset my bestie I do. And while that seems to be happening more frequently at the moment, I think that’s more a her thing than a you one.” My eyes shoot up to her and she grins back.

“So she is acting weird then? You've noticed too?” My voice sounds a little whiny and I clear my throat, much to her amusement.

“I wouldn’t say weird. I’d say she’s finally doing things for her. And it’s a good thing. But you’ve also got an ally in me, Jaxson. You’ve just been too stupid to realise it. And yes, I know I’ve been a bitch recently too, but I’ll stop now.”

She looks out the window and a flicker of pain dashes across her face. In that second I don’t care that she’s been a little mean and distant to me, I reach across the table and grab her hand. She flinches slightly and turns her head back to me, staring with a frown on her face at my hand on top of hers.

“You’re Edie’s bestie, which makes you family to me. Do you need me to hurt someone? I have a crazy surrogate sister and two brothers who can help bury a body. No questions asked. Best thing is, they live in a whole other country too.”

With a small chuckle, she turns her hand around and squeezes mine. “Thank you for the offer. I’d take you up on it, but I think it would cause way too many complications.Especially for you.” She’s talking in riddles, and I have no idea how to figure them out, so I just shrug and sit back in my chair.

“What ideas have you had?”

Her question surprises me and before I can fully engage my brain, my head fills with images of Edie dressed as a sexy bunny and a sexy nurse. Fucking Jordan. I squirm in my seat to try and stop the heady flow of blood rushing to my dick.

“Oh, I see…thosekinds of ideas.” Angie’s eyes twinkle with glee and I clear my throat.

“Not like that. I mean, I didn’t think them, Jordan did. No, he was making suggestions, um, inappropriate ones, and it got me a little… nervous aboutthemseeing Edie like that.” The café seems to have gotten a dozen degrees hotter and I’m squirming in my seat for other reasons when her blue eyes lock onto mine, a smile plastered on her lips.

“You’re nervous about your teammates seeing Edie as a sexual woman?”

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