Page 40 of Hold On Me

“Um, dude, that won’t work. Angie isn’t kissing anyone but me and Penny’s related to us. I wanna kiss her about as much as I wanna kiss you. And in case that’s not clear, I don’t wanna kiss you at all.” Jenson grimaces and then shoots a worried look my way. “No offence, Buttercup. You know I love you and think you’re gorgeous, but the idea of kissing you makes me heave a little.”

The room’s spinning, and every time someone mentions kissing, my eyes flit over to Ben’s lips. And with every glance, his smirk gets more smug.

“Ugh. Enough, Jenson. I love you too, but I’m definitely not kissing anyone in this damn room.”

“Hey,” Angie scoffs. “You think I’m hot and you know it.”

I roll my eyes at her, wishing I surrounded myself with less annoying people. “Besides you, Angie. You’re the only kissable one here. Okay?”

Ben raises a disbelieving brow at me.

Smug, arrogant douche. Yes, I want to kiss him again, but like fuck will I let him know that. And definitely not in present company.

“I need a drink. Your manners are slipping, Jameson. And I’m telling Mama.”

Leaving the group behind, I stomp into the kitchen, grab the bottle of opened whiskey left on the counter, and screw the lid back on, mumbling to myself about having to clean up after the Bradys my whole damn life.

“A-hem.”

I roll my eyes and place the bottle back in the cupboard and grab a glass for my OJ, ignoring whichever one of them is behind me.

“I said, a-hem.”

Ah the British twat it is.

Yanking the fridge door open with much more force than necessary, I grab the OJ, pour it into my glass and slam the door. I’m not doing this right now. I don’t have the emotional strength to untangle that landmine, and I’m not doing it here with a dang audience either.

“Penelope, can we talk?”

“Nope.” The P pops as I march past him, only to be stopped by his hand on my elbow.

“Buttercup, please.”

Oh hell no. He doesn’t get to call me that.

“Don’t call me that. I’m not doing this now.” I know I’m being petulant, but I don’t care.

His eyes turn colder, his mouth taut against his teeth. “Fine,” he grits out, and strides back into the living room as I breathe a sigh of relief.

It’ll be okay. I’ll stay for an hour tops, then I’ll head home to plan Jameson’s demise. And figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do about all of these feelings swirling inside me.

“The first one’s a lie. There’s no way you bungee jumped off London bridge. I’m not stupid, Kitten.” Jenson’s booming voice vibrates off the walls as I scoff loudly at him. He narrows his eyes toward me as Angie laughs at the both of us. “Fine, little Miss Grumpasaurus. You go. Two truths and a lie. Not that you’ll be able to get anything past me and Jameson.”

Sighing loudly, I place my glass on the table and focus on my hands resting on my thighs, doing my best to avoid Mr. Scowly face sitting opposite me. Since I turned down his request to talk earlier, he has been in such a mood. Entitled douche. Doesn't get what he wants so he sulks the whole evening.

He’s irritating me. Partly because I can’t get our kiss out of my head, and partly because I want to repeat it over and over again. And I don’t like wanting him. I don’t want to depend on anyone for anything, let alone someone who can go from turning me on to annoying the hell out of me in a few seconds flat.

“Okay, first one is I won ten thousand dollars off the ‘town's saviour.’”

It was supposed to be a joke, but he grimaces and flicks his eyes to mine as the boys snicker on either side of me. I smile at him, but he just stares blankly back. I tried. I’m not going to let him ruin the evening. I’ll just ignore the heated looks, tension, and unsaid words lingering between us and carry on playing whatever stupid games the boys suggest.

“Second, I had a one-night stand with a football player and he rocked my world.”

Jenson groans and Jameson chuckles as Angie reaches over to high five me. But a set of brown eyes are fixed on me, brows drawn together and lips twisted in a grimace below hispenetrating glare. I take a gulp of my OJ as he continues to stare so hard I can feel his annoyance through my skin.

“Last one, I have a massive crush on Owen Lockheart and can’t wait to meet him and his pierced member in person.”

“Hey, that’s my truth, sister.” Jameson laughs as I reach over and high five him.

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