Page 112 of Time Stops With You

“Cullen took her,” Jenna says, walking up to us.

I frown at her butting into the conversation. Who exactly was speaking to her?

“Hey, Jenna.” Asad melts when she gets closer.

Jenna ignores him, her shrewd eyes on me. The smile on her face looks as fake as the jewelry I buy from the door-to-door salesman when he comes around asking for support.

“Oh no.” Jenna pouts and blinks her eyelashes. “Does it hurt a lot?”

Translation: I hope it hurts like a stubbed toe.

“It’s fine. Did you get home okay yesterday? Things were so chaotic that I only remember bits and pieces. I think Cullen might have said something to you?”

Translation: I distinctly remember Cullen telling you in no uncertain terms to ‘go home’ and I’m happily rubbing your face in it.

“Yeah, I did get home okay.” Her smile turns brittle. “I guess Cullen didn’t update you? He and I were texting until pretty late last night.”

Annoyance burns in my chest, but I toss my chin higher and reply, “He tooksuchgood care of me last night. That was probably the only time he could talk to you.”

Translation: Step off, you she-witch.

Jenna glowers at me.

I smirk and toss my damp hair over my shoulder.Mike drop.

Asad laughs. “Yeah, that sounds like Cullen. He doesn’t care what time it is. The guy will wake you out of bed if he has an idea. He’s done it to me many times.”

Jenna blushes and suddenly finds something interesting to look at on the ground.

“And,” Asad turns to me, “let me guess. It was his fault that you got hurt yesterday?”

My eyes shoot to the sky.

“Cullen might be many things, but the guy’s a stickler for taking responsibility. He must have been the first born in his family. It’s giving ‘older brother’ vibes.”

I huff out a breath. “Yeah, that’s Cullen. Mr. Responsibility. If you’ll excuse me…” I turn to my apartment entrance.

Jenna stalks in the direction of the company.

Asad tips me a grin. “See you around, Nardi!”

I wave a hand in response and head up the stairs.

Asad’s interpretation of Cullen’s behavior hit a nerve and Jenna revealing that Cullen was talking to her late last night also bothers me. After all she said to me yesterday, he’s still working with her.

Which is totally his right.

But then… if he really was trying to protect me from Jenna, would he act like everything’s back to normal,knowingshe disrespected me?

What Cullen said about the situation and what hediddoesn’t match up. Jenna was rude to me and he kept quiet and even stepped in front of her.

Even if there’s tension between Cullen and I, it’s more of the unexpected and physical variety. I get the feeling that Jenna is his typical type. She’s a programmer, so they can actually understand each other. She’s got that girl-next-door vibe going with her blonde hair and blue eyes. Plus Cullen probably sees her as the opposite of ‘aggressive’—gentle, sweet, and pliable.

And maybe she is.

MaybeJennadidn’t clean houses all day, every day as a teenager. Maybe she never put groceries back after balking at the total when she made it to the cashier. Maybe she’s never walked home in the dead of night because she had to work until ten pm when the buses stopped running.

I’m sure I’d be a lot more pleasant and bubbly and starry-eyed if I hadn’t lived the life I did. But we can’t all beJenna.

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