Page 139 of Never Kiss and Tell

I grimace, standing. “So?”

Her eyes bulge in disbelief. “So? So, why haven’t you done anything about it?”

I cross to the bathroom and grab a towel. She’s lucky I wore boxers to bed last night, rather than nothing, like I did when Bailey was here.

“Because I don’t want to,” I counter, drying myself off.

Andi follows me to the bathroom, not caring when I step into the shower and throw my boxer shorts around the curtain.

“She misses you, too.”

“Of course, she does,” I reply smoothly, though a pang of electricity shoots up my chest. Has she heard from her? “I wouldmiss me, too.”

Andi shakes her head and groans. “I know you’re in love with her. Why are you so damned stubborn?” she asks as I turn the shower on. I lather my hair with shampoo, hoping that if I clench my eyes hard enough, I’ll open them and she’ll be gone.

“Must run in the family,” I counter, rinsing.

“Look,” Andi starts, her tone softening. “I know you don’t think you deserve someone like her. I know her mom said some stupid shit, but she doesn’t know you, Charlie. Do you think Tom’s mom likes me?”

I don’t answer. Tom had never said anything about a quarrel between his mom and my sister. It irks me that someone would be treating her like she’s second rate.

“She’s stuck with me and if Bailey loves you like I know she does, then her mom will have to suck it up, too.”

I rinse the soap off my body and let the hot water work out the kinks in my back. Funny — I didn’t have any issues with aches and pains when I was fucking Bailey eight ways to Sunday, but now that she’s gone and I haven’t slept with anyone, my back kills.

“Throw me a towel.”

She obliges, hitting me in the face with it.

“Just think about it, okay? I think you’d be making a big mistake by giving up this easily.”

I brace a hand on the shower, prepared to give her the same spiel I’ve given anyone else who brought up Bailey, but I don’t. There’s no point in lying to her. Andi knows. She always seems to know.

“I don’t know what witchcraft shit you’re in to, but you needto stop with the magically knowing exactly what I’m feeling.”

She chuckles. “I’m just very observant. I knew before it even happened. It was all over your face.” I wrap the towel securely around my waist and slide the shower curtain open. Andi takes a deep breath, her eyes gleaming at the corners. “I haven’t seen you look at anyone like that, Charlie.”

I grimace. God, women and their fucking feelings. “Like what?”

“Like Dad used to look at Mom.”

I run my tongue over my teeth and lean back against the wall.

“Can we talk about this another day? When you aren’t standing in my bathroom and I’m not in a towel?”

She rolls her eyes, punching me in the arm.

“Fine. I have things to do, anyway. No one tells you how far behind you fall after a week honeymoon.”

“Do I even want to ask how it was?”

She raises her eyebrows, wagging them at me. “Probably not, though I will say, Puerto Rico is very, very hot.”

“The offer still stands. Just because you’re married, doesn’t mean I won’t kill him.”

Dad tells me he has someone who wants to rent the other house out for a week when I get to work a couple hours later and he wants me to clean it up and make sure it’s ready.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I groan under my breath when I walk in after my shift. It fucking smells like her. Evenafter eight days. My mouth waters at the familiar perfume and I take a tentative step inside.

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