Page 80 of We Can't Be Friends

“Hey, sis,” he greets her, slightly annoyed. I instantly tense, not enjoying his tone.

“Miller.” She purposely looks me in the eyes and hugs him when they make it to the kitchen. “This is Callum.” Chloe enunciated each syllable of my name and waves her hand in my direction. “My roommate.”

“Hey, man.”

“Mate.”

“Thanks for letting my sis crash here. I would have let her stay with us, but we’ve got no space.”

“You’ve got enough going on. It’s no biggie, right, Cal?” Chloe holds my gaze, taunting me while reassuring her brother. “Youwantme. . . here.”

If she wants to use my words, I’ll use hers. “Yeah, no biggie.”

“Are you ready?” Miller asks her. Everyone spots her current ensemble. “Go change.”

“It’s like a dress.” She hikes her shoulders.

“It’s not.”

Chloe turns her attention to me. “We are going to breakfast. Do you want to come?”

Her offer catches me by surprise. The lack of sass catches me off guard even more.

“I have plans.”

Chloe frowns, and I wonder if I should tell her it’s not what she thinks. Not entirely. Idohave a date, a weekend work date with Ben. And I’m not interested in him.

I think I’ll let her sweat this one—a taste of her own jealous medicine.

“Okay.”

“I’ll be ten minutes,” Chloe tells Miller, spinning on her heels.

“Seriously, Chlo? Still with the shirts.”

She stops on the last stair. Looking over her shoulder, she levels a face at her brother. “I like them; get over it.”

“You’re twenty-eight. Thought you might have grown up by now.”

“You’re twenty-eight, too. Thought you’d know how to wrap it up, but look at us. Both thought wrong.” She gives him the middle finger and walks up the stairs. There’s the cheeky girl I’ve come to know.

Miller replaces Chloe in the seat across from me.

“Positive you don’t want to come with us?”

“No.” Even though I’d love to witness the lip Chloe will give him.

“Thanks for letting her live here even if you might regret it,” he tells me.

“Don’t plan on regretting it.”

“You will. She can be pretty reckless.” Reckless? That’s not a word I’d use with her. “Sharp edges. Prickly. Becarefulwith her.”

I can’t tell if he’s being a protective brother or a prick. I’d never speak of Audrey in this manner. Then again, Chloe’s barely ever mentioned him.

Chloe returns.

“Is this better?” she asks her brother pointedly.