Page 45 of Lyrical

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you told me how easily he accepted Chase. Could he be with Cassie because he knows you don’t like her? Acting all passive-aggressive about it instead of coming right out and saying there’s a problem?”

She shrugged a bit, sucking in her bottom lip. I knew she didn’t like saying anything negative about Daniel. I picked up a wing, and she flinched like she was worried I was going to throw it at her.

I laughed, taking a bite. “It’s okay, Perry. As much as I’d like to think so, I don’t believe Daniel’s perfect, but I’m also not getting that vibe from him. You know how I worried about his reaction to Chase, but I really do think he’s okay with it. And Daniel doesn’t know how I truly feel about Cassie, only that I want him to be careful.”

Perry let out a sigh. “Whew, good. I really didn’t think Daniel was like that either, but what kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t put everything out there? We need to examine this from all angles.”

“Maybe it’s because he had a crush on her in school, but I feel like she can manipulate him too easily. And I just don’t get it, Perry. He’s way too intelligent to not see through it.”

“Yes, but he’s also a guy. You can’t forget that, Jills.”

She whacked Stephen on the arm and beer sloshed out of his glass. “Hey, what the hell was that for?” He grabbed a napkin and sopped up his shirt.

“Because you’re not contributing here. You and Chase have barely said two words. All you’re doing is drinking and eating.”

“What’re we supposed to say? I think you two have it covered.”

Perry rolled her eyes. “It’d be nice to have a man’s opinion. How should we handle this situation?”

“Why do you think it needs to be handled at all? So he likes a girl. Big deal.” Her mouth dropped and she slugged him again, but that time his glass was safely on the table. “Will you fucking stop that?”

“And will you stop thinking like a man for a second?”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted a man’s opinion?”

Our waitress stopped by, delivering a basket of fries. “Extra order. On the house.” She winked and walked away. Stephen grabbed one, stuffing it into his mouth. I didn’t see Amanda, the petite perky-as-shit waitress, but she didn’t always work Mondays. And even when she did, she mostly ignored us now. Chase’s ex-hookup was barely a blip on my radar anymore.

“Men,” Perry said, shaking her head. “You think that just because a woman is pretty, she can’t be evil.”

“I don’t know her. I’m not saying anything.” He sucked down another fry. “And you both need to take a break from this shit and stop worrying about it so much.”

“Chase, you’re the one who knows her the best. What do you have to say?”

I turned to face him. Yeah, I kinda wanted to hear this too. It’d only been two days since the big reveal, but he hadn’t said a whole lot about what he thought.

He glanced at me. “I’m with Stephen here.” Perry groaned. “You’re going to make yourself crazy over something you have no control over. Maybe they’re good together, maybe not, but if you keep trying to push them apart, it could just bring them more together.”

Him and his damned logic. I knew the psychology of wanting something more when you couldn’t have it, but I couldn’t just donothing.

“That’s why we can’t be obvious about it. God, Jills. He thinks we’re amateurs or something.” Chase laughed, and she narrowed her eyes. “And you never commented on her evilness.”

“We’re coworkers, and I don’t know her much beyond that, but I don’t think she’s evil, Perry. If she were, don’t you think I’d have a problem with her being around kids?”

Perry sighed very dramatically. “You know how she acted with Jills.”

“Yes, I know she has a deceptive side, but as far as I can tell, she hasn’t used it again.” He put his hand on mine, stroking his thumb over my skin. I felt instantly warm. “She’s never crossed the line with me, Jillian. Not even close. She knows how much I love you, and she keeps her distance unless it’s school-related. You know that, right?”

I nodded. I had zero concerns when it came to Cassie and Chase. I didn’t look forward to seeing her when I came to school, but she kept her distance from me as well.

But all of that was so not the issue here.

“I know I have nothing to worry about with you. But I don’t want Daniel with her either.”

“Jillian, let him grow up already. If he wants a girlfriend, let him have a girlfriend,” Stephen said, and Perry snatched away his fries.

“That is not what this is about.”

I hoped she was right. Sometimes I wondered myself. I knew I was of the mindset that most girls weren’t good enough to lick the bottom of his shoes, but I really didn’t think that was the reason here. No, that was definitely not the reason.

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