Page 60 of Between Hate and Desire

I laugh at their banter, knowing it’s all harmless fun.

The six of us sit and hang for a while before a song comes on that has Maddie out of her seat, begging for one of us to dance with her.

“Hulk…” She drags his name out to taunt him. She knows damn well Liam ignores her every chance he can. “Come with me?”

He grabs the neck of his beer, then brings it to his mouth, shaking his head at her request. He rarely talks to her, yet she tries to get his attention regardless. It’s this weird game of how many times can she hit on him before he finally gives in to his attraction. Though he pretends to be annoyed by her, lust lingers in his gaze.

“I’ll go with ya,” Mason finally breaks the tension and offers. “No backing that ass up on me, though.”

“Why you gotta be a mood killer?” I hear her asking him as they walk off.

Liam releases a breath, and the three of us notice.

“What?” he asks as if he’s confused by our reactions.

“When’re you gonna stop pussyfooting around and admit you like her?” Hunter’s words come out rugged as if they’ve had this conversation before, which takes me by surprise. I thought Sophie and I were the only ones who knew.

“She’s way too much for a guy like Liam.” Sophie smirks, holding back a laugh.

Liam drops his eyes to her and shoots daggers. “When’re you gonna stop looking at Mason like you’re a lost puppy and ask him out?”

I nearly spit out my Jack and Coke I sipped.

Sophie’s jaw drops, glaring. She smacks him on the chest, which has Hunter and me laughing.

“I donotlook at him like that, you bastard.” Sophie narrows her eyes at Liam, scowling. “He doesn’t even acknowledge my existence.”

“Yeah, and it drives you insane,” he retorts, chuckling, and I feel like I’m missing an inside joke between them.

“Someone wanna catch me up?” I ask, then finish the rest of my drink.

“They’ve been going on double non-dates,” Hunter fills me in.

“What?” I gasp. “How come no one told me?”

Sophie tilts her head, and her silence is all I need to know. I haven’t been the best company.

“We ran into them a few times,” she explains. “Then hung out and whatever. Nothing really.”

Liam snorts. “It was mostly Sophie trying to talk to Mason, who then talked to everyoneexcepther.”

“No, you mean it was mostly you trying to ignore Maddie anytime a guy hit on her. You’re such an ass.” She pushes his shoulder when he tries to sit closer. “Go away.”

“Soph, you don’t mean that,” he taunts, sticking out his lower lip.

When the hell did they grow so damn close?

Not that I’m remotely mad about it, but I’m sad she felt like she couldn’t tell me.

“So…” Hunter lingers, pointing his almost empty beer at the two of them across from us. “Sophie wants to bang Mason, except he put her in the friend-zone, and Liam wants to deflower Maddie, but he’s afraid he’s not man enough for the job.”

I burst out laughing when Hunter grins smugly at his own summary.

“Alright, I’m caught up now,” I say, laughing in amusement.

“Both of you suck. No,allof you do.” Sophie frowns, taking her drink and chugging it.

“For the record,” Liam begins, looking at me, “I don’t think that. I’m plenty confident.”

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