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Astack of video gamecases crashes to the floor when I bump into the dresser. I cringe and glance over my shoulder. Despite my utter lack of stealth, the guy named Guy remains unconscious in his bed. Exactly how I want him to stay until I successfully sneak out of his apartment. I finish slipping on my shoes and back out of his room, pulling the door shut like I’m defusing a bomb. It latches without a sound.

Claiming victory, I turn to escape down the hall, only to slam straight into a hard body. A gasp slips out of me, a grunt from him. I would topple backward if not for him grabbing my arms to keep me upright. I tilt my chin up, and startled gray eyes meet mine.

Whoever he is brings a finger to his lips. “Shh.”

He checks through the open doorway behind him. A naked girl rolls across the bed in her sleep, the sheets tangled around her legs, and he lets go to ease the door closed with the same caution I used. A kindred spirit also making a break for it. When he turns back to me, a flash of amusement crosses his face before he drags me behind him to the living room.

Apparently, we’re in this together now.

“I’m missing my belt,” he says, scanning the floor.

While he searches around, I pick up my bag off an end table. In the process, I knock over a frame.Smooth, Bennett.

I set it back up and take in the photo of Guy and his sister—the naked roller. They’re posing in front of a tacky backdrop covered in trees, their smiles almost as disturbing as their color-coordinated outfits. We took similar photos at a department store I worked at in high school. But never of twenty-something twins who’d won a hundred thousand dollars off a lottery ticket and quit their jobs, thinking they were set for life. More like a few months since they live together in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom. As always, my drunken ability to choose a quality man amazes me.

He’s tearing apart the couch when I start inching toward the entryway.

“Is it worth it?”

Cushion in hand, he looks up and notes me slinking away. “You’re right. She can keep it as a souvenir.”

But on our way past the kitchen, I spot the belt by the refrigerator. I detour for it, pulling off my heels to avoid them clicking across the linoleum. He waits by the open door when I return.

I slap the leather against his palm. “She’ll have to remember your time together some other way.”

“You’re a fucking angel,” he says, following me out of the apartment.

I stop in the hallway to put my shoes back on, not sure anyone’s ever referred to me as such before. When my foot lifts, he extends a hand, so I can steady myself. “And you’re a fucking gentleman.”

His lips twitch, fighting off a smile. “The people on the other side of the door might not share these opinions of us.”

“Trust me, I’m doing him a favor by skipping out on him.” I teeter, switching legs, and he steps closer, not trusting my balance. It’s automatic, and it makes me think he really is a gentleman deep down.

With both my feet back on the ground, he tugs me in the direction of the elevators before letting go. The harsh overhead lighting intensifies the pounding in my skull. I made it through my entire college career without a debilitating hangover, so it makes nothing but sense that I wake up the day after graduation with one. I squint and drag my hands down my face. My escape partner flips a light switch on the wall, darkening the corridor.

He’s a hero as well.

A little old lady with blue hair walks her dog off the elevator before he and I lean against opposite walls. He tips his head back and closes his eyes, slapping at the buttons. A few light up but not the right one.

“Want to try that again?” I ask.

An eye opens, and he pokes the lobby button with one finger. His other eye slits. “You owe me a condom, by the way.”

“Excuse me?”

One side of his mouth turns up. “Your dude came in, asking his sister for a condom. I provided.”

“Such a waste,” I mumble.

He raises his eyebrows and fully opens both eyes as we stop on the fourth floor. “Go on.”

I shake my head. “I’m not telling a complete stranger about the sex I had less than five hours ago.”

He pushes the third-floor button as the doors close. “You know who I went home with last night, where I woke up this morning, and that I’m a fucking gentleman. I know you practice safe sex, rock the shit out of a pair of heels, and believe you’re more trouble than you’re worth.” He presses the next floor’s button when we stop on three. “We’re practically best friends.”

I purse my lips as I think it over. It really doesn’t matter, since after this, we will never see each other again. “Fine,” I say, making him perk up even more. “Did you know a snake’s saliva contains digestive enzymes powerful enough to break down bone?”

He makes a face. “I do now.”

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