Page 129 of Finance Bros

“You,” I say to her, “Need to get with Calyx.”

She grimaces. This, I’m beginning to understand, is a tell of hers. She wants to take Piper on. She just needs a push.

“Why don’t I bring him by your place tomorrow night when we’re done at the gym.”

“Fine,” she sighs. “Whatever. Have him send me a list of things I need to get from the store.”

“Seriously?” Mal asks. “You’re gonna do it? Even if it involves makeup?”

She backhands him in the chest.

“I can help, too,” Miguel says. “I know my way around a contouring palette. Drag was a hobby of mine in high school.”

“If you try to make me look like a drag queen?—”

“Chill, mama. I’m just saying, I know how to make you look like AI Barbie.”

Bailey startles. “Oh my God, that just gave me the best idea.”

“Care to share with the class?” Mal asks.

“Not with you, no.”

He huffs and tightens his hold on Stephanie as he rises from the couch. “One of these days I’m gonna surprise you, and you’re gonna be so sorry you underestimated me.”

“Yeah, okay,” she says with a laugh.

I look at her with raised eyebrows, and she frowns. “Is he right?”

I shrug and stand, too.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

I’m tempted to kiss Malcolm right then and there. Make him melt against a wall and show Bailey what he’sreallylike. But our relationship is confusing enough without dragging other people and their opinions into it.

We say goodnight to Miguel before Mal and I walk Bailey home. Her cute apartment complex is only a few blocks away. She loves Miguel being part of our group. “Seriously, boys, I’m getting dream team vibes,” she says.

“Yeah, he’s so dreamy,” Mal says flatly.

“What crawled up your butt by the way?” she asks him. “Do you not like the direction of the project?”

“I love the project,” he says, then adds in a lower mumble, “I just hate the job.”

That’s the first I’m hearing about that, and I look over at him. He’s got his eyes on the pavement with Stephanie under one arm and his other hand shoved in his shorts pocket. It’s a cool night. He and I both have on hoodies over t-shirts. I’m wearing pants, though. He’s got his sexy legs on full display. “The job?” I ask. “Or Isla?”

“Both.”

“You still wanna win, though, right?” Bailey asks.

“Yeah. Sure.”

Jesus—was he always this moody?

Yes. Of course he was. It’s just that I haven’t been allowed to see the way he cycles through his moods for so long, I forgot what it’s like—the turbulence of him. I forgot how much I love it, too. Back when we were close, he turned to me like I was the eye of his storm, and I remember the way it felt to have his heart slow its pace against my chest.

Being his safe place—the one he always turned to—was what I built my identity around. Losing that when he turned to Kaylin—itkilled.

As soon as Bailey enters her apartment, I dig his hand out of his pocket and wrap mine around it.

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