Page 28 of Until It Was Real

He probably thinks I followed him in here like a lost puppy after he kicked me. I’m no lost puppy and I have some pride. Not much after the whole fiasco with Adam. But I’m building it up again.

Rhett doesn’t want to be friends. We’re not friends. I will not beg him for attention.

I open the refrigerator and take out a bottle of water for a reason to be here. I twist open the top and sip on the water as I wait for him to taste his coffee.

He brings the cup to his mouth and I hide my face behind the water bottle before my excitement gives me away. He sips and his brow wrinkles. He takes another sip before gagging and spitting the coffee out in the sink.

“What the hell?”

I flutter my eyelashes. “What the hell what? What’s wrong?” I lay the innocence on thick.

“The coffee’s gone bad.”

“Gone bad? Can coffee go bad? I didn’t realize.”

He narrows his eyes on me. “What did you do to the coffee?”

“What? What do you mean?”

He nods to my water. “You never drink water in the morning. You mainline coffee all morning. In the afternoon, you intermix your coffee drinking with water.”

Someone’s been paying attention. Don’t go feeling flattered, Dakota. This man is not interested in me.

“Thanks for paying attention, bossypants.” I wink.

He growls. “What the hell did you do to the coffee?”

“I didn’t do anything to the coffee.”

Lies. All lies.

“It tastes like shit.”

“And you have experience with tasting shit?”

“Stop being cute.”

My stomach flutters. Knock it off. Not interested in me, remember?

Zane and Miles stroll into the room. “What’s going on? Are we having a meeting?” Zane asks.

Miles scowls. “No, thanks.”

“No meeting”, Rhett grumbles. “Someone messed with the coffee.”

“It wasn’t me,” Miles and Zane answer in unison.

Rhett points to me. “A female someone.”

Miles meets my gaze. “I’m loving you more and more.”

Zane shoves him. “I loved her first.”

“Shut up!” Rhett yells. “She fucked with the coffee.”

“High five.” Miles lifts his palm and – what the hell – I high-five him.

“You did mess with the coffee. I fucking knew it.”

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