Page 74 of The One I Hate
“You tell yourself what you need to,” Amelia says. “I just know he’s been different since you came into town. And I don’tbelieve that’s a coincidence. I’ve known the man for nearly thirty years, and he’s never been like this before.”
“Like what?” I ask, curiosity getting the best of me.
Apparently that was the wrong question to ask.
“Enamored.”
“Charmed.”
“Slightly obsessed.”
“And he calls you Bug!” Betsy exclaims with hearts in her eyes. “I heard the guys say he calls you Bug, and I think that’s freaking adorable.”
“Yes, he does. But it’s not adorable.”
“It kind of is,” Betsy says. “I know you hate him, or something, but it’s…I just never pegged Simon as a nickname guy. That’s very big Book Boyfriend Energy right there.”
I laugh, because he’s the farthest thing from a book boyfriend. Or any kind of boyfriend.
Though if he put half the energy he does into annoying me into being a boyfriend, he’d be a pretty damn good one. Attentive. Gorgeous. Never boring. And the sex? My cheeks flush just thinking about that one night…
“Uh-oh!” Izzy yells, pointing at me. “I think she just realized it.”
“What?” I ask. “What did I just realize?”
“That Simon isn’t as bad as you think.”
“That’s—” I stop mid sentence, because fuck…she’s right.
Dammit to hell, Simon Banks…you’ve done it again.
The girls left about an hour ago—we got very little done—but I still had some juice in me. Which means I need all of the ‘00s hip-hop to get me through this one wall.
By the power of T-Pain let me finish this tonight!
My hips start swaying as I roll the white paint up and down. With every brush and elimination of the yellow, my soul becomes a little more filled.
The company tonight has a lot to do with that. Those women are amazing. We laughed. We ate. We drank. Well, they did. The thought of a hard seltzer made my stomach flip. Yes, they might have brought up uncomfortable feelings I’m not ready to talk about yet when it comes to Simon, but they did it out of a good place. They want him to be happy. And even though we just met, I think they want the same for me. Spending time with those women made me feel a little more at ease about moving here.
Besides Mellie, I’ve never had a lot of girlfriends. A few in high school and college. But never a tribe like that. And it didn’t feel overwhelming or like I didn’t fit in. I felt like I was supposed to be with them. And even more so, that this is where I’m supposed to be.
“You were always so cute when you danced like no one was watching.”
The sound of Simon’s voice scares me so much I not only jump out of my skin, I throw the wet paint roller, which somehow hits my face and chest before falling to the floor.
“Shit! Simon! What the fuck?”
He snickers as I do my best to wipe away any paint on my face. “I heard music and peeked in to see some familiar dance moves. Though I thought you only danced in your kitchen.”
His fingers come up to my face, and for some reason, I slap it away. “What are you doing?”
“You missed a spot.”
I stare at him as his fingers come across my cheek, wiping away the paint. His touch is comforting. The way he’s looking at me is heated. And my mind? It’s confused and rattled.
At any point he could lean in and his lips would be on mine, and I don’t think I’d push him away.
I should. But I won’t.
