Page 153 of The Casualty of Us
“I don’t think so!”
Just before digging her fingers into my side in warning, but I continue to ignore the reprimands, just smirking across the table. “See, it doesn’t count.”
“You two are weird.” Kyler’s gaze moves between me and O curiously, setting me on edge again. “I’d assume you were dating if it weren’t for the fact everyone’s told me about what happened with that Josey girl last year.” His eyes finally settle on me, flashing with their own brand of victory. “Shitty move, but thanks for that.”
O sucks in a sharp breath next to me, the sound reminding me of someone that’s been hit, as if she’s in physical pain, and I decide that’s it. I’m done.
I don’t care who the motherfucker’s father is, I’ll hire a whole damn army of lawyers.
“Oliver.” Marley’s curious voice cuts through the tension, making me dart my eyes her way and seeing the tiny wrinkle between her brows. “What’s that?”
“What?” He throws a confused look her way while setting his burger down. “What’s what?”
She points at a spot right between her own collarbone and neck before nodding back at him. “That.”
O turns to her brother, and I glance his way to see what the big deal is right before she screeches, “Oliver Fitzroy!”
“Oh shit.” I laugh with my next breath, watching him try to fight her off as she pulls at his shirt to get a better look.
“Is that a hickey?!”
“O! Let me go!”
“Who are you messing around with?!”
The twins devolve into what pretty much amounts to battling five-year-olds as my gaze goes back to Kyler, finding him staring at them and unequivocally labeling himself as a threat in my head. Because he even looks at Ollie like he’s nothing more than an obstacle when he doesn’t think anyone’s looking. Growing up with my mom might not have taught me much…but it did teach me this. How to tell if someone’s dangerous pretty fucking fast, and I think O is underestimating that here.
Because that’s her one blind spot, really—herself.
I jerk my gaze away from him, needing to look at something else, and I find Marley still staring at Ollie with that bewilderment on her face.
Huh. Look at that.
“Marley.” It takes a couple of seconds, but her confused gaze finally moves to mine, and I try to keep the offer casual. “You can come over before the Halloween party and head out with us if you want.”
“Yeah.” She nods absently, sipping at her smoothie and looking back at where O is whispering angrily to Ollie that they will discuss his choice of playmates later. “Yeah, I might do that.”
O turns back to the table and snaps, “I’m going to go find Holden since he never showed up.”
That’s my cue then. “I’ll help you find him.”
Not really sure what I wanted out of this besides to solidify my dislike of the guy…and make that apparent to him.
“Have fun with that,” Ollie snorts. “Try to keep her from taking a book to anyone’s face, yeah?”
“Oliver!”
His name comes out like a battle cry this time, and I move my hand from her thigh to her elbow with a laugh, pulling herup and ready to get out of here. Even if it means having to trek around the library looking for her other intellectual half. At least there won’t be any psychopaths there to sniff her out like freaking bears to honey, because she obviously seems to be like the holy grail to them.
Hopefully. You never know about libraries, though.
“Ophelia.” I stop at the sound of Kyler’s voice, hand tensing around her arm as she goes still. “I’ll see you at the Halloween party, okay?”
Motherfucker.
“Sure, yeah,” she tosses back, turning quickly and leaving me with the choice to follow or not as her arm pulls free.
Which isn’t really a choice at all.
