Page 58 of Wild Side
I unfriend her.
I’m not sure we were ever friends anyway. I think that maybe we were when we were little, but then it became something else. I’m not even sure what, but it didn’t feel good at the time, and it doesn’t feel good now. In fact, it feels really damn bad.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ZADIE
Rolling over to the side,I reach out and slide my hand across the cold sheets. I’m not surprised. It seems as if Chase can’t sleep in. Maybe it’s just who he is. I love to sleep, and being pregnant, I feel like I could sleep all day, every day.
I’m not sure what time it is, but when I hear someone talking in the background, I know it has to be late in the morning. I know I haven’t been here long, but what I do know is that these men do not wake up early.
Pushing up to sitting, I let out a heavy sigh as I throw my legs over the side of the bed. I stand up and reach for the shirt on the floor, then pull it on over my head, tugging it down over my ass as I shuffle through the room, sliding my feet into a pair of slippers, then slip down the hallway to the bathroom.
Once I’ve taken care of business, I leave the bathroom and slip past the bedrooms and toward the kitchen. My stomach clenches at the thought of food. I almost feel nauseous, but I know I’m just hungry—starving.
The kitchen is full of three women and two men. They all swing their gazes around to look at me. I recognize two of the girls, Ice and Daisy. Then I recognize one of the men, Goose. His eyes find mine before he jerks his chin in my direction.
“Mornin’,” he murmurs.
I’m not sure what the meeting is about in the kitchen, but I try to ignore it. Moving toward the refrigerator, I reach for the handle and gently tug it open. I try to concentrate on the contents, but I’m not sure I can with everyone in here.
I stand staring at the fridge, but I don’t see anything. Then I hear a voice behind me. It’s Goose. I only know it’s him without looking because he sounds almost identical to Chase, except for one thing—he’s a little raspier.
Straightening, I look over my shoulder, and I smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you,” I murmur.
And I didn’t, because I was completely lost inside my own head. I’m too engrossed in trying not to be noticed or hear anything, so I actually didn’t hear a single thing. Goose doesn’t smile. His eyes search mine for a long moment before his lips twitch into a smirk.
“Mornin’, Zadie,” he says.
“Morning,” I quip.
He shakes his head once, then chuckles softly, almost as if he’s laughing to himself. “You doin’ okay?”
A few days ago, the way he always looked at me with pure disdain, I would assume he was asking me to be a dick. But something shifted between us when he stood up for me against my father. There is something different about him, the way he looks at me. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t hate me anymore.
At least that’s what I hope.
“Yeah,” I exhale.
He jerks his chin, his eyes still focused on mine, unwavering. He chews on the corner of his bottom lip, then clears his throatagain before he takes a step backward. “Maverick’s out for the day. I’ll be hanging around here if you need anything.”
I’m not sure why he’s telling me that Chase is gone and why he wouldn’t tell me himself. Something about the announcement sends alarm bells off in my head, but I can’t imagine Chase’s own twin would do anything to harm him, so I shake the thoughts off.
“Thanks,” I rasp, unsure of what else to say.
A few moments later, the room empties, and I’m left alone in the kitchen. I’m glad for it. I gather some ingredients for scrambled eggs. Nothing fancy, just eggs, salt, and pepper. I can tell just by looking at them that they won’t be as amazing as the ones Chase made me the other day.
I think about the muffins and the cupcakes, then let out a grunt because I’ve eaten them all. I can’t believe I’ve eaten as much as I have, but they are not only amazing, they satisfy me like nothing else can.
Well, in regard to food.
It’s almost like this baby is only fueled by carbs. That’s going to become dangerous, because I have a feeling consuming two to three buttercream cupcakes a day is going to cause some major weight gain. I’m trying really hard to care, but the need for the sweet treat outweighs the size of my clothes.
After eating my eggs and cleaning up the pan, then making a bowl of fruit and eating that, too, I know I need something more… something like a pastry. I head back into Chase’s bedroom, gather my things, and get dressed for the day with only one thing on my mind… carbs.
Must get carbs… stat.
And no ordinary carbs will do. Sure, I have bread here, and I could make toast, but I already know it’s not going to be enough. I need dense, beautiful, tasty muffins or cupcakes from the bakery.
