Page 115 of I Shouldn't Feel This Way

“Slept well?”

Yes, I slept pretty darn good,I thought with a subtle smirk. “Yeah, what about you?”

“I don’t know how I’ll be able to sleep at three-star motels when I’ve experienced five-star accommodations here.”

I chuckled dryly and sat on a stool by the island. Noah was right, Vienna was definitely more down to earth than Vanessa. Manicures, pedicures, fake tans, and Botox weren’t her thing at all. I swallowed a spoonful of cereal and felt my heart palpitate as soon ashewalked in.Mmmm… the smell of his cologne and body wash seemed to follow him everywhere he went. It always left me feeling intoxicated, with this stupid smile on my face, because that was all part of the Noah Hunter effect: you’d forget all rational thought and find yourself hypnotized by his alluring presence.

“Good morning, ladies.”

“Hey, Noah.” Vienna poked her head out from the fridge and handed him a jug of orange juice. “Hold that for me, will you?”

He flashed a dimpled smile at me, and I almost fainted. He just wasn’t human. How could he be? Noah was too perfect to be categorized under the unfortunately flawed human race. Every woman swooned over him. I was certain he’d been a certified Casanova before he settled down with Botox Barbie. In some ways, I was curious to know exactly how many women he had slept with. But at the same time, I was afraid the truth would make me jealous. Some things were better left unknown.

“Are you raiding my fridge?” He laughed lightly.

“I’m looking for the mango juice.” Vienna continued to rummage through the refrigerator, while I stared at Noah.

My stepmom appeared out of nowhere and slid her arms around his waist. “Sorry, Vi. I drank the last carton yesterday.”

“Thanks, Nessa,” Vienna muttered with sarcasm. “So much for making the perfect breakfast.” She grabbed the jug of Tropicana away from Noah and placed it back in the fridge before shutting it with a sigh.

I watched my stepmom like a hawk as she hugged Noah’s body and nipped his earlobe. She was whispering things to him, and I couldn’t quite make them out because of that damn ruckus Vienna was making with the pots and pans. But my blood was immediately boiling when I heard her say “That shower was fantastic—wish we could start every morning like that.” She was practically sucking on his neck and sneaking a feel of his derriere, which was an incredibly amazing ass, to be fair.

I gripped my spoon so hard that my fingers started to go numb. What the hell did they do in the shower? Noah had promised he wouldn’t sleep with her. Okay, technically he said he wouldn’tlast night,but still! Maybe he misinterpreted what I meant. I felt so crushed.

“Whoa, easy now.” He unraveled himself from her deadly spider web.

Yes, that’s what Vanessa was like: a disgusting, dangerous, black widow spider that needed to be squashed! Her obnoxious giggling wouldn’t cease as she wrapped those skinny spider legs around his waist once more and pulled him into a deadly widow’s kiss. I tried not to watch and stared down at my soggy cereal.

Well, that was a waste.My cheeks felt hot and I wanted to cry, but somehow I managed to barricade the door that Noah had passed through last night, stood up, and carried my bowl to the sink. I didn’t even glance at the blissfully married couple.

“Good morning, birthday girl!” said my stepmom, sounding overly enthusiastic.

“Morning.” I sounded flat and purposely cold. I didn’t look at either of them. In fact, I remained aloof and indifferent while I washed my bowl and set it in the dish rack. Strangely enough, I could feel Noah’s eyes on me.

“Are you feeling better today?” she asked.

I splashed on the fakest smile and soaked my voice in sarcasm. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Knowing Vanessa, she was too clueless to even catch on to my condescending undertone.

“Glad to hear, hun!”

Totally called it. I met Noah’s ice blue eyes for a second, and then quickly looked away. I was too afraid to even try to decipher the expression on his face. We were always good at silently communicating with one another, but I didn’t want to let him into my head. Not after discovering his little shower sexcapade with my stepmom.

“You hardly touched your breakfast,” said Vienna, standing next to me.

I casually shrugged and replied, “Lost my appetite.” I was about to walk out of the kitchen whenVanessa stopped me.

“Is Ryan still coming over tonight?”

She already knew the answer, since it had basically been confirmed the night before.

“Yeah, why?”

“Well, I wanted to let you all know that I have invited a few more friends to dinner. You don’t mind, do you? I can always cancel if you’re not comfortable with it. I just thought having a little more company over for your birthday would be fun!”

Oh, how thoughtful of her. Not.

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