“I dare say it’ll give them something to talk about.”
I get an elbow in the ribs for that comment.
“Still not helping,” she mutters.
“Hey, I don’t get whatIdid?You’rethe one who said we weredoing that thing.”
She said fucking.Fucking.She could have said screwing, but she didn’t.
“Stop laughing.” She shoves me again, then waves, smiling to Deaton as he passes by. “Go, honey!”
“I love how you switch from potty-mouthed-biker-babe to sweet-innocent-pie-making-mom-with-a-cherry-on-top in the blink of an eye.”
She straightens her spine. “I stand by my decision.”
“I still say you were jealous,” I taunt. “Trust me,Baby Girl, there’s enough of me to go around.”
“Just because youthinkyou saw jealousy, doesn’t mean youdid. I was trying to get her away from you. By the way you were pulling that face, you seemed uncomfortable. I just assumed you’d rather have her greedy paws off you.”
Greedy paws.
God, this woman is one of a kind.
Chapter Twelve
CHELSEA
“Can you say greedy paws just one more time?” Brad says, earning him another whack on the arm. I seem to be doing that a lot lately.
I straighten up, knowing I’m being ridiculous. “You should be thanking me.”
“You know, I kinda like this sass from you,” he chuckles. “It’s very demure.”
“Ugh, please stop speaking.”
He leans closer. “I don’t think it’s me who needs to think about his words. After all, we are apparently fu—” My hand slaps over his mouth before he can repeat himself. Just as I do, Deaton runs past and waves again. We both quickly wave back.
“Let’s just try to forget this ever happened,” I whisper-shout. “I lost my cool for just a second?—”
“Because you were jealous, just admit it, and I’ll stop with the jokes.”
I hold my head higher, unwilling to say the words. He is, in fact, completely correct. Losing my cool with Mindy and blurting out a complete lie about Brad and I is nothing short of insanity, whether I was jealous or not. My brain obviously malfunctionedand my mouth just took over. Not something usual for me in the slightest, but I guess anyone can have a slip.
What is more disturbing is that I really am still rattled about the way she was just pawing over him. Of course, we’re not a thing, nor do I have any claim over Brad just because we’ve known each other so long, and we’ve been besties forever. But it’s becoming more evident with each passing second that it could inevitably be true that yes, I do have feelings for Brad. I’m not quite sure how and when it happened. But the erratic thud of my heart against my chest cavity is telling me it’s true.
I try to muster my answer and my thoughts all at once, but it feels like it’s going to come out in a jumbled mess whatever I do. So I take a little breather and dare a glance up into those oceanic shiners of his. It’s not often he’s grinning his head off, but he certainly looks like the cat that got the cream right now.
I even feel the edges of my mouth moving towards a smile. “Fine, maybe for some strange reason, I saw red. But Mindy has the ability of doing that to anyone.”
“Some strange reason?” His eyebrow quirks and I avert my eyes toward the pitch by way of distraction. “It had to be a pretty good one to tell Mindy, and now her posse, that were fu— well,you know.” He nods over to their gaggle-fest, comprising of a tight circle where Mindy is no doubt giving them all a rundown on my motor mouth.
I would facepalm myself no end if Mindy hadn’t just turned our way, followed by the rest of the group, who are now all staring over at us. Lorelei looks especially unhappy. Yep. That took all of two seconds to spread the word. Kill. Me. Now.
“Fine. I was jealous. Are you happy now?”
He stumbles out a laugh, shaking his head.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
