“That’s none of your business,” I huffed primly, my spine stiffening.
Phoenix grinned, “That’s a no.”
“You know nothing aboutmysex life.”
He lowered his head moodily, so his nose was inches from mine. “That’s because you don’t have one. And I know that because I put the fear of God into anyone who so much as fuckinglooksat you.” His voice doubled in volume towards the end of his sentence.
I physically recoiled from him. “What?”
His smarmy look had my nails cutting into my palms. “Both Hudson and I did,” he explained, looking so sickeningly proud of himself.
And the penny dropped. The bastards!
Single-handedly, Phoenix had the subtlety of a wrecking ball when he wanted to get a message across, but with Hudson involved, that would carve the warning into any male anywherenearmy age. I had been cock-blocked!
I tugged my head away and started pacing as the shock of what he’d admitted resonated with my brain. “Sothat’swhy none of the guys at school talk to me. That I’m treated like I’m diseased. And to think I thought it was me. You’re an underhanded son of a bitch! YouandHudson. Talk about double standards.” Shit, I was mad.
The look of disgust I gave him worked as he raised his hands in surrender. “High school boys are only after one thing, Harper. We did it to protect you.”
Phoenix Carter,ladies, and gentlemen: the biggest hypocrite on the planet.
Stopping before him, I poked Phoenix in the chest. “Bullshit.” I ignored his stricken look. “You’re so full of crap. I can’t believe we were ever friends, and as for anything else between us, you can keep your dick in your pants. Consider our truce over. I hate you!”
I spun away and started to leave the room. If he tried to stop me, I’d slap him.
“You’re being a diva,” he called.
“And you’re being a prick!” I shouted back, shouldering the door wider.
“Harper, would you just stop?” His bark was cut short abruptly as he stumbled into something and cursed. This was then followed by, “OK, be a bitch then!” I heard Phoenix yell from the den. Unfortunately, so did Ma, who had just come out of the dining room.
“Do we have a problem here?” she asked, her eyebrows raised as she looked from me towards the den.
Shaking my head, I grunted. “No, it’s fine.”
“That doesn’t sound fine, Harper. I thought you two had worked things out?” Her eyes were worried, and I hated that I caused her to look like that daily. Loud music started up from the den as Nix turned the stereo on in there. Fine, get wasted and see how Ma reacts tothatat dinner.
I shook off the thought and answered the woman who had been a good mother to me. “It’s just school stuff, nothing major. Phoenix was going to help me study, and he forgot,” I lied.
“Well, he is dealing with some stuff right now, so go easy on him. OK? If you need help, maybe I could take a look.”
“I know, Ma, and thanks anyway. But this is something I need to figure out for myself.” I wasn’t speaking about the test, of course.
Ma’s eyes searched my face, but she didn’t push it. “OK, sweetie. Dinner is at eight.”
“Do you mind if I take a plate to my room? I really need to get ready for these tests?”
After a moment's pause, she replied. “Of course. I’ll bring you one right up.”
“Thanks, Ma. And thanks for everything else you do. I know I don’t say it often, but I do appreciate it.”
My mother’s kind eyes creased as she smiled warmly, soaking up my words. “I know you do, love.”
And I sculked away with my tail between my legs and awhat the fuck just happenedexpression on my face.
I was annoyed with myself as I hadn’t managed to ask Phoenix any of the questions I had lined up. He was so darned skilled at keeping the focus on me all the time that I’d forgotten about the file about his background.
And then it hit me. Phoenix clearly had no intention of involving me in that part of his life.
