"Uh-huh." She gives methatsmile—the one that says I'm full of shit and she isn't buying it. "Lilah Jean Grant, you like him."
"Do not." My cheeks burn. Why did I have to call him a hot Satan in a suit? She's never going to let this go now. "Idon'tlike him." I hesitate before the truth comes tumbling out. "But maybe he kissed me."
Lucy squeals so loud my ears ring. I glare at her, which only makes her laugh. Ugh. Why did I tell her that? She's probably already planning our wedding. There will be lace and silk and so many flowers. I'll probably have to wear Spanx and a push-up bra.
None of this sounds like a good time to me.
"It's too early for this," I groan, hiding my face behind my coffee.
"I've never seen you squirm over a man before, not even—"
"Don't you dare," I growl, eyes narrowed at her. "We arenottalking about my stupid drama with Kyle."
"It wasn't stupid," she says.
"It was. He was a liar, Luce."
"It's not like you knew that," she reminds me.
She isn't wrong. Kyle and I met during my sophomore year of college. He was so sweet to me. I liked him—really liked him. I even thought he felt the same. We did everything together for two entire months. He never asked me to be his girlfriend or anything, but I actually thought it was going somewhere.
And then, out of nowhere, he just disappeared.
I found out through the grapevine that he'd gotten back together with his ex. I was furious when I confronted him, and he told me that he'd basically been using me to make her jealous. He was only sweet to me because he wanted her to see us together.
I wasn't heartbroken. We hadn't gotten to that point, but I was livid. I decided to stick to men in books after that. At least they usually regret being assholes instead of making you feel like an idiot for trusting them. And clearly, my judgment couldn't be trusted.
I'm not sure it can now, either.
"We don't have to talk about him," she says, "But he never made you squirm like talking about Lincoln does."
"I'mnotsquirming."
"You are." She grins at me. "Is he a good kisser?"
"Maybe."
"Did you kiss him back?"
I scowl at her, earning another delighted laugh.
"You totally did!"
I give up hiding behind my coffee and straight up hide behind my hands. "I didn't mean to do it!" I groan. "He was kissing me and I just…reacted. And then he called me beautiful, and I pushed him away."
"Wait, what? Why?"
"Because I don't trust him," I mutter, being honest. "He probably only kissed me because he thinks sleeping with me will soften me up."
"Or maybe he kissed you because he likes you," she suggests. "Not all men are assholes who want to use you, Lilah."
"I know, but I still don't think he likes me."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Maybe because I called his company a soulless, money-grubbing company?" I bite my lip. "I may have also strongly implied that he's a misogynist who doesn't like women having rights or the ability to read, and then offered to pay $500 to anyone who chased him out of my shop last night?" I huff out a breath. "I actually had to pay up, too."
Lucy stares at me for a long, silent moment and then bursts into loud peals of laughter.
